Beyond the cathedral

[1ST POV INITIALLIZE]

As I got further away from the Cathedral of Divine Light, I was captivated by the grand brick road that led to the entrance to the downtown outside. It felt like stepping into medieval times, in contrast with Victoria houses-style along the way which also oppose to present day advance technology.

The road stretched out ahead of me, this road extending for hundreds of meters long toward the gate leading to outside. What caught my attention were the colossal ten statues standing tall at an impressive height of twenty meters on either side of the road.

These statues depicted numerous philosophers who predated the Space Era calendar and were significant figures during the Yatian age, spanning from year 0 to the 21st Yaturian.

As I continued along the road, I noticed many floating holographic displays hovered above the road, showcasing the charitable events done by the church throughout the years. It highlighted the various philanthropic events that had taken place since the beginning of SE 2 where the Cathedral, the headquarter of the Church of divine light was freshly established on Tellus.

Besides the road, several buildings caught my attention. These included a cozy coffee shop, a convenient grocery store, and charming bookstores. Additionally, there were houses built in a European style, each surrounded by a fence. These houses were provided by the church to the esteemed Bishop, saint, priest, sisters, and other high-ranking officials within the cathedral.

As for the philosophers represented by the statues, they were renowned for their contributions to the philosophy of light. Whether it was exploring the concept of the light of hope, the light of the soul, or the light of wisdom, as long as their ideas delved into existential questions related to light, they were honored and included within the cathedral's premises.

Among the statues, there stood one figure shrouded in mystery, known as the Star-Guesser. He held a book in his right hand and his face was hidden under a hood. Not much information about him exists because the church of Yatia intentionally erased records related to him. According to myths surrounding him, he was not only a philosopher but also a scientist. He made a groundbreaking discovery during his time, revealing that the stars people saw in the night sky were suns with their planets, and these planets were round, not flat.

During that era, the church of Yatia upheld the belief in a flat earth. The Star-Guesser's revolutionary findings threatened the teachings of the priests and the holy book called "Regenesis," which claimed to be the divine words bestowed upon humanity by God. This book declared Yatia as the savior, who was both the son of God and God himself. It may sound complex, but I grasped the overall context. However, I didn't believe in God; instead, I believed in the principle of hard work and reaping the results of one's efforts.

The Star-Guesser faced numerous accusations from the powerful church of Yatian during his time. Eventually, he was found guilty by the church and sentenced to death by burning on a wooden sun cross soaked in oil. Sadly, very few records about him remain, as the church of Yatian controlled much of the information. The early 21st Yaturian period, a time of human prosperity, may have had some knowledge about him, but most of it was lost due to diseases and catastrophic events like the apocalypses and World War 3, which nearly wiped out humanity and followed by a Great Global disaster, a war between humanity and android as well as Mother nature.

However, modern-day historians have managed to piece together some of the remaining fragments to challenge the beliefs of the church of Divine Savior Yatian. As a result, this church no longer holds political power. The church of Divine Light now wields significant authority in matters of religion on Tellus. The Yatian followers, unable to challenge the church of Divine Light directly, have turned their attention to converting believers of Allareon, claiming that their god is false.

Fortunately, most people on the planet no longer have extreme religious faith, as it was one of the main causes of global disasters in the past.

As I walked, I noticed the golden hue of the morning sun behind the tall skyscrapers, signaling the start of a new day. I activated my AR vision using the chip in my hand, allowing me to access various restricted functions and information. Checking the time, I saw it was 7:02 am.

Now I was heading to the Skyport to board the flying city bus situated near the end of this island, which would take some time to get there, I estimated that I would arrive at school around 8:00 am.

Eventually, I reached a tall gate surrounded by a 50-meter-high electrical fence. Adjacent to the gate was a two-story white building serving as a security station, with guards monitoring the entrance. In the middle of the gate stood four security guards dressed in black armor, carrying laser guns. Their role was to protect the high saintess of the Divine Light and fight for the church.

As I approached the gate, I overheard some chatter from the orphans who were also on their way to school. Although our schools were likely different, as they were determined by the Divine Light cathedral, which ranked the quality of schools, we shared a common history and similar daily lives.

Most of the orphans feared being expelled from the cathedral, as the world outside was portrayed as a utopia. However, this idealistic image made it even scarier, as anything the world government deemed good had to be accepted as such, even if it was an evil act.

"Those creepy guys again, why does the cathedral allow them to dress like that around such a holy place?"

"Don't you know that nowadays people have strange taste in fashion, who are we to judge them?"

