A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUMANKIND (3)

Viviane put her finger on her cheeks, thinking. She thinks that must be the case.

"What the-"

Satria couldn't hide his shocked expression. His wide open eyes clearly showed his disbelief.

"Y-Y-You must be j-joking right?"

"Hmm, I don't know. It's only my assumption."

"B-but what makes you think t-that's the case?"

"When I summoned you. Your family was preparing to hold a funeral for you."

"H-how did you know?"

"Because I saw it."

"Th, Then look into it again."

"I can't. Not right now."

"W-why?"

Viviane didn't answer. She just stared at Satria who seemed to have already lost it. Satria was trembling heavily.

'Hah. He was calm, until now. Why did he suddenly become like this?'

The contained emotions within Satria exploded. It's like he suddenly lost control over it. 

'Was the shock of losing his arms greater than that of him being dead or did his emotions just explode?' Viviane can't seem to understand why Satria suddenly became like this. 

Satria, who was overwhelmed, clutched his head. He messed up his hair so much that it shows how shocked he must have been. 

"Satria."

Satria is just silent. He was trembling heavily.

"Satria."

"..."

"SATRIA!"

Viviane shouted, waking up the sleeping white bird from its nap. Satria, while clutching his head, took a glance at Viviane. 

"Calm down."

With his teary eyes, Satria looked at Viviane.

"Take a deep breath."

WHOOO~, HAAA~, WHOOO~, HAAA~.

Satria took a long deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

Viviane poured another cup of tea for Satria. He definitely needed it as he struggled to calm himself down. Viviane hands the cup to Satria, who is already quite relaxed. Satria instinctively takes the cup.

"Drink it."

Even without Viviane telling him to, Satria already put the cup into his mouth. He didn't forget to breathe in the smell as it helps alleviate his panic attack.

"Huuu, I'm sorry." Satria said as he calmed down.

"It's alright."

CHIRP~ CHIRP~.

The bird chirps at Satria, looking worried. It rubs its wings on Satria's hand to show concern.

"It's alright, I'm okay now." 

The bird tilting its head, worried about Satria.

"I'm fine, really, just go back to sleep. I'm sorry that I woke you up."

Satria just doesn't want the little bird to be worried about him. The bird also understood what Satria means. 

CHIRP~ CHIRP~.

The bird chirps and points its wing upwards, making a gesture that she understands. Satria put a bit of a smile on his face. He forced himself to smile, for the bird's sake.

Yawning, the bird with white feathers buried her face in the pillow and continued her nap.

"Hah." Satria let out a deep sigh.

It wasn't because he felt annoyed nor confused. It was because he thought that he was being pathetic. He was having a panic attack for a reason that he also finds funny. Even though Satria had just died, panic hit Satria when he realized Viviane summoned him with his arms intact. With a frown, Satria seems embarrassed and somewhat annoyed at himself.

"What is Avalon?" Satria opens his mouth and asks Viviane. 

Since he already showed his embarrassing sights to Viviane, he thought that now is not the time to keep all the questions he had. Viviane, who also understood that, instead of insisting that they need to come to an agreement first, she spoke.

"It's a satellite. Pretty much like the Moon orbiting the Earth. Avalon is one of the satellites orbiting the Contraria. Aerithans just put the Mehrunse Tower inside of it. "

"So, we are in space right now?"

"Not exactly, we are inside Avalon. The satellite."

"Are you saying that the Areth-what- or whatever it is, carved an entire satellite and put a giant floating tower inside it?"

"Yes."

"How could any- Ah. Right. Magic."

"Yes."

Viviane and Satria stare at each other. 

Worrying about a potential second panic attack, Viviane maintains eye contact with Satria. As for Satria, he wants to pressure Viviane to tell him what she knows, without leaving too much detail. Satria seemed to have difficulty controlling his emotions, he had a lot of thoughts anyway.

Afraid that Satria might get a second panic attack, Viviane added.

