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Alex opened his eyes again. He couldn't believe the atmosphere where he had come from. It was a huge peninsula. The only question on his mind was how did he get here? On the peninsula, many different structures had been built to cover the entire island. Another thing Alex couldn't take his eyes off was the different way the laws of nature worked on the island. The water bridges that seemed to defy gravity in mid-air were astonishing but at the same time mesmerizing. He finally came to his senses when a girl with an Italian accent called out to him.
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"Ciao, you must be Alex, my name is Sofia, welcome to the academy." Sofia's intensely glowing red eyes stood out.
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"What they say after death is true. And where is this place? By the way, how do you know my name?"
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"I don't think he's dead, but don't worry, I understand that you have a lot of questions, Alex, and I hope that my guidance will reduce them a little." Sofia continued speaking, looking at a small piece of paper. "So let's see... First lesson, never trust this Marco guy."
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Alex already knew he couldn't trust a lunatic who pulled red roses out of his shirt. "I can take this off without you telling me."
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Sofia, smiling, "I like you. Follow me."
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When Sofia started walking ahead, Alex was busy both listening to her and watching what was happening around him. Streams of water of unknown origin were merging in the air like a rainbow and opening up to different points. Alex knew that in this dream he would not be surprised to see fish flying in the air. Sofia started talking on the way to the common area in the center of the island.
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"First of all, where you are is one of the academies that is completely isolated from the outside world. The academy islands are built on special grounds, so anyone looking from the outside cannot see anything."
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"There's more than one academy?"
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"Yes, our general organization is called Kaizen. Kaizen's goal is to maintain the balance of the world. However, Kaizen has many academies and bases in the world. The academy we are in is called the Ascension Academy. It was founded about two hundred years ago, making it the youngest academy. You have already met the person who founded the academy."
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Alex knew who Sofia was talking about. This was the man who charmed people with the sparkle of his white eyes. "What, Marco is two hundred years old?"
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"In fact, even in the larger records, we have no historian who knows his age. At one point there was even a war between Kaizen and the ruling council. In the end, when he emerged victorious from the war, a new leadership was appointed and Marco asked the new leadership to establish his academy only. This war had an impact even on the world."
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Alex didn't believe it. Even though his knowledge of history was not good, he knew that floating currents or people of unknown age had no place in the past. "I don't follow history much, but I don't think there was an effect like you say."
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"Reasons overshadow facts, Alex. People felt this more in the great Chilean earthquake and the world wars."
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It was strange, how could Kaizen be responsible for people's instability? "So the war was started by Kaizen?"
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"No. Because Kaizen was at war, the process of destabilizing the world accelerated, so these events could not be brought under control."
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I wonder if Marco never thought about what was going to happen when he did all this. It was impossible that the man he was talking to was a good man, but he had another question, and that was about the process of deterioration Sofia had mentioned. "What do you mean by the deterioration process? Isn't Kaizen set up to restore balance?"
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"Good point. These concepts are a bit complicated, but basically what I can say is that no one, not even Kaizen, can stop the process of destabilization of the planet. We are only delaying this process. So without Kaizen, the human era will end before it starts."
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Alex wondered when he had become so interested in talking as he was buried in complex concepts. He was in a place too extraordinary to be real and he didn't even know how he had gotten here, but he had adapted very quickly. As the conversation continued, Alex realized they had reached the main square. In the center of the island, three branches branching off from the common area led to three large areas. The buildings in each direction had their own look and theme.
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"Going back to the introduction, the square is divided into four sides. Factions in each direction have their own rules. I will briefly introduce them to you." Sofia turned her gaze to the first side she was going to introduce. This side was the strange gray buildings of the South. The South side was home to the largest faction, as evidenced by the multiple buildings that looked like training grounds. As Alex looked at these structures, he noticed that each training ground had a different aura. The first structures that caught his eye were a large indoor hall with flames dancing around it, then a glacial field with snowflakes floating harmoniously around it, and an aquarium structure where water floating in the sky merged and flowed.
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"The South is home to the Elementalists. The Elementalists are a faction that trains people who control the elements. That's why there are so many different field structures. "Alex understood why there were so many large structures in the south. The field numbers symbolized the elements. "Thanks to them, extraordinary natural phenomena on Earth have been prevented. Of course, some disasters, no matter how much they were mitigated, still managed to have an impact."
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He wondered what it would feel like to control all the elements. "What if someone controls more than one element, where will he go?"
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"So far, there's been an all-or-nothing rule in ability mutations. So you either control one or all of them. Of course, the mutation that allows you to control them all is very rare and makes you a gifted immortal in Kaizen. We call them Elders. That's what this next faction is all about." Sofia then turned to the east and showed the location of the second faction she was going to introduce. To the east was a single large structure that looked like a hypnosis tunnel. Above it, there was a color chaos of different lights.
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"The area you see here is home to the Elders, also known as Immortals. They do not take part in normal missions. Their work has never been about people. The gifted are always so powerful that they spend most of their time balancing their strength. Some take thousands of years to graduate from the academy."
