Chereads / Tomorrow's Earth / Chapter 7 - The light

Chapter 7 - The light

With the arrival of a new day, Miguel gets out of bed and leaves Vitur's house. Despite not being able to differentiate day from night in that location, it was noticeable what time it was due to the amount of people walking outside their homes.

-I see you're awake. - said Vitur sitting next to his house.

-What were you doing there? - Miguel asks the man.

-Just enjoying the view a bit. -answers quickly and without thinking too much Vitur.

Watching a person coming from afar, Miguel sees the figure of a giant man approaching them. That man was Mazir and from the look on his face he didn't bring good news.

-Good thing my father is awake, I need your help. - said Mazir.

-What happened? - asks Vitur.

-It's the villagers, it seems that they are not satisfied with the proposal that was presented to them. Furthermore, many say that they continued to gather the fruits, contrary to what the Lord commanded them.

-I understand.

At that moment Vitur looks at Miguel who feels observed and returns his gaze towards Vitur.

-It seems that our work will start without being able to appreciate a little bit of the day. - said Vitur.

In the silveiras region, where the revolted villagers were, Miguel's group arrives to try to calm the situation. The dissatisfied, noticing their leader's presence, run straight to speak with him.

-Elder, weren't you informed about our almost tiny stock? -asks one of the villagers with a scared expression.

-Please rethink your order. Our children will not thrive or even survive if we face a shortage of resources. -reports a villager.

With an outstretched palm, Vitur stops them from saying anything else.

-I understand your concerns, but this is a measure so that we can survive. Sometimes you have to endure pain so that we can achieve the glory of pleasure. -explains Vitur.

-Pleasure, my father, does not replace food on the table! -Ker responds approaching everyone.

-Ker, why whenever you appear, you bring a great aura of revolt? -asks Vitur to his youngest son.

-Because your measurements are naive old man. Believing that we can survive for a long time without food is irrational and juvenile. Ker replies.

-That's right! -answers a villager already in tears for feeling hungry.

-I think you're past the age to give conscious commands, why don't you pass your baton right away? - suggested Ker.

-And who exactly, you? - asks Vitur.

-No, my people need a hero to represent them. Who understands the difficulties faced by everyone and who encourages them with their effort and manual work... and not an old man who lives at his expense. That's why I nominate Mazir, my older brother to succeed the village leader position!

At that moment, despite Mazir's dissatisfaction with the words spoken by his brother, the people had stirred. Everyone seemed to support the idea, hoping that a new leader would magically change the situation. With all that turmoil spreading Vitur knew it was time to act.

-I agree with you my dear son. - said Vitur.

Everyone looked with surprised eyes at the elder, could it be that he had finally given up on all those ideals he followed and was going to pass the baton to his eldest son?

-Father, what are you... - says Mazir, almost stammering.

Interrupting his son's speech, Vitur continues:

-The people really need a hero, we can't count on the wisdom of an experienced old man. In these situations we need something extra!

-I don't believe that, you really are crazy. But I'm glad you agreed with me on something... -Ker said until he was interrupted by his father.

-And who better to occupy the rank of hero than the savior sent by God!

-What?! Kern exclaimed.

The crowd was completely confused, did the elder want a complete stranger to take the lead?

-You can not be serious? - asks Ker.

-Think with me, have you ever seen another being like this in your entire existence? Does not exist. That's because he's unique, God made him that way so we know he's special. Have faith in him that he will guide us to the promised paradise.

Although it seemed like the biggest madness spoken to Miguel who was at his side, the residents began to reflect severely. After reflecting a little a little chatter was created, they started to fall into Vitur's fallacy.

-Oh, you can't be serious?! He? Our savior? Only a completely insane man would believe that. Ker muttered.

But it was too late for Ker, the idea had already penetrated people's minds. They, who had no scientific basis to explain the factors, found the answers in their faith in the beliefs of a superior being.

After the crowd has dissipated, Vitur tells Miguel that he will walk around the village for a while to calm the others who were not present.

-Do you think he managed to convince them? - asks Miguel.

-You have no idea how strong the feeling of our people is in our religion. To hear from the elder himself, who many regard as a "direct messenger" from God, that you were our savior sent by him was like hearing the truth without having to worry about a possible lie. -answers Mazir.

-I can't believe that, in my time that would be unthinkable. Although we have believers very connected to the faith, I don't think they would believe that easily.

