--Zeal's Perspective--

By the year 2445, humanity has been on the brink of extinction several times. Lost in the hidden history of our existence, only eighteen total times have been recorded, in which thirteen of these happened after the year 2000. More often than not, this happened to be thanks to the people who had the most power; those who were thought to have represented humanity.

Humanity was gifted one last chance in the year 2020, where one man who acted as the final representative was told to choose one million people to ascend to different habitable planes. We now know these planes as 'Isles'. These Isles are the final chance for what is left of humanity.

While these Isles were being established, the nineteenth, and final extinction event occurred. This struck down the citizens residing on Earth to just about one hundred people, while the million were able to live in peace on the Isles.

History is lost past this point, and it's unknown what happened in between the two different planes of habitation that humanity experienced… but what is for certain- is that neither side gave up.

--Talion's Perspective--

"And that's our lost history, nothing past two-thousand twenty, Talion," Zeal said, shutting the book and placing it gently on the table as if it were some sort of artifact.

"Absolutely nothing was recorded for four hundred years. That's almost impossible to believe… where did all of that history go?" I asked, but Zeal only stood looking out of the window of the library. Both of us scattered books all over the table trying to learn about when history had stopped being recorded.

Orion's nice library, stationed at the top of the glacier his castle was built upon, had many similar features to the libraries down on Earth. Tables by every bookshelf, two chairs at each table, and a simple, cross-patterned floor that was made of wood. The shelves were made of darker material, probably wood as well, but that wasn't our main focus. Our main focus was figuring out where all of the history and details about the events brought us to this exact point were.

"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?" I nodded, lifting the artifact off of the table and cradling it into my arms. "Make sure to put it back exactly where Orion had it. You know how he gets about those things," Zeal explained. I listened carefully and slid it back on the shelf just as Orion walked in.

Orion walked next to us with broad shoulders and an annoying, confident attitude. Right by his side was a younger, malnourished-looking girl with eyes that sunk into her head.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. May I offer you some drinks?" Orion asked, pointing to the girl beside him who held a metal tray in her trembling hands.

"Please... help yourself," The girl said to us. Zeal and I both refused the drinks offered despite the ruthless, 'royal' lifestyle Orion was boasting about.

"I hate the fact you have slaves, Orion. Don't show off this cruel treatment of innocent people you have. It's making me sick to my damn stomach," Zeal said. Zeal's gaze went sour whenever he looked at Orion. While looking at the girl, he smiled lightly and kindly. "If I could interfere with Orion, I would, but I risk the fate of humanity if I act outside of my ruling region, I'm sorry." Zeal explained to the girl.

"Well?! You heard the men! They didn't want drinks! Now get the hell out of here! Failure!" Orion said, pulling out a small, leather whip and hitting the girl in the back with it. She took the pain bravely and only held her bruised back in pain, silencing the sound of her sobbing. The metal tray slipped off of her hand and fell to the floor, shattering the glasses that used to stand on top of it.

"Oh come on! Pick that shit up!" Orion said to the girl with an irritated tone. Her hand left her back and she started sweeping the glass up with the same hand. After cutting herself twice, she turned back to look at Orion.

"I'm sorry... do you have a broom?" The girl asked Orion. She set her fingers on top of the shards with a gentle touch and dragged them across the wooden floor to her other hand, picking up the shards and setting them onto it.

"Forget the small shards, I don't have all damn day. Pick it up with your teeth." Orion smiled as he explained his new set of rules to the girl. I was outraged, ready to shout and yell at him, but Zeal put his arm out in front of me. What bothered me almost as much as Orion, was Zeal's unbothered look. As if his personality had completely changed, he didn't seem to care about the girl anymore.

I turned my body and walked out of the door as I heard the girl scream out in pain.

"What the hell are you doing?! How can you just let that happen right in front of us?" I yelled at Zeal, but his look stood indifferent.

"The same reason you didn't do anything. Because you can't. This Isle belongs to Orion. We are not allowed to interfere with what he does." Zeal said.

Zeal and I walked out of the library and into the courtyard which stood in front of it. With stone pathing and a fountain, Orion's statue stood on a pedestal in the middle. It was pretty obvious who ruled over this part of the Isle. The people walking around the fountain, or sitting on its edge, all seemed happy with their lives. It was a perfect contrast to what Zeal and I just saw inside of that library.

