Chapter 43: Faith

  "Hey! You son of a bitch, what the fuck is going on?" Sasha pushed Jack against the side of the dome. They had been walking for what had felt like hours, walking from room to room, like in a maze. That was until they got to the balcony of the main dome.

  "I…" He looked to the side, avoiding her gaze. Jack was clearly at a loss for words. By the looks of it, he'd been dragging them along a meaningless stroll. He was probably as lost as them, trying to figure out the situation. But it was good, it had given him the time he needed to think, to process things.

  "Don't fuck with me! What the fuck happened in there and what is going on?" Sasha was starting to crush his throat with her forearm. He was struggling to breathe, but he didn't resist.

  "I think that's enough, don't you think so, Sasha?" Slava looked back from the railing he was leaning on. The city really was breathtaking. "We should give him a chance to explain himself." Sasha was about to retort, but when she met his cold calculative gaze, she calmed down, stepping back. "I don't know for how long I can restrain her, I'm sure you have a lot to say." Slava's lips didn't move "why don't you start from the beginning?" Understanding his words, Jack's bitter sadness turned into a bitter smile.

  "Haha, you… never mind." He walked over to the railing, joining Slava in his sightseeing. The entrance to the basilica was bustling, and the streets that led to it were lively.

  "This place…" he leaned over. "It's a haven. And it's been like this since before I came. And it's all because of The Prophet." Pausing, he raised his head towards the sky. "Angel knows more about that than me, she's the oldest of us… in seniority I mean. Anyway, I'm sure you've noticed, but this place isn't what you would call 'secure' and that's because no one can enter or leave Henosis without the 12 graders' permission. The Prophet made sure of that." Sasha couldn't hold it in and scoffed.

  "So you guys are just caged birds? How do people put up with that?" In any normal situation, there would've been protests, riots even. Just like it happened countless times before. The nuclear riots, the Union, and exosuit protests. But this time it was different, Henosis, just like any other societal structure had power, leading figures, and even a guarantee of security and comfort against a seemingly unbeatable enemy. Although to keep its people inside a cage, it needed something more. Even a utopia wouldn't be enough to restrain people like that. It needed something that could quell their needs and overshadow their desires. Something that would unite them, that would make them look past their differences for the sake of a common goal or reward. It needed…

  "Faith," Slava suddenly said. Through his father's endless lectures and books, it was something he'd always noticed. When the world crumbled, when rules and morality turned to dust, one thing would keep people going, belief. Belief in something better… or worse. The Christians' belief in God throughout the Middle Ages, the Nazis' belief in their own superiority in the 20th century, the Americans' belief in freedom, or even the Union's belief in their god and his magnanimous gifts. Giving him a glance, Jack smirked.

  "It's nice to have someone with a head on their shoulders." Faith could control fear and hope, and that was probably one of the reasons why the prophecy existed. "The Prophecy is indeed a beacon of faith, and it keeps us afloat, but I think that might've been an unintended side effect." Slava would've probably laughed if he hadn't experienced The Prophet's awakening firsthand. "You see, the prophecy comes from The Prophet herself and her foresight is very real, it allowed us to stay hidden for this long." Slava could see him slightly grip the railing. "But recently…" he sighed, "things have been getting out of hand." He moved his hand and following his movements, a screen materialized in front of them.

  "I didn't get enough angles to get a full 3D reconstruction, but this was the moment that started it all." It was a fight between two familiar figures. "This was way before Nicholas or even the AITF became what it is today." They were familiar but different. A feral Angel was angrily mowing down a forest of plants to get to a maniacal Serena. The same Serena he saw in the vision. "We lost a lot of good people that day." Bodies were strung about, thorns piercing through them, vines holding them up, some still twitching. "When Serena betrayed us, she took with her a lot of our secrets; our methods of recruitments, our lists of potentials and awakened…" Before Slava could fully analyze the recording, the floating screen vanished, turning into mist. "Fortunately, she never got to selling us off." She would have nothing to gain from revealing Henosis' location. Crossing Sasha's questioning gaze, he continued. "If she sold us off, they would have no more reasons to stay in contact with her. She probably found a convincing excuse." The oddest part of this whole thing was… "The Prophet…" the railing cracked, "she did nothing, she just watched, and when we asked her for help in fighting the AITF, she got mad at us for 'disturbing her with such trivial matters'. If not for Nic…" He closed his eyes. Slava and Sasha simultaneously put their hands on his shoulders. Their eyes flashing in a peculiar light.

  "Anyway, what happened today, never happened before. This was the first time I'd seen her panic like that. She got mad, yes, but never afraid. She can see the treads of faith of those she touches," they both removed their hands. "and whatever she saw in you," he turned his head, his eyes piercing Slava's, "destroyed everything she'd been working for. You heard her too, right? You broke the prophecy." His words carried a weight that seemed to thicken the surrounding air. He wasn't sure, before, but Jack's words confirmed it. He couldn't remember what she saw in him, and he didn't really understand what she was talking about, but from the looks of it, what she saw now didn't match what she knew. What did that mean for them now?

  "Hope that answers your questions." With his words, fireworks lit up behind him. "Ah, what was it today?" Turning to face the spectacle, he blew through a hole he made with his fingers, his eyes flashing in a light grey color. From them, a mist spread into the sky and a few moments later, more fireworks appeared, complementing the others. "Forgive me, it's just something I do with my kids since we don't see each other often." Unlike his, previous playful smiles, this one was the most genuine one he'd shown thus far. Waiting for the light show to pass, Slava opened his mouth.

  "Actually, I have something to ask." Well, there were many things he wanted to ask, but one question itched in his mind most of all. Even if he'd sworn to help Sasha, he hadn't forgotten his ultimate goal.

  "Ask away!" His sweet smile turned into a smirk. "I thought it wouldn't be enough." He was still facing away from them, blankly staring at where the fireworks used to be.

  "Earlier, you gave these a name," to his words, his back lit up, chains spreading from them. "You called them 'Shackles of Time'," he ran his fingers across one of them, lightly cutting his finger and letting some blood flow onto it. Blood that it soon absorbed. "Why was that?" He asked, his gaze piercing his back. After a small pause, Jack chuckled, turning his head so that he could meet his eyes.

  "It doesn't mean anything, I just like naming things." Slava was dumbfounded, he thought he had found something, a clue, anything. "Just like I named the sigils. I found it's practical to refer to things by a name rather than having to describe them every time you know?

  "Unbelievable," Sasha interjected, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "I also had something I wanted to ask." Not waiting for his approval, she continued. "Why was she so interested in me?" she nodded towards the central dome.

  "Ah yes, the child of the purple sea shall herald the arrival of the chosen one. It's in her scriptures. 'Fragment of the Chosen One's Record', she used to call it. You're supposed to…" He unexpectedly paused, his eyes dashing from left to right. "Shit, I have got to go," he turned to walk towards the door before stopping himself. "I just remembered something, I'll send you some coordinates." He moved his fingers and an indicator appeared in Slava's vision. "Go there, you'll find two people who really wanted to meet you." Slava raised an eyebrow. They didn't know anyone from here… "I suggest Sasha lead you there if you know what I mean. I don't think you want all the attention that comes from walking through the hall right now." Reaching behind his back, he walked toward Slava. "Oh, and here's the key to the exit, in case you need to leave." He grabbed his shoulder, triggering something in Slava's suit. "Just in case she goes crazy."

  Looking at his smirk, he couldn't tell if he was joking. They both just watched him incredulously as he dispersed into mist, his finger on his lips.