4 A.M. Sentaic Republic.
Xavier was plagued with the feeling of wanting to know more about this world.
Maybe it was the scientist in him, or maybe it was the thought that the world he once knew could have very well been out of reach creeping up on him. Either way, he found himself attracted to the futuristic computer, its interface strangely intuitive—close enough to what he'd known, like a cousin of Google.
Emilia was in her bed, sleeping soundly, while Aria was seemingly comfortable sleeping like a cat on the sofa.
Xavier had been digging through the internet for over five hours now. Everything Vael said, he verified—except for the mysterious Gods that had no results showing up.
Then, he found that the new Earth's physics, chemistry, and even human biology were identical to the old one.
But what about everything else?
Xavier's first shock came from the size of the planet. This Earth was as massive as the old Sun. The population had increased almost a hundredfold! The map was nothing short of otherworldly: a central supercontinent named Velmora, surrounded by Dravara, Westoria, and the polar lands simply labeled Northern and Southern Continents. Velmora boasted every imaginable biome, Westoria was shrouded in mysticism and mystery and absent from the net, Dravara was mountainous and controlled by a nation called Antevus, tied to the statistical Dimension of Possibility.
The oceans were much deeper and deadlier from the previous Earth. Aetheris, Duskveil, Midora, and the two polar oceans housed strange creatures and forbidden zones. Some waters were completely off-limits. Pirates still braved them anyway, seeking artifacts banned by governments.
There were 37 countries in Velmora alone, with the Sentaic Republic being one of the largest. Morpheus, a country devoted to the Dreamscape religion, was even bigger. Six magical countries made up the mysterious continent Westoria. It was reclusive, mystical, and weirdly cut off despite the world's advanced technology.
Then, Xavier noticed something odd: while most countries boasted free speech, there was very little freedom of information—it was controlled almost perfectly, as if magic had aided in keeping it in line.
Every nation had a state religion. Dreamscape was the biggest, boasting twelve countries. Then came Energy (10), Sentience (9), Memory and Time Divergence (8), Possibility (7), and Mysticism (6). Each had their own military forces, religious institutions called Dominions, and control over a specific dimension's power.
The Sentaic Republic, unsurprisingly, stood as the center of Sentience.
Six languages dominated the globe—one for each dimension: Sentaic (Sentience), Dreamurian (Dreamscape), Entheris (Energy), Oneris (Potential and Possibility), Nytheric (Memory and Time Divergence), and Zarethian, which was regarded by others to be the language for Mysticism.
However, there was one religion that stood out. It wasn't apart of the official six, but it was growing—and fast. It was an outlier, almost hostile to the other six religions.
It called itself the Dimension of Science and Physics. It preached that it was the true first dimension and claims that its Goddess governs space, time, science and physics, and that these facets of reality cannot be explained with the work of humans alone.
It claimed all of these things, despite only being discovered a few thousand years ago.
Because of this, it doesn't have a language to its name.
But it does have a main organization: the Parallax of the Rising Stars.
"It seems to be gaining popularity...I wouldn't mind joining that religion." Xavier let his scientist instinct get a better of himself.
"The only thing is that it kind of sounds like a cult, especially since it doesn't seem to be too friendly to the main dimensions…"
"Aside from these things, it really is a much bigger and stranger Earth, but fundamentally not much different than home…" Xavier thought slowly while looking at the computer.
He scrolled further.
The infinite and boundless energy source Vael spoke of was real, but Xavier couldn't find its name anywhere. It always traced back to the Dimension of Energy, but something didn't add up. That dimension seemed only part of a larger whole. Vael had implied this energy spanned all dimensions. So what was it?
The deeper he searched, the fewer answers he found.
Trying to not waste any time, he searched for other things.
He found that this world still had familiar traits: a 24-hour day, 365 days in a year, same weather patterns and seasons. Even the education and work systems were familiar. There was a unified currency, Veylar, with subdivisions like Sylen and Orin. From the conversion rates, a Veylar seemed to be worth about 10 U.S. dollars.