The houses were simple, wooden cabins with sloped tops. Shingles that bounced the snow off of them with ease. Wires were strung throughout these houses and sometimes even crossed over into the large courtyard with this fountain in it. On the tightly secured wires were little spheres that emitted light. Like wireless light posts. All of these houses around the fountain reminded me of the scenery on Earth, where Zeal came from.

"I didn't expect Orion's Isle to have the same level of technology Earth does," I told Zeal, swallowing the bitter feeling I had just glossing over the slave. I needed to come back here at some point to save her. I had to form a plan before I dove in to react to these negative emotions I felt.

On the opposite side of the courtyard stood a small stone box with a white diamond in the middle of it. For obvious reasons, it was called the Transporter. Zeal and I had used it to come from Earth to the Isle, stationed in Earth's atmosphere.

"Hey Zeal, if we're not allowed to interfere with Orion's Isle, then why am I considered the 'Nomad White Stone' that's allowed to travel wherever I want?" I asked, stopping before walking back into the room with the Transporter.

"Your job is to stop invaders that come to this Isle, not stop the people who already own it. Any intruders would be considered threats, and by the blessing of the System, we're permitted to kill." He explained.

I only vaguely learned about the System thanks to Zeal's explanation, but not even he knew what it was really for. Once in a while, a script of text would display in the center of our left eye's vision. This was exclusive to the White Stones. If I focused on reading the text, it could be easily read, but when I focused on other things, I could look past it with ease. It wouldn't impede my vision in any way.

Orion walked out of the room and over towards us. From behind him, I could see a girl in nurse's clothing run into the room. She must've been for the girl inside.

"Sorry for the display, gentlemen. My slaves do need to be taught once in a while. I hope you can understand," Orion smugly smiled and stood looking out into the forest past his courtyard.

Past us was a large forest of a massive scale. Trees scraped the clouds with their baffling height. I hadn't learned about the Isle's biomes or ecosystem, but based on what I remember from Earth, the forest would be called 'Redwood Forest', thanks to the style of trees.

"We'll be going back to Earth, Orion. Keep us updated if anything goes wrong," Zeal commented, putting his hand over the Transporter.

Just as his hand hit that cold metal, the familiar text known as the 'System' spoke to Orion, Zeal, and I. That strange text rose in our left eye and we read it out loud at the same time:

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

Only flashing with the red outline hiding behind the text once was enough to awaken fear in me. Zeal was pretty stunned as well, but Orion only smiled in contrast to us. Zeal hadn't noticed, but the smile had spoken nothing but sinister thoughts.

"How in the world?! It's way too soon for another White Stone to awaken!" Zeal shouted. He paced back and forth, taking his hand off of the Transporter and walking outside.

"So, that's what you meant when you said, Invader. Then, it's my job to stop him, right?" I said, wanting to clarify with Zeal before taking the appropriate action.

"Precisely but this is happening way too soon. Talion, I'll need you to go hunting for that Stone and kill him as quickly as possible. If he stays alive for too long, he could ruin the balance of the Isle and maybe even kill everybody living here. Am I clear?!" Zeal shouted again. Zeal's tone had changed for good. He was almost as confident as Orion usually, but now he's shifted and become a lot more fearful.

"Are you going to come with me?" I asked Zeal, but he shook his head. "No, I have to gather the rest and make sure there aren't more White Stones that will invade the other Isles. Talion, Orion, I'm leaving the fate of this Isle in your hands." Zeal said, placing his hand against the Transporter and vanishing in the blink of an eye. He dissipated into weird strings that shot into the white diamond.

"Then I'll get hunting, what will you do?" I turned to Orion, asking him what his plan was. "I don't know or care. You'll handle it, I don't need to be worried," Orion said, waving his hand dismissively and walking in the opposite direction.

I held my tongue. I didn't want to speak out now, so I walked down the stairs from the courtyard and followed the same stony path to the large, metallic gate that acted as the entrance. Thanks to several bystanders, I was able to find my way and even get a guard to open the door.

My authority is absolute because of the Stone on my hand, which meant nobody could defy me based on the rules Orion has set. This was a good thing, yet it could also be bad. Orion's no longer just a leader of this Isle, he's very obviously a dictator thanks to this rule. After I take care of this White Stone... he would be next.