1 The Dawn of a New World

--Talion's Perspective--

"Countless times throughout history, Humanity has almost gone extinct. The number itself is unknown, but it's scary to think that at any moment, it could happen again... oh Zeal, what about this?" I said, flipping the page while staring at my white-haired friend. We had visited an acquaintance to find out the lost history of the world and hadn't been very successful until I stumbled upon a new page.

"In the year twenty-twenty, another extinction event happened and Humanity was given one last chance... on a floating Isle located in the Earth's atmosphere? Could it be talking about this Isle?" I asked Zeal again. He nodded. His calm voice slowly crawled out of his throat as he sighed.

"I even knew that. I was hoping this Isle would have more information... well, no matter. Let's try another book." Zeal commented before taking the book from my hands.

"I didn't even know about this Isle before you told me we were going here... how many are there? What does this one look like?" I had several questions for Zeal, as I was brought here with no true explanation and only given a task to research as much as I could with him.

"There are three in total, but contact with one has been completely lost. Then there's ours, the one with the hotter climate, then this one, the Isle all survivors in twenty-twenty came to. It happened after the last extinction event that the book talked about. You'll learn about it more later. Anyway, ten years after that is what I wanted to learn about. So much that has gone unknown that I need to learn more about. If that book doesn't have it, none will." He explained, setting down the dusty book on the table before turning toward the window.

"I'm sure things did happen, but we're quite new to the mix, we should worry about our problems before worrying about what happened before, shouldn't we? Make sure to put it back exactly where Orion had it. It's best to avoid conflict for now." Zeal said with an annoyed smile.

I nodded, lifting the book old enough to be an ancient artifact off of the table and cradling it into my arms. I listened carefully and slid it back on the shelf just as Orion walked in.

Orion had a ton of muscle like Zeal did and almost looked identical to him. Orion, with slicked-back dirt-brown hair with emerald green eyes, was a duller contrast to Zeal's slicked-back white hair and brown eyes. The two may have looked the same, but they didn't get along at all. Apparently, conflict had happened in the past that separated them.

"Good afternoon Talion and Zeal. May I offer you something to drink?" Orion said with a smile. He turned his body over and lifted drinks off of a tray held by a girl with shackles on her ankles. Was this... a slave?! Orion owned slaves?

"Quit your trembling girl! You're going to spill the drinks!" Orion shouted at her and she started to tremble even more.

"No, we're fine." Zeal said shortly before walking away from Orion. I was disgusted at this man already, how in the hell were we similar in any way?

The White Stone, located on the back of six individuals' left hands, is the one thing that united us, whether we owned slaves or refused to. I woke up without memories of my past life on a beach and met Zeal, where he took me in and trained me to be the 'leader I was meant to be', as he called me. I guess that's why I was so on board with learning about the history of the world. Maybe I was a part of it, or maybe it would awaken something within me. Either way, there were still things I needed to know.

"Alright then. You heard him! Get the hell out of here!" Orion yelled to the girl. She winced as if Orion was going smack her, and she dropped the tray with two glasses onto the floor, shattering one of the two.

"Pick that shit up!" He yelled again. I could barely stand being in a room with this rotten man. The girl trembled, even more, looking for a broom, but Orion told her to pick it up with her teeth while wielding a sadistic smile. Zeal pushed me out of the room and I clenched my teeth in irritation.

"I'm sure... I'm sure you'll pay for the things you've done." I muttered while walking out of the room. I didn't even want to turn around and say it to his face, fearing that I would ruin whatever was left between the friendship with Zeal and Orion.

"Take care then, gentlemen," Orion said while turning back to the girl. He forced her neck down to the floor and revealed her name to be 'Lia'. Lia started to scream in pain as we walked outside. I took notice that Zeal didn't seem anywhere near as bothered as I was.

We walked out to observe the small city from above. Houses were arranged near a large town center with a fountain in the dead center of everything, and wires strung up with lights hanging off of them. It was snowy and cold here, but it didn't necessarily feel cold to me.

This large, castle-like structure was located on the top of a glacier by the edge of the sea, so the cold temperature was surprising not to feel.

"Why didn't you react to what Orion did? Has he always done that?" I asked Zeal. He turned his head with a dull look on his face like he still wasn't reacting to it.

"I've seen worse. If anything, that's the best I've seen. Well, that doesn't matter. This isn't my territory... it's actually yours now." He admitted.

"My territory? What do you mean?" I asked Zeal. He explained that each Isle before the third was destroyed had two White Stones each on them. One of them to defend the Isle, and one of them to attack invaders. Orion was the defender... and I was the attacker. He revealed that to me after showing me how Orion acts? I was irritated that I had to work together with him... but if it was my job, then fine.

After his conversation with me, Zeal walked toward the city center down a staircase, and toward a strange metal box with a white diamond on the top of it. That's how we got here, through the transporter.

"You know our rules, we can't kill other people. But, if people invade this Isle, you're permitted to kill them. Orion can't come to Earth where I run things, or else I'll be able to kill him. See the simple rules?" He explained. I nodded, commenting that I understood it.

"You'll be able to tell through the messaging system in your left eye. You've seen it before, right?" Zeal asked me. I nodded, but right as I did, something appeared in my vision just as he explained it.

[System Alert! A New White Stone Has Been Born!]

"What?! Already?! That's way too soon!" Zeal panicked and put his hand on the transporter we used to get here. "The fact we got the message means that the White Stone woke up on this Isle, which means that we'll have to stop him. That must be an invader... but why did it happen so soon?" Zeal started to talk to himself after explaining the situation to me.

"I'll handle it. I'm the attacker for invaders. Do you have any leads on his location?" I asked Zeal, but he shook his head. He explained that if anybody were to know about the location of that new White Stone, it would be Orion. Dammit... then I have to talk to him.