"Still, that is too much. More and more of these people dressing creepily seem to appear across the island for some unknown reason..."

"Right, this sounds very creepy. Perhaps they are trying to paint angelic beings as evil?"

"Yes, this sinner trend is going out of hand. Maybe a part of terrorist from the Dogma of Yallareon or the scavengers?"

"Hmm, it might be."

The orphans continued their discussion, expressing their concerns about the strange individuals who enjoyed cosplaying as creepy angelic beings. These individuals wore long black hoods that extended to their feet, completely concealing their bodies. Their costumes included blood-soaked halos and faces that appeared to be trapped in eternal agony, emitting screams that never ceased. The orphans couldn't help but wonder what lurked beneath those mysterious hoods, as their identities remained shrouded in darkness.

I tried not to overthink and kept walking until one guard stopped me and said in a joyful voice coming from within his helmet "Hey, Einsamer. I heard you have a performance with your band right? I am looking forward to it tonight at Sector 0."

I smiled, knowing this friendly guard to be none other than Mr. Frederic, a middle-aged man whom I had known since I was first adopted by the orphanage dorm of this cathedral.

I nodded and said, "Thanks, Frederic. I'm excited to see you there as well. By the way, why didn't the cathedral prevent those men from frightening the worshippers of the divine light?"

Frederic furrowed his brow, trying to comprehend my concern. To make it clearer, I pointed at a group of men dressed in black with their faces hidden behind unsettling white masks soaked in blood. These individuals stood outside the holographic barrier and fence surrounding the cathedral, serving as a deterrent for anyone attempting to enter. Frederic followed my gesture and looked in the direction I indicated. After a moment, he let out a sigh, signifying that he now understood the unsettling presence I was referring to.

"The bishops of this cathedral stated that it wasn't a major issue and believed it was within their rights. They suggested letting them continue as they would eventually grow tired and move on, just like any other passing trend that challenges the divine light," Frederic explained, expressing his concern.

"I understand... Well, thanks for the explanation, and I'll see you later this evening!" I replied. I realized that further discussion wouldn't give me any more insights, so I waved goodbye and continued on my way. Frederic smiled back at me and returned to his duties, his expression now serious once again.

I continued walking towards the massive gate, which stood about 20 meters tall and was made of white carbon fiber concrete. On top of the gate were statues of two figures holding torches with a symbol of star in blue flame represented the symbol of Divine light. As the gate opened, I didn't immediately enter a tunnel beyond this gate. On the other side of this tunnel, there was a bright, vibrant light, like a bustling futuristic utopia that resembled heaven from a distance. However, I knew the truth about the world that this was far from utopia.

Criminal activity still exist all across Tellus, corrupted governor who shut down people accused innocent people of trying to disturb peace, and guilds who conducted illegal mafia activity still exist even the law of strict but they still found away to avoid detection from the world government or perhaps this governor turned a blind eyes to them.

If you asked me why we built a city on a floating island, it's because there was limited viable land. Most of the world's terrain was unsuitable for sustaining life, let alone thriving, due to the nuclear conflict we endured with the androids and the near devastation brought by the First Galactic War that nearly obliterated the Citadel, the central hub for humanity on Tellus. Now you understand why I always knew this wasn't a utopia; it was merely a slogan designed to create an illusion of safety and peace under the governance of the world government and this work very well as terrorist activity was so rare since most people had job and place to thrive in.

I was always ahead of my age, having endured a tumultuous upbringing as an orphan. While most children had families to protect and care for them, shielding them from almost every danger, my worldview was shaped by pure logic and factual observation rather than by people's opinions and propaganda as I had no one to protect me.

Books, introspection, and observation were my parents.

The more books you read, the better you understood that human history and nature remain the same as if we were stuck in a cycle. The more introspection you engage in, the more likely you were to understood your own weaknesses and strengths. And through observation, you learn a lot about human psyche; people were complex, after all, and it would be foolish to think that everyone was naive or innocent. Some people could stab you in the back with a smile.

My philosophy in life was that everyone was a potential enemy. However, lately, I have tried to let my guard down and just go with the flow, avoiding causing trouble or drawing any attention to myself.

"For some reason, everything within this sector cage in a dome energy shield, and even the cathedral itself felt fake and superficial to me." I murmured.

I wondered if there was a reality out there that felt more real than this one? Perhaps the fourth dimension, like Lasiv mentioned...

I shook my head, trying not to let my mind wander, and instead focused on remembering the lessons I had learned for the mid-term exam today.