"The one who named it Avalon is the Contrarians. My master thought it was a good name. So he decided to change the tower name."

It was a trivial thing, but she said that to put Satria minds at ease.

"I can't deal with the corrupted mana, not at the moment. I have to take care of my master."

"What happened to him?"

"In the last Decay, my mas-."

"Decay?"

"That's what we decided to call it, the Decay."

Satria deliberately interrupts Viviane, he doesn't care about interrupting her story anymore. All he wants is information. 

Viviane, momentarily taken aback, pauses and then continues sharing her story. She doesn't mind it at all, in fact she just lets him, without feeling annoyed or anything.

"My master suffered a fatal injury last Decay. Now, he can't even move his fingers. He just sleeps all the time, recovering. Even waking up for a while is hard for him. He could only awake for a moment before continue to sleep."

"I see."

"He was already exhausted from his research and yet still chooses to take on the matter."

"..."

"I even said that he should just let me deal with the Corrupted Mana, but he didn't listen."

"..."

"'I am the Protector of Avalon', he said. It was indeed his duty, but I don't think that he needed to deal with it by himself. I'm his apprentice and I also could help him."

"He felt that it was his responsibility. You also said that you are his only apprentice, maybe that's the reason."

"Probably." Viviane paused, she knew that was his reason, but she couldn't accept such a reason.

"He was soo~ stubborn. The Decay wasn't particularly different from the last time. Master is just way too exhausted. Even just using a barrage of Light Spears makes him out of breath and collapse."

Viviane held her head, showing that she couldn't believe her master.

"I understand why he did that, I know. I just can't believe he did it."

"Why did he do that? Was it solely you?"

Viviane paused and chose her words carefully.

"No, my master is the last Aerithans in Avalon. Few hundred years ago, the Aerithans decided to settle down in Contraria. My master and also his master chose to stay behind."

"Why?"

"Because it's their duty to protect the Avalon and oversee the mana in Contraria. They can't just come down and settle there. Who will protect this place?"

"Ah."

"The Aerithans decided to descend after hearing that Contraria is now suitable for humans to settle in."

Viviane waves her hands to take a book. It was the journal that her master had written. Viviane opens up the first page and proceeds to read the book out loud.

"'Today, I need to say my farewell to my friends, family, my subject and to everyone who calls themselves Aerithans.'"

Satria leans his body forward in anticipation. He wants to know what Viviane master had written.

"'I give them blessing, with hope for their success in their new journey.'"

Viviane flipped the page.

"'I have decided, to records all their journey into this book, along with our own history.'"

"'In celebration of their new journey, I decided to call them, Contrarians, instead of Aerithans. May the blessing of mana be with them.'"

Viviane closed the book. She waved her hands and put the book to where it was.

"The Contrarians lived in Contraria for roughly a hundred thousand years. Their populations grew. They create kingdoms and empires. They occupied every part of Contraria, the forest, plains, mountains, seas, riverside and even the cursed land."

"So, pretty much like humans on Earth then."

"Yes, but they just skipped the evolution from animal to human. Instead, their already perfect body evolved from humans onto another subspecies."

"Hmm."

"The Magic drive their evolutions and change their body to perfectly fit their mana rich environments. Now, the Contrarians are able to harness magic far better than humans on Earth were."

"..."

"But, just like their predecessor, humans, Contrarians also repeat the same mistake."

"They waged war and almost destroyed the Contraria?"

"No, no, not up to that point. They just waged war and destroyed most of their record of magic. Their civilizations fell apart, and they built a new civilization from its ashes."

"Hmm."

"I assumed that the records about their descents were also lost in the process, as both me and my master couldn't find it."

'So, even though they travel across space, humans are still human after all.'

Satria thought. Human's history is always filled with blood and destruction after all. As he pondered this truth, he couldn't help but reflect on the countless wars and conflicts that had shaped the course of civilization. 

