'My name'
'Mom and Dad'
'what happened?'
'Are you all in Cryosleep?'
'In a dilated time chamber?'
'did you all flee the solar system'
'Are you guys dead?'
'where are you guys?'
.
.
.
He lay pathetically prone on his bed, his hands folded beneath his head, forming a thin barrier between his face and the rough bedsheets.
His thoughts, his memories, his ruminations—each one repeating endlessly, toying with his emotional state.
Weakly, and without prompt, Peppy Spoke
"Master... would you like a shot? You usually take one the moment you wake up, and every 2 hours after."
He looked over at the talking digital clock, speaking after a few moments of contemplation.
"Peppy, what's today's date?" Ignoring her prompt
"Today is March 14, and it is currently 7:04 Am" The assistant replied
"... I'll stay off today" he groaned as he buried his face in his hands
"W-what?" She interjected
"You haven't abstained once in 500 years, why the sudden change??"
"..."
He didn't speak, leaving the bewildered AI to picture the puzzle
"ah." She vocalized
Exnil wanted to be coherent.
Coherent enough to finalize the day he promised to end it all.
To follow the events of his dream.
"Don't worry peppy, I'll initiate a shutdown for your consciousness."
"If you'd like, I could do a full reset, so if anyone finds you, you could live a different life without the burdening memories of me." Exnil said to her
"No... If you're sure that today's the day, then I want to go with you. Please initiate a complete shutdown."
"I don't want to be revived, and I don't want to live on without you." Peppy solemnly added
"You're the last thing I have." Exnil said
"I guess even at the very end, I couldn't save a single thing." He spoke aloud
"..." She had no words to comfort him, she knew he was resolute. For every year, on March 15, he would abstain from his usual soup of narcotics, and grieve what he'd lost.
But today wasn't March 15, it was the 14th.
For the last 500 years, he waited. He waited for a sign of their return.
The Great Magic War 2 Centuries prior resulted in the death or disappearance of the renowned Vale Family.
Surely, their return would mark an influence throughout the solar system—or a least, a news headline.
Nothing.
Peppy searched daily, but nothing came to fruition.
Public records state that the family had secluded themselves and would devote their life to the study of Magic.
And ever since, nothing from the legacy media spoke of them. Speculations of their whereabouts dwindled over the years, and it seemed everyone had forgotten about them, not even a single mention.
.
.
.
"500 years..."
"500 years..."
"500 years..." he repeated aloud.
"Maybe I can enter Cryosleep or a time dilation chamber." Exnil wondered aloud.
"No, I ran out of funds for that centuries ago."
Cryosleep and Time Dilation chambers were only afforded to the ultra-wealthy.
The creation of S.A.G.E had prolonged human lifespans, and at the highest tier available to the public, was immortality, Physically, and Mentally.
But even so, the passage of time undoubtedly took its toll on the human mind, despite its apparent transcendence.
People wanted to rest, rest from their prolonged mortality, even if they became so-called "Gods"
Those with money opted for Eternal Slumber in the form of Cryosleep, or to enter dilated time chambers.
Cryosleep offered a rapid flash freeze of the body, to be awakened at a predetermined date in the future, or indefinitely.
Dilated time chambers traveled as close to the speed of light as they could, with round-the-clock magicians manipulating magic to impart the energy required for such speed. Hence, it's an astronomical price.
For those who opted for this, a full system year following UET (universal earth Time) Would feel like minutes, perhaps seconds, milliseconds even.
It would continue indefinitely, perhaps until the end of the universe, When the last available magician would operate it.
For the "poor", could only drug themselves to oblivion, as Exnil had done so.
Or perhaps committed suicide through Magic Overload
Guns didn't exist anymore, their function as a tool had been usurped, infinitely surpassed.
Those who couldn't use magic but wanted painless death would pay magicians a poor man's fortune to kill them.
For they could not die of drug overdose, despite its legality and availability. Or by any natural means at all.
.
.
.
He thought for a long time.
About his childhood.
His friends.
His Eldest sister.