-That's what you think, but is that what really happened? -asks Mazir.

-Why are you saying this?

-Although we are from such different years, now I see that we share very similar ways of acting.

Their conversation was reaching an interesting point. However, she was interrupted when Mazir noticed the presence of his wife approaching with their daughter.

-Something happened? -asks the wife to her husband.

-You should know that the people are dissatisfied with the new measures, it turned out that they were trying to start a revolt by grouping here, but my father already solved that for now. And you, what are you doing here with our daughter?

The child was hidden behind her mother's legs staring at Miguel with a wide look.

-About that, she said she was very curious and wanted to see the man that everyone talks about up close. -answers the wife.

-That's right, I still haven't introduced them to you Miguel. This is my wife Hilda and the little one is my only daughter Sarah.

-Is a pleasure. - replies Miguel.

When the girl sees him talking, she gets a little scared, but she gets out from behind her mother's legs and approaches him a little. He sees her staring at him closely and decides to smile to calm her nervousness, everything seems to be going well, until something goes through Miguel's head like a shock wave.

"Daddy!"

He feels a sudden headache, which makes him place one of his hands on his forehead to try to contain that irritation.

-Something happened? - Mazir asks worriedly.

-No, nothing happened. - replies Miguel.

After another day without finding many answers, Miguel returns to Vitur's house to rest. Upon entering he realizes that the old man was not there, but as he was very tired he decides to just lie down and sleep. Although Vitur managed to calm all the residents, the situation was not good, if Miguel did not find a solution to this crisis, things would get ugly. In his head he began to circle some questions that tormented him. Why did this happen to the world? How did humanity manage to become extinct when it dominated all territories on the planet? How can a conscious people who sought the answers to all questions become a being who is satisfied with just having food on their table? Where was that thirst for the answer? Was it just him who felt it? Who wanted to know what had happened. His head was very turbulent, at that moment he realized that this was going to be a difficult night to fall asleep.

In a dense darkness, in which nothing could be seen or heard, Miguel with his eyes half-open observes that without being able to move. The place seemed empty, without any sign of life, until suddenly a crack of light appears that catches his attention, they were long and thin tentacles that shone in the midst of all that darkness. These tentacles made subtle and calm movements. That scene left a calm and light air in the place, despite not understanding what exactly was happening, he was quite relaxed looking at it. However that moment didn't last long, in the blink of an eye Miguel feels a huge tremor, it was as if that world was cracking, it was at that exact moment that he wakes up from his sleep. However, he immediately realizes that that tremor was not his imagination, because even awake he still felt it. Leaving running out of the house he observes a great agitation in the population that ran from one side to the other desperate. After looking a little he sees, not far from him, Mr. Vitur who could barely stand up on his own because of his weak body and immediately goes to him to support and help him to stand up. This situation continued for a few minutes, when it was finally sessed. With his hand resting on Miguel's shoulder, Vitur indicates that everything was fine now and that he could stand up on his own. Before long, all the villagers began to gather around the two.

-Elder what was that? - asked one of the villagers.

-Why was the earth shaking, would it be a giant creature approaching? - asked another.

While the disbelieving and agitated population threw their countless questions at Vitur, Miguel was more and more surprised by the naivety of the people.

-Haven't they heard of an earthquake? Miguel asked Vitur.

-Earthquake? What is this, some kind of beast? - they asked Miguel.

Suddenly, in the midst of all that discussion, a devilish figure appears, who carried with him an aura full of hatred and dissatisfaction, that figure was Ker.

-Earthquake? Do not make me laugh. You still ask what this tremor that just happened could be, but what else could it be besides a message sent by God to us?! -Ker said.

-A message? Vitur asked.

-Yes father. Our lord, not this old man who can barely stand on his feet, I'm talking about the almighty one who rules us from above, he's warning us! We let an outsider rule us, and now we're out of food supply and in the future without a place to stay. He is not the divine figure sent by God that my foolish father thought, he is the demon who will exterminate our race! We cannot let this continue like this! Kere shouted.

-That's enough Ker! You don't know what you're talking about. - said Mazir.

-That's right! The elder is mad to let this stranger into our village! - shouted one of the villagers.

-Show them Ker!