From ancient battles fought with swords and shields to modern warfare with advanced technology, the pages of history seemed stained with the echoes of violence. Yet, amidst the darkness, the humans also saw glimmers of hope – moments of resilience, unity, and progress that emerged from the ashes of destruction. That same story also happened here in Contraria, of course with the addition of magic.

"Unbelievable right?" She grinned at her own sarcastic remark.

"Well, that is what makes us human. Making mistakes and learning from them."

"Huhu anyway. Will you do it?"

"I'll think about it."

Intrigued by Viviane's story. Satria thought about it deeply. He was given a second chance at life. Although dealing with the corrupted mana is the catch, if he can deal with it quickly then he can enjoy his life after.

'Magic huh,' Satria murmured, 'what was it like to wield magic in your hands?'

Satria can only imagine it. The mere thought of conjuring spells and commanding mystical forces fascinated him. He imagined a world where enchantments flowed through his fingertips, turning something ordinary into the extraordinary. The wonders of magic danced in his mind, sparking a yearning to explore it. The magic that was once lost from Earth, separated, and found itself thriving in Contraria. 

The life of a magician, that one can only see in movies, is right before him. He only needs to say yes for all of that to become a reality.

'What do I have to lose anyway? I'm dead.' Satria pondered.

Satria thinks about it deeply. He rhythmically tapped his feet, showing to Viviane how hard he contemplated it.

"Would it seem shameless if I wanted to learn more about Magic first?"

"It would." Said Viviane as she sips her tea.

It would make it seem like Satria is a shameless person. After all, Viviane already gave him details, even though she said she wouldn't.

"All right then. I will save humanity."

Viviane was startled. She never thought Satria would say that. A giggle coming out from her mouth, she smiling. She tried to conceal it with her cup but Satria was still able to see it.

"Huhuhu."

Satria is confused. Did he say something wrong? He thought.

Viviane, who still finds it funny, clarifies Satria's misunderstanding.

"Who said you have to save humanity?"

"So, I don't have to become a hero?"

"Just deal with the corrupted mana and enjoy your second life."

"Ah, okay."

Satria, who is apparently misunderstood by Viviane, covers his face in embarrassment. He had a thought that he needed to become a hero and save humanity. Apparently, that's not the case.

**

A small bird flying left and right. She was looking for one particular room in this concrete maze. The maze was so confusing, she couldn't understand why anyone would build a maze like this. There were a lot of people inside the maze. Some were running, some just sat there holding their heads, and some cried.

As the bird continued her search, she noticed the unfamiliar scent of the maze lingering in the air. The maze seemed to stretch endlessly with its white walls and long corridors, making it difficult for her to navigate. She wondered if the people she saw were facing their own struggles within the labyrinth of hallways. The distant echoes of footsteps and conversations added to the eerie atmosphere of the maze, creating a sense of both urgency and quiet desperation.

The bird who was chased by a random man with a stick in his hand. The man tried to chase her away. She isn't welcome here, so she decided to exit the maze through a small hole in the wall. As she navigated the confusing corridors of the maze, the unwelcoming atmosphere made her uneasy.

Outside the maze, there are a lot of trees. The leaves flutter in the winds. She flew towards one of the trees and landed there. Pausing, she catches her breath under the tree's shade. The bird starts looking left and right, staring at the crystal clear wall. She is currently confused, and doesn't know where she is.

Starting from the trees, she decided to take a closer look around. She hop, hop, and hop with her little feet, jumping from one tree to the other. Suddenly, a loud scream of a young man entered her ears. She began to fly towards where the sound was coming from.

Two young men were inside the maze, behind the crystal clear wall. She just floats there observing the screaming man. After quite some time the man passed out from all the screaming.

That man is the one she was looking for. A young man without arms.

She decided to wait for the man in a tree nearby. 

YAWN~

The bird was tired, it was a really long day for her. She decided to take a little nap as she waited.

*

The beautiful night sky appeared before her as she woke up. She panicked. She didn't intend to take a nap that long. The bird flew towards the crystal clear wall where the man was. What the bird saw after that shocked her.

