From the smallest village to the greatest metropolis, every civilisation flourished with the abundance that the planet boasted. But even before Jaden was born the seeds of the next world war had been planted. While many nations reaped the rewards of the blooming Earth, there were those that accused others of destroying the beauty and polluting what should have been sacred to them all. It was for this reason that the World Protection Alliance had been formed, an extreme environmentalist organisation adamant on their quest to protect the Earth against its polluters. They were an alliance of the only nations still intact on their continent, and with their superior military might, they challenged and bested all of their adversaries and became the reigning super power in just over a decade.
After so many triumphs, they massed their armies to spread out across the lands and conquered three of the five continents, stopping only when they came up against the United Resistance, the second super power to rise. The Resistance was made of the strongest remaining nations of the continents Tiquan and Aurialis, which did not believe the planet was being polluted. They accused the World Protection Alliance of using their cause as nothing more than a justification of their greed, and argued that waging war against the world would do far more damage than another thousand years of using the planet’s resources. They were right, but not for the reasons they had thought, as even they did not realise what this world war would unleash.
Despite its strength, the Resistance was forced to retreat mostly into the Aurialis continent; such was the power of the Alliance. A stalemate had been reached, with neither the Alliance nor Resistance able to gain any ground, or maintain it when they did. From 994 R.E. to 996 R.E. the two powerful armies exchanged blows, but all were futile. It seemed peace might resume, but the fourth world war was only just beginning, and Jaden would soon witness it firsthand.
Jaden stopped thinking of the history when he saw himself sitting on a group of overlapping flat stones with his friends, enjoying the afternoon sunrays after a hard day’s work. This was his home, the village Callibra on the Aurialis continent, where he had first felt the power of the essence. It was an untouched paradise, hidden from the wars for decades. They lived a simple life, with little technology and great amounts of food, water and shelter. All of their primal needs were met, and with the company of others, none could have thought of a better place to live.
Jaden let his mind quiet as he watched. From this moment on, he would allow Michael to show him what he needed to be shown. He felt regret knowing that all of this would disappear again once the visions had ended, but he could not resist living these moments one last time, and allowed himself to be one with the crystal’s realm; watching tentatively as his younger self and his friends appeared in the village.
The five boys breathed in the summer heat, the fragrance of freshly blooming flowers and the distinct sense of the season filling their lungs. Birds were singing cheerfully, cheeps and chirps residing somewhere in the back of their minds, while the clang of steel against stone and the low gush of the waterfalls echoed throughout the valley. The sun was still high, coating the land in its boisterous yellow glow and almost hiding the grassy hills, thickets of vegetation and sandstone houses in its brightness.
It was just another lazy afternoon for the five friends at their designated meeting place, which by no accident had been chosen because of how close it was to the stables, where the girls of the village tended to the horses. There wasn’t much for them to do here, aside from talk and lie about in the sun, so the girls being near was a must. It was a simple pleasure, but it suited them well enough. They couldn’t imagine a better way to pass the hours before nightfall, especially if there was a chance to share them with a certain someone from the stables.
‘She’s just there, Jay, go talk to her!’ said Bo, sitting up on one of the stones.
‘Soon,’ replied Jaden casually. He stretched back on the next stone, making a point to emphasise his movements to appear even lazier than they were. He knew Bo would be watching him for any sign of nerves. ‘It’s all in the timing,’ he added.
Silence followed. Bo was hesitating. He hadn’t seen the sign of nerves he was expecting. Jaden felt relieved. He had learned long ago to hide the emotions he felt, primarily from Bo, or he’d need to prepare for weeks of continuous insults directed his way.
‘He’s scared,’ said Bo finally, receiving a nod from Konnor, the young man to his left.
The others laughed, but Jaden still refused to react, his eyes now closed as if he were about to go to sleep. It was rare for him to have a free moment in these times; whether training for sport matches, working in the fields or helping others with odd jobs around the place, it seemed he was always needed somewhere. And now that he was able to relax, he refused to let it slip by for the sake of Bo’s amusement.