It might not be the entire population of the place, but most were dissatisfied and that moment was perfect to let all their discontent out. Ker looks directly at Miguel with a devilish smile on her face. Most would think that his speech was just that of a crazy believer, but Miguel had understood his enemy's intentions. Just as Vitur had used the villagers' beliefs to calm them down, Ker had used the same to incinerate the revolution's hearth, and he had even more effect than his father because he relied on an inversion of ideas. Because now, for the population, Miguel no longer had the image of the "savior", but of the one who came to destroy them.

-Guys, I ask you to hold back a little. Vitur said.

-Shut up you bastard!

Shouted one of the residents throwing a stone towards the old man, the stone hits his forehead and he falls to the ground.

-Father! - shouts Mazir going to him.

The turmoil began and all eyes of hatred were pointed at Miguel, the population began to insult him.

-You brought this disgrace here!

-If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be starving so much.

-Plague, we must kill you soon!

Miguel was extremely scared, in his head he didn't see any situation that could help him. The population began to walk towards him and he fearfully retreated a little, but he ended up stepping falsely and falling to the ground. As he looked up to protect himself from the people who were coming, he was dazzled by the light, just as he was the first day he arrived. She was so bright it blinded him. This aroused a certain doubt in him. The first time he came he had spent months walking in the dim light of that frozen land and had grown ill accustomed to the light of the cave. But why was he having this difficulty seeing? He gets up, it was as if all those people who were going after him lost their importance. Miguel was thinking, thinking, his head seemed to have connected with something but he didn't know what exactly. The voices of people screaming beside him were distracting him, he couldn't think straight with all the noise. This has been leading up to the point where he loses his temper.

-SHUT UP!

Everyone is scared, no one imagined that someone who was so quiet would suddenly show such a scary expression and voice power. Vitur had noticed that Miguel was looking up strangely and asked:

-Something happened?

Miguel, without ceasing to look up with his serene eyes, responds.

-It's so clear.

Vitur, upon hearing these words, looks up and also notices that the place was strangely brighter. After thinking for a few seconds in that silence, a hypothesis finally comes to his mind, without wasting time he starts walking towards Vitur's house.

-Hey where do you think you're going?! -asks Ker.

-He's thinking of running away! -shouted one of the villagers.

However, right after they think that Miguel comes out again holding a giant black stone.

-He's thinking of protecting himself with that? -asked one of the villagers.

Miguel started walking towards the edge of that stone bridge. Without thinking about anything else, he went on his way, not caring about the people in front of him who were giving way so that he wouldn't bump into them. Everyone was confused, no one understood exactly what was going on in his head as he stared at a bridge below them that was at least forty meters high. The crowd filled the spaces next to Miguel, all wanting to know what he was going to do with that rock.

-What do you think you are doing? Ker asked.

Miguel remained silent, irritating Ker for not answering him. Before doing anything else, some words came to his mind and he, looking up, decided to recite them:

-"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The Earth was formless and empty; darkness covered the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters."

That made Ker lose her mind.

-Have you lost your mind?! Do you happen to know what that is you're holding?! This stone is our sacred treasure! Even though it's off, don't think it has no meaning for us! You can't do as you please in this place! This is our land and not...

In a calm movement, Miguel lifts the stone with his two arms making Ker lose her reasoning and stop talking. Everyone looked at the figure of Miguel lifting the stone over that intense light of the cave. Silence was impregnated, no one was able to say even a word and it was at that moment that Miguel continued his speech:

-"Then God said: 'Let there be light!

After saying these words, he lets go of the stone that was in his hands, making it fall and collide with the ground forty meters below them. Although everyone really appreciated that stone as if it were a divine grace, no one was angry with Miguel. For they were all delighted with what had happened. The black stone lit up for a brief moment before going out again, but it still glowed again even though it was outside the walls and that left everyone delighted and surprised.

-"And the light was made!"

Nobody knew how to react to that, everyone with their mouths open seemed to have turned into statues. Then, with a long smile on his face, Vitur takes the initiative, instead of saying anything he moves and bows before the image of Miguel. When the residents see that, they can't make any decision other than to do the same as him, so everyone starts to lower themselves to the image of the outsider. After all the villagers bowed, only one person besides Miguel was standing at that moment and that person was Ker, who didn't know what to say to try to turn the tables. He remained there staring at the man in front of him, not knowing what to say to make the population revolt against Miguel again. After thinking for a few seconds he finally realized that it was too late, he had already lost that battle, there was nothing else he could do there.