The moon was gigantic, mirroring the increased size of the Earth. It was the size of Uranus and it was inhabited. Humans lived underground there, preserving a native moon-walking species. The blue star that served as the sun was called Siria, but many people still just called it the Sun. The solar system was vast, larger than the previous, and the universe was infinite. Humans were a galactic civilization, and many pieces of technology that was considered impossible was abundant.
It exhilarated Xavier.
"Humans really can be amazing," he whispered with pride.
He found transport systems wildly futuristic: "personal trains" that operated like elevators across entire cities; high-speed rail and flying cars for international travel.
Airplanes were now ships—but mostly for space. Seafaring vessels were massive, city-sized juggernauts used by militaries or powerful organizations. They were even used as cruise ships traveling to the Northern and Southern continents.
Oddly enough, housing was affordable and accessible. Immigration was thriving, especially in the major countries. However, little was mentioned about the minor ones.
"So that's why Vael treated us so fondly, even though we were immigrants," Xavier thought as he kept searching.
"Still... I don't buy that kindness was the only reason. Are humans just kinder here?" He shook his head.
"No... I don't believe that. It's too easy to doubt, considering how similar this world is to the previous.
He yawned and leaned back, rubbing his eyes. He had tried to dig into politics, government, and the world's layered history, but he got bored really quickly.
"Better to ask Vael directly," Reasonably, he decided, his voice slowing down.
"Speaking of Vael, it would be good if I could find an organization like his that has people that can manipulate an infinite energy source, and the name of the source…" Xavier thought.
As he looked, he wasn't able to find any organization other than official organizations that are able to harbor such people, even on low scales. He even went through fifty pages worth of information, differing his search each time, but still found nothing.
"It's possible that it's classified info to learn about stuff like that. Makes sense, given how dangerous it sounds. But it's still weird…why is something as simple as finding the name of an organization like that so difficult? I mean, I see here that sometimes it can cause some 'accidents' even on large scales, but that doesn't mean it should be censored. Hopefully I'm not in a dystopian universe." Xavier thought in English.
"It also sucks, because if Aria wants to gain more influence, that's probably what she would need. More information about this 'source' and people who use it."
"Well, it wouldn't be bad if we're able to use such a source for our advantage either."
Xavier kept clicking and kept searching. He even went onto the 'dark web', but still wasn't able to find anything.
He then gave up on trying to find an unofficial organization and tried to just search for the name 'infinite energy source'.
Soon enough, his eyes began to droop.
"One more page…I should be able to find the name…" He said, his voice dropping as his mouth began to move more slowly.
Click!
In an instant, his eyes widened as the glow from the computer screen reflected onto his pupils.
"This boundless, omnipresent source of energy lies dormant within every dimension. It is the backbone for all of society. While it is kept secret as to 'protect' the public, it is possible to manipulate it to assist you. While this website isn't able to show you how, it is able to tell you the name so you can look for ways how…"
After almost an hour of searching, he was able to find the name of the source.
He saw the description of it, and it perfectly matched Vael's account.
"The name is Ethereon."
"That's the name! The infinite and boundless energy source! This can be used for our advantage!" Xavier thought in glee.
…
10 PM, in the streets heading to Luna, around the time Xavier finished his research.
Astra Sera was still dirty and her blonde hair was still messy. Her white lab coat had many marks on its back.
She was walking on the highway to the Luna intercity along with a great number of people. Vehicles were zooming past her, and the sounds of conversation filled her head.
Astra had walked for around 30 minutes. Due to how far Luna was, it would take her about another hour of walking to reach it.
Astra Sera did not mind, though. She didn't mind the fact that she was dirty, she didn't mind the fact that no one knew her, she didn't mind the fact that her standing in society was completely overturned in the manner of hours!
In fact, she didn't mind anything that has happened so far. She more than welcomed such changes to her life.
