A fitting end, a reason for living.
Both are things that lose its meaning the moment death becomes obsolete.
As such, the concept of eternal life has become a much debated topic that many consider it more of a curse than a gift. After all, life is only precious because it is finite.
But what if you can keep the preciousness of life while still achieving immortality? What if, eternal life only provides you with unending vitality? And that death can still come from other causes. To be long lived but not immoral, not undying.
Well, some people would choose to live their lives safe. But what if you then take away that safety. Wouldn't that be a little bit more interesting?
But I was wrong about immortality. I was wrong about reasons for living.
Turns out I was very wrong on so many things.
* * * *
Looking out the thick glass windows of their classroom. Leo barely listened to the teacher and his lecture. Fully spaced out that one would even think he's achieved enlightenment from his expression. Although the truth is, there's really nothing going on in his mind. You could say he was blanking out.
This wouldn't go on any longer, however. As the teacher nears his lecture's conclusion, he turned towards the only kid in this class of gifted students not paying attention.
"...after the end of the information era." He sighed while frowning at his dazed student, "Mr. Garlad, what do you started the new revolution?"
Still out of it, Leo blankly stared at his teacher's face for a few moments before muttering, "You could definitely start a revolution."
Try as he might, the admittedly handsome teacher could not prevent himself loudly palming his face. The whole class was laughing at Leo's antics.
The teacher smirked while shaking his head before saying, "I'm sorry Leo you may be good looking but you're not my type."
"Is this the first time you do the rejecting, Sir? How's your ratio now then? 1-30?"
Their teacher didn't even need to look Leo's face to know how big his grin currently was. Thinking about how his student's little joke is the only time he's ever received a confession, the veins on his forehead popped out before he immediately deciding to give up on wasting anymore of his energy on Leo.
Their teacher then continued his lecture as the clock ticked towards the end of the period.
"Anyways, after the last war ravaged our world and destroyed every border in our nations. Technology once again spread its wings. Then began the virtual age."
The students turned towards the large monitor in front of the class. On the screen was displayed a thin square black box. The marvel of the era simply named uh... Blackbox. A highly advanced bio-chip used for nearly every daily transaction be it in real world, or otherwise.
The screen transitioned to a another scene showing three different devices. One of the was the Blackbox, another was a helmet. The last but arguably the least, definitely the worst , was a glorified capsule hotel's bed.
"Now can someone tell the class the principles as the why the virtual cabin became such a huge setback to the virtual world?"
Before others could even raise their hands, the girl next to Leo already had hers up excitedly. Their teacher of course pointed at her while calling her name.
"Sheila"
Her smile shone brightly and started speaking before she even stood up, "It's because of brainwashing!"
The virtual cabin or capsule, as people called them, tapped directly into the brain. With some very illegal modifications made on the device, it allowed the capsule to affect the mind in ways it was never designed to.
Fortunately, the mind control attempts proved to be unsuccessful. Unfortunately, it left the victims of the experiment with brain damage ranging from mild mental trauma to brain death.
The scrapped virtual cabins would later become the prototype of the more safer cabin type medical devices.
The virtual world powered with neural inputs would halt its advancements and would continue to stagnant. It was not until a few decades later that the Blackbox would be unveiled, to take over the gap that was left. A safer alternative to the virtual cabins in the form of a embedded chip.
What didn't take a few decades, however, was how Sheila quickly took over the lecture the moment she stood up and start speaking. This prompted Leo's cheeky comment the moment that the teacher walked out the classroom.
"What a riveting speech. Everyone almost forgot we were going overtime."
Of course no one forgot. Everyone just couldn't say anything when their teacher was smiling ear to ear as Sheila went on with her speech.
"Argh.. Why didn't you guys stop me." Sheila said as she covered her face in embarrassment.
"It was funny to watch for one. Although, you stress over things too much, class rep." The boy named Jin who sat in front of Leo turned to face them. "Also, I told you he wasn't going to comment on your hair."
"Wait wait wait, Jin. I did notice it by the way. I just couldn't find the timing to say something about it."
Leo could only scratch the back of his neck with his head lowered to avoid eye contact with the girl. Noticing this Sheila let out her school famous smile. But Leo understood the difference with the smile she had right now.
A smile born from cat catching a prey.
"Oh really? Then what do you think about?"
It was a feeling Leo has felt many times during their childhood together. That feeling that tells you, without any words being uttered.
'Wrong words and you're dead'
He gulped from the invisible pressure. But when he looked at her hair it all seemed to vanish. Beautiful indeed.
Long flowing silver hair you wouldn't think anyone could pull off better than her. Her silky smooth skin perfectly accenting it as it matched with her bright silver eyes. It was a definitely a genius idea to dye her hair that way.
It was then that Leo realized why she dyed her hair in the first place.
'It's me! I talked about how silver might look good on long hair...'
And as if she sensed his growing fear, she leaned towards him. Asking what he thought but with her eyes this time.
'Should I say it? I guess I should just say it'
Leo mustered all his courage.
"It looks p-prett—"
But fate would not allow him to finish his words. A blonde girl interrupted them and skipped towards her best friend Sheila and the two boys.
"Leo! Prof. Arcin told me we need to go do the blood tests if you want to get home early. You can't be late, you're the one who requested for an early start."
She wrapped her hands on Sheila's arm. Too bad she got a pinch the moment she did it. She winced at the pain and looked at her best friends' face.
'Did I interrupt something'
She asked with their 'eye talk'. But what she got in response was a glare.
"Oopsies! I guess you guys were in the middle of something."
The girl called Keyla apologized with a bonk to her head. Jim shook his head before urging them to move.
"You guys should go."
He then wrapped his arm over Leo's shoulder and started whispering while they walked towards the door.
"You asked me to plan all this so stop spacing out. You can't be late, you know. Me and the boys worked on this all week."
When the two got to the hallway, Jin tapped Leo twice on his shoulder. With a face looking like a proud, it honestly annoyed Leo a little.
"I still don't know what I'm going to say."
Jin shook his head.
"Just let all you feelings out. The whole school thought you two were already a thing. That's why none of the guys one approached Sheila all this time." He frowned at Leo
"Honestly, it's weird seeing you like this. Spacing out every five seconds. Seemingly unconfident despite being the most annoying thing on every other thing you do by being better than me."
He turned around to go back inside the classroom. Jin and Keyla talked a bit before while Sheila approached Leo.
"Soooo... see you after class. They're going to put you under cryosleep for the regenerating blood tests right." Sheila asked worriedly.
"That's right. Me and Keyla should be out for 3 hours. I'll be there in time."
Leo smiled just smiled.
"You're so stupid you know."
She, of course she knew.
"I know."
The awkward silence felt so loud. Both their heartbeats felt as if it were beating right beside their ears. How could she not know. She had been looking at him since they were young and no one else. While he didn't feel the same before and treated her like his sister, it's not the same anymore.
"See you."
Leo finally made up his mind but this wasn't the place to say it. All his friends' efforts would be wasted if he said it now.
"You didn't say your catchphrase this time."
Surprised, Leo remembered the phrase he's been saying quite frequently since the start of the year. With the start of the year 399 of the New Age calendar, a new century approached. And so his unbelievably cheeky brain could not stop itself from saying stupid things.
And he would wish so much later on, how he shouldn't have said it. But how could he know.
"See you next century then." Leo said as he walked away alongside Keyla.
How could he know how fitting his words would be.
That he would sleep a hundred years.