The man was brought outside by some men. There are two people crying there. One of the men she saw earlier patted the people who were crying. An eerie feeling suddenly surrounds the bird. She was just floating there with a confused-bird look.

The bird realized that the man she was looking for is already dead. She rushed into the maze and started looking for the man. She doesn't care anymore about the random people with sticks chasing her. The only thing that she wants is finding the man.

She flew frantically as she glided through the maze. Then after an exhausting flight and maneuvers, she came across the man. He was dragged into a room by two people. Without a hint of hesitation, she charged at them. With a lightning speed she fly towards them until suddenly, the door to the room closed.

She will likely hit the door if she doesn't stop in time. 

Giving up. She decided to wait for the man to come out. She waited at the nearby iron pole.

CHIRP~ CHIRP~.

She was calling. Not for the man, but for the one who sent her there to look for the man.

- Wait there a little longer.

A voice rang in her head. It was a woman's voice.

CHIRP~ CHIRP~.

She nods and chirps, suggesting that she understand.

*

The morning arrives, the once dark gloomy night now filled with bright and warm light. The bird who kept following the now dead man, now is chased by a cat. The orange fat cat chased her across the house. The bird was looking for a window for her to come in, but the cat always finds a way to jump on her. She can't do anything about the cat, as it looks scary. Everytime she tries to enter the house, the cat would jump, stretching its hands with a claw fully out. She almost got caught once.

CHIRRRPPP~!

The bird chirps angrily at the stupid cat. She still has something left to do, but the stupid orange cat just won't leave her alone. 

As instructed, she needs to pluck one of the dead man's hair. The bird just floats there, waiting for the cat to lower its guard down.

Then, the bird saw a glimmer of hope, and a person suddenly walked towards the cat and picked it up. The cat is struggling, but the person is still insisting on carrying the cat somewhere. 

Doesn't want to miss her opportunity, the bird flew inside the house. She then landed on top of the man. He was alone in a room filled with flowers and a picture. She opens up the fabric that covers his face and plucks some strands of hair.

The bird flew, for she had succeeded on her mission. The bird then chirps as she flies. 

[Okay okay, I'll open it.]

Along with a voice in her head, a portal, small enough for her to come through appeared in front of her. Without a hint of hesitation, the bird flew right into it.

**

Satria is now in a difficult situation. Before him, there are cards placed atop the table. He takes a serious look at the cards.

"Ugh, I can't decide. Everything's just too good."

"You still need to choose one, Satria."

"Arghhh!"

Satria can't make up his mind on the card. Choosing only one card is already good enough, but the other cards are also tempting.

"Do I have to make my choice now? Can we just do it tomorrow? I need to think about it first."

"Hmm."

Viviane stares at Satria as she tries to read Satria's thoughts.

"Sure, It doesn't really matter."

Viviane's words brightened Satria's face.

"Really? We can do that?"

"Yes. But it has to be tomorrow."

"Owh, no problem. In the meantime, can I take a look at some books?"

"Why? You can't even read it."

"Ah, right."

Satria can't make up his mind. Viviane had forced him to choose a power. A power that would help him live his life and deal with the Decay. Everything seems good so it's hard for him to decide.

"I wanted to learn something first before choosing the power, what a shame."

"Hah." Viviane let out a deep sigh.

Viviane's patient almost runs out. Satria took a whole two hours staring at the cards. With a deep sigh, Viviane waved her hands. A book suddenly flew towards Satria, floating before him.

"What is this?" Satria points at the book.

"It's a book that I wrote. It contains my knowledge of magic. Although you can't read it, you can experience it."

Viviane waved her hand once more, the book fell into Satria's lap.

"You see the Magic Crystal there?" Viviane points towards the room corner.

There is indeed a Magic Crystal at where Viviane points her finger. The crystal sits on top of a wooden table.

"Use one hand to hold the book and touch the Magic Crystal with your other hand."

"?"

"Just do it. You'll understand soon."

Viviane sips her tea.