While she was worried for her family and her coworkers, while she hoped and prayed in her heart that they were okay, her curiosity for exploring this new world bubbled inside of her, and the challenge of investigating the supernatural event behind the transportation of Earth excited her greatly!
Astra let out a chuckle as she skipped three times. The people that were walking on the highway along with her glanced at her with strange faces, but continued to do what they were doing.
Astra suddenly stopped walking. She looked down towards her 'watch'.
"My next goal is suitable housing…I wonder where I can find that. I'm going to guess I'll be able to find advertisements for it. Though, one would think that in a country so lenient towards immigrants, there would be a system where it'd be easy for them to get housing…" Astra muttered to herself.
She tapped her 'watch', which was called an immigrant band, and a blue hologram zipped up in front of her.
It showed her portrait and all of her relevant information on it. Astra then tapped the "Check Balance" in the bottom left corner. As soon as she did so, the hologram condensed onto the metal of the band, showing her numbers on the band.
"Current Balance: 500 Veylars"
"I see. That must be the currency. This country is quite generous. I wonder if this amount can get me a half decent apartment." Astra muttered to herself.
"Hmmmm." Astra put her right hand to her chin. After a second of thinking, she began to play with the band by tapping on it, getting used to its functions.
After a few seconds of tinkering with it, she found a map of Luna, and her current location. After tinkering with it some more, she found directions to the Department of Immigration. Unfortunately, they were already closed and would only be open in the morning.
She read the instructions anyway.
"Once you reach the intercity, you will see the Obsidian Obelisk, located near Mirros Park."
"Across from Mirros Park is Elythra Avenue. The third large building on the right is the Department of Immigration."
"Simple instructions. It makes sense. Once I get to the Department, I should be able to buy a house there, or at least find clearer instructions. Mmm, I am a little curious on how this Obelisk looks though…"
Astra giggled as she tapped her band. Subsequently, the hologram disappeared. She continued to walk in the direction of Luna, its buildings becoming larger and more visible.
An hour and a half later, she finally reached the intercity.
She had understood the grandeur of Luna, the tenth biggest city in Morpheus.
It was a metropolis that stood at the crossroads of the seemingly supernatural and science, where towering skyscrapers with holographic advertisements seamlessly blended with floating structures, suspended bridges, and energy-infused streets that pulsed like veins through the city.
The roads beneath Astra's feet were made of a polished crystalline alloy, reflecting the soft glow of the sci-fi skyline. Vehicles of various forms, some hovering above ground, others gliding on rail-guided tracks—moved in perfect synchrony. Above, translucent highways weaved between skyscrapers, their surfaces shifting with projected symbols of the Moon as if it was in a dream. These highways guided aerial transit, of which there seemed as if there were hundreds of air vehicles in the sky.
To top it all off, there were little points of light in the atmosphere that appeared as if they were stars, with occasional large holographic nebulae adding to the dreamy aura.
Even though it was almost midnight, the streets and the city were still very busy. Noise from the people, vehicles and the buildings blended in with each other while the neon lights gave the city a futuristic, pink, purplish glow.
Astra looked around her in disbelief. Even though she was closer and closer to fully seeing such a sight coming into the city, standing in the center of such a scene was otherworldly.
Her eyes looked at everything with a childlike innocence. She wanted to explore this world and everything about it, leaving no knowledge untouched. She had never thought that humanity would be able to create such wonders.
For almost 15 minutes, Astra wandered around, enjoying the sight.
It was only then did she see a massive screen pointing towards the Obsidian Obelisk that made her realize that she had to find the Department. She followed the arrow and saw the Obelisk in the distance.
She then quickly walked towards it, hearing murmurs about how it was made to serve the God of Dreams on the way there.
"God of Dreams…?" Astra raised her eyebrow, not looking in the direction of the person who said this. She remembered hearing something similar back when she was at the entrance to Luna.
This piqued Astra's interest!
Regardless, after a few minutes of walking, she finally approached the Obelisk.