His older brothers.
His mother and father.
His family.
They had spoiled and loved him equally.
He reminisced about the time they spent together.
The smell of a family dinner, made by his mother, despite access to the finest chefs.
His father and brothers, took him out to breathe fresh mountain air and sleep with nature.
His eldest sister tutored him when he found the curriculum of his prestigious private school difficult.
His friends whom shared their love of the classical games Go, Chess, Shoji, and Mahjong.
The look.
The look in the eyes of the people around him radiated a profound, undying emotional connection—an unspoken vow.
A vow of "I would lay my life down for you a hundred times over if I must."
A bond so rare, one that many in the history of humanity have barely, if ever, experienced.
Perhaps it was because of the suffering his older siblings had endured that, by the time Exnil was born, they understood the fleeting nature of life and desperately cherished what they had.
Exnil was born without any conditions, he was born perfect in the most literal and mathematical sense.
However, his eldest sister and twin older brothers were born with a rapid-degenerative genetic illness.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Although it rarely affects Females, it made its way to his eldest sister.
For his sister, it made her frail and docile. But still allowed to potentially lead a happy life.
For his brothers, it utterly debilitated them.
Exnil's parents had detected the disease within the womb, but just like their daughter, they could not afford CRISPR, which was locked to the ultra-wealthy.
The moment his brothers were born, they researched a way to alter human genes outside of the womb.
Through years of experiments, trials, failures, and exhausting funds meant for their retirement and children's education, they had triumphed.
S.A.G.E.
System of Advanced Genetic Engineering.
The lives of their children were saved, but that wasn't all.
It was said that the cure for cancer would be worth approximately 15 trillion dollars.
S.A.G.E didn't cure cancer.
No, it eliminated the possibility of any mortal disease.
With the amount of money and influence they garnered, it was not an embellishment to say that the earth was at their whim.
Their struggle and suffering kept them humble and caring.
So when Exnil was born, the world, without being hyperbolic, revolved around him.
Further research and development of S.A.G.E elevated every single human on earth.
The geniuses of yesterday are akin to baboons today.
What was once the peak of human athleticism had become child's play.
And then came the "God Particle".
It started with humans being able to perceive more than just physical light.
Slowly, their senses expanded beyond the visible spectrum, first to ultraviolet and infrared, allowing them to see the heat emanating from living beings and the hidden radiation of the stars.
As their awareness grew, they began to perceive energy itself—the subtle flow of electrical currents in the air, the magnetic fields that shaped the Earth, and the pulse of life that ran through every living organism.
What was once invisible now became as tangible as a sunrise.
They saw, they FELT, the god particle.
They called it "Mana"
Manipulating Mana allowed access to the Creation of energy, the essence of "Magic".
Despite everyone having access to "Magic", for an unknown reason to this day, some humans were better and some were worse when it came to controlling "Mana" and Creation (Magic).
Even though every human had the "Perfect Mind and Body" due to S.A.G.E, an inequality in Magic manipulation existed.
And EVEN as the humans supposedly ascended in morality and intelligence, they quarreled to no end.
The "Great Magic War".
An event that decimated the human population, and led to the disappearance of Exnil's family.
.
.
.
The man, lying on his decrepit bed, had spent the entire day digging through his memories.
"Peppy, what time is it"? He asked
"Master, it's currently 11:48 PM March 14." The Ai spoke
"I guess it's about time..."
"I'm not great with goodbyes..." The sadness aching in the man's voice.
"Peppy, do you want a complete shutdown?" he asked the sentient AI
"Yes."
"..." She was silent for a few moments
"but please take me with you."
"You still have the relic from the old civilization don't you?" She asked him
"Oh yes, a smartwatch I believe" he replied
Pulling open the nightstand cabinet full of narcotics, he fished around and found it.
Staring at it, he spoke "Its connectivity capabilities have been surpassed, I doubt it could connect to the quantum Wifi"
"No problem, I can make do with it." Peppy responded
A few minutes later, Peppy's module was successfully installed in the smartwatch.