Towering above the surrounding structures, it was a massive, jet-black monolith. Strange velvet markings that resembled the moon and stars were etched across its surface, and those markings pulsed in a strange rhythm, shifting like a living script. It was said to be a relic of unknown origin, a remnant from an age before Luna's rise, a source of power for the Demigoddess of the Dreamscape. It was said to be built by Seth himself—the Saint of the third dimension.
Around it were sculptures of people and people themselves in purple robes holding both of their hands to their chests, seemingly in a praying motion.
Along with this, there were tourist guides leading people to the entrance of the monolith as murmurs were faintly heard. Some were in different languages from Dreamurian, but Astra was able to catch important points from those who spoke in the language.
"I heard that this structure was built during the Eonic War to help the Demigoddess…" A man said to his girlfriend as they both stared upon the building.
"It's actually wonderful seeing the might of God. I mean, how could any human alone build this?" A passing by elder said under his breath as he smiled with satisfaction.
"I want to become a Saint one day like Seth and help the Demigoddess!" A child said to his parents as they both nodded while laughing.
Astra looked at the sculptures and people who were surrounding the Obelisk. She heard the murmurs and had a complete understanding of what was going on.
"Interesting! This is a religion! This is what the officer mentioned! This monument is for the 'God of Dreams'!" Astra thought to herself.
"That means that it's extremely likely that this world is run by the supernatural. Could it be that one of these Gods made us transport here? Is it possible that I was doing indirect worship to these Gods? How strange! This is what I like! I need to know more about this!" Astra stared at the Obelisk as she arrived at a conclusion that Xavier and the others didn't consider.
After allowing her mind to flash through with countless possibilities, she allowed herself to calm down.
"The internet should be available here. I can always research such things there…I need a house first, though…" Astra sulked as usual.
She followed the instructions she memorized from the band and arrived at Mirros Park, and then Elythra Avenue. As expected, on the right, she saw the Department of Immigration.
There it loomed—a sleek structure of metal and glass with floating geometric extensions that seemed to defy physics!
"It's definitely closed. I wonder where I'm going to sleep. Heh, I haven't had to worry about that back on Earth…." Astra thought as she memorized the pathway to the Department and went to Mirros Park.
It was a large park with a large lake in the center. Trees populated the green biome and there were the occasional wooden benches near the fences of the park. The yet classic faint purple glow given off by the violet crescent moon inundated the atmosphere. It was quite a natural sight compared to the rest of the city.
There at the park, she didn't see many people. While it was large, not many people would come here at such a time. In fact, most of the people present here were sleeping, presumably immigrants.
Astra found a suitable bench near the lake and decided to lay her back on the bench.
"Ah~…"
Suddenly, a huge surge of relief went through her entire body.
She hadn't laid down for almost an entire day!
Growl…
However, her stomach was growling. Along with that, her throat was dry.
Upon feeling this, she giggled slightly and looked up at the sky.
"Hehe. This is a lot more exciting than a banquet." She muttered to herself.
The sky was dark, but there were no stars in the night sky. The only thing visible was the violet moonlight and the rings streaking across the atmosphere.
This was because of the enormous amount of light pollution.
Ting!
A star appeared in Astra's vision.
Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
Multiple stars began to appear! Along with them, there were also lines connecting the stars!
"Huh?" Astra couldn't help but be confused.
Instantly, the stars began to shine brighter, and began to get more colorful! As it did, it began to spill, like paint coming out from a bucket.
Astra's ear began to ring, and her face was beginning to turn pale!
A wave of anxiety and strange excitement washed through Astra!
"What!? My hallucinations are back?" Astra almost shouted as her eyes widened in surprise. "Or is it-" Astra's thoughts were interrupted before the stars suddenly disappeared. The ringing sounds disappeared, and her face had its normal, dark skinned color.
"…" Astra lay speechless and thoughtless as sweat trickled down her face and down her body. She didn't notice she was sweating.
"What…was…that…" Astra silently muttered to herself in English, as she slowly drifted off to sleep.