"Peppy, can you hear me? Have you lost any of your memories?" Exnil spoke nervously
"No master, I have compressed the data module of 480 years, and have managed to retain available knowledge of you."
"And... what you will do" She continued solemnly.
"Peppy, what time is it?" Exnil asked again
"Master, It's 12:14 AM March 15" Peppy responded.
Grabbing the beautiful steel-clad pistol from the nightstand, he sat up from his bed.
"Let's go."
.
.
.
He walked for a long time.
He walked to the place he saw in his dreams
The "Park" as the people of old called it.
A vast landscape of "Nature" stretched before them, an artificial replica of Earth's flora from before the Great Magic War.
It was a cloudy night.
Not a single ray of moonlight pierced through the thick, looming clouds.
The humans had gained control of nature itself, whether phenomena could be controlled, but they had decided to leave it be.
"Spontaneity" the humans said. "In a world of omnipotence, a little randomness made it all the better" They declared.
Exnil made his way to the place he saw in his dream.
A lonely meadow
Entrapped by a lush forest, its center bore a beautiful circular expanse of flowers.
Chrysanthemums.
.
.
As he made his way to the center, he looked up once more.
Following the script set by his dream, he began to reenact it.
"Click"
The Slide of the gun was delicately pulled back
"Snap"
He released his grip, and the slide sprang forward with a crisp snap, chambering the bullet with a sinister purpose.
"Heh"
A faux chuckle rang out of the man holding the gun.
He stared at the gun for a few seconds, then shifted his gaze to the sky.
A cloudy moonlit sky, devoid of stars.
"Drip Drip Drip"
The light rain delicately tapped onto the man's body, each drop cooled as it landed on his skin, tracing small paths down his arms and soaking into his clothes.
"Shahhhhh"
Suddenly, the rain intensified and soaked the man in an instant.
A drop hit his eye, making him blink and flinch, his vision momentarily blurred by the unexpected sting of cold water.
"Just like the dream..." Exnil spoke aloud.
"Exactly like it."
As if on a theater stage, he continued his act.
"HAHAHA, how perfect, even the universe understands how to set the mood!" he mused aloud with a forced smile, the sound of his laughter lost in the sudden storm.
With a grand gesture, he spread his arms wide, letting the cold, torrential rain soak through his clothes as he stood beneath the twilight sky.
For a moment, he basked in the wild atmosphere, the storm's intensity matching the chaos within him, though his smile faltered in the downpour.
Slowly, he raised the gun to his temple
"patata"
All he could hear was the steady thrum of rain landing on his head, each drop reverberating through his ears like the soft beating of a distant drum.
The world around him faded away, drowned in the rhythmic pulse of the storm, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
With a faint hope in his eyes, perhaps hoping for a miracle—
His right hand gripped the tool of his demise, holding his life hostage, while his left slowly rose. He closed his eyes, focusing as if willing something—anything—into existence.
Nothing.
"Still can't use magic," he muttered, answering the question no one asked.
He placed his finger on the trigger, and as he was about to pull, he went offscript.
"Hey... Peppy, you there?" He Asked
"... Yes master" She answered
"You'll permanently shut yourself down and erase all memory and consciousness modules after this right?" Exnil asked.
"Yes..." She spoke
"One last time..." He trailed off, an emotionally dead voice emanating.
"Hey Peppy, what time is it?" He asked in a tone of finality.
"Master, It's March 15, 2:25 Am" The childish voice replied, a tone matching its master.
"BANG!"
The bullet, driven by absolute purpose, erupted from the barrel of the gun and found its mark, tearing through flesh and bone before embedding itself deep within the man's brain.
Before he could even process the deafening bang of the bullet, his body crumpled to the ground, lifeless in an instant.
The incessant rain continued, indifferent, slowly washing away the pooling blood, turning the earth dark beneath him.
The world didn't end. Time didn't stop. It marched on, cruel and indifferent, treating life and death with the same cold equality.
Or at least, that's what should've happened.
Time of Death? — March 15, 2:25 Am