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When Alex thought of immortals, he thought of vampires. He wondered what immortality felt like, but Kai had told him about the superiority of his abilities, or was he an immortal too? "It looks like they're having a ritual in there?"
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"In part, yes. Some of them are really strange and very few of them are human, but if they don't balance their Powers they can greatly affect the balance. Usually those who don't find their balance in the time allotted in the training end up on Kaizen's execution list. That means their death." Alex didn't know what to say. While he was wondering what the Elders looked like, Sofia turned to the west and pointed to the other formation. The first thing that stood out in the west was the circle of smokeless blue fire decorating the structure in the center of the field. Interestingly, the structure was constantly transforming and forming shapes that Alex saw for the first time in his life.
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"The Mutants, perhaps the most interesting class, are also called The Changelings. Their abilities are again linked to their name. They have always been involved in various missions. Of course, they didn't always turn into what they wanted. That's why vampires and similar mystical creatures became the subject of books in the world. By the way, they're obsessed with wearing black, I'd be careful if I were you. We always compete with them for first place in the academy tournaments." It was extraordinary in the tri-state area, Alex would do anything not to wake up if what he was seeing was a dream. For the first time in his life he was so excited.
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It was extraordinary in the tri-state area, Alex would do anything not to wake up if what he was seeing was a dream. For the first time in his life he was so excited. "Race us? I thought you were a teacher."
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"Normally, the annoying teacher is supposed to give this boring speech, but she always neglects her duties, so this task is left to me" In her anger, Sofia turned towards the mountains to the north without giving Alex a chance to ask a question. Alex was about to ask what class she was in when the peaceful view of the mountains to the north silenced her. The exotic atmosphere created by the mountains arranged in an orderly succession was supported by the water coming from the hills. The wind was also blowing against the tall buildings, dancing harmoniously.
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"The last group stands before you. The elite is where you and I will train. The Elite are made up of the chosen. Here you will find Elementalists, Changelings, even Elder. This is a special class created entirely by the director."
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Alex was still surprised to be in the same place as Sofia. Alex had gotten enough impressions to be sure that Sofia was experienced in this dreamy place. "Shouldn't I have shown my talent before I was chosen?"
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"Yes, it is, but you didn't have a choice because the head of the Elites himself chose you. I'm not aware of your talent, but it must be important."
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"Who is the head of the elite and why do I feel like I am looking at one of the landscapes in China?"
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"It's because of Kai, the Head of the Elite, he grew up in these mountain temples called Dojo in China and his ego made him build the same here." Alex was looking at Sofia as if to ask who Kai was, but when he heard the voice behind him, it wasn't hard to guess who it was.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTYhOITHgj
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"Hi, guys!" Sofia's angry gaze turned in Kai's direction. This man was Marco himself.
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As he stood there grinning at them, Sofia began to speak. "You're late, why am I doing what you should be doing!" Alex didn't expect the Italian girl to react in such a way after being so carried away.
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Kai replied with a grin. "I told you I had something important to do, come on, it's just a small request for your teacher, you don't have to make a big deal out of it." Kai was trying to keep the closed bag in his right hand away from Sofia. Thanks to Alex's detective observation skills, he was sure that he had definitely seen a French perfume inside the bag.
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Sofia's anger still hadn't subsided. "Request? You threatened me. No offense Alex, I'm not angry with you." With her last words, Sofia's entire body suddenly transformed into the water form Alex had seen in the air and disappeared in branching water orbits above the field. Meanwhile Alex was frantically watching what was happening.
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Kai continued talking as he looked after Sofia. "I think she likes you, Alex. Don't get me wrong, I'm terrible at publicity. You're lucky Sofia's doing it."
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Alex was not listening to him at all, still looking at the water bridges overhead. "Really... Hey what happened to him for a second?"
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Kai responded by pointing to the water lanes that spread in four main directions across the square. "We call these the Arteries. They are like the living arteries of the island. It's the best way for transportation. This is how we travel around the planet. That's how you got here." Alex remembered that the last time he had heard Kai's words he had been in the sink at home. The only waterway that could reach such a vast network was the sewers.
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Turning his gaze back to Kai, he said, "Don't tell me it's what I think it is!"
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Kai nodded and spoke. "A ribbon of water from your house to here will attract people's attention, but don't worry, the arterial pathway is like a transformation of body and soul into a different form. It doesn't touch anything else. Of course, there are still those who are offended by it."
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Maybe that's what he bought the perfume for. This man was really interesting. "It's really disgusting."
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Kai scratched his head and said, "It's more interesting that you care that you're hanging out in the sewers and don't care that you're changing into a different form."
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Actually, Kai was right. Even though he accepted the impossible because of his mysterious abilities, this was too much. "Here I am with the man with the whitest eyes in the world and a place straight out of fairyland. Do you think I care about that?" He thought he was either completely insane or dreaming. Instead of trying to find answers to these questions, it was smoother for him to just go with the flow.
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"I like you. A little madness is good. Some people can't accept what they see and choose suicide. You're not one of them." Alex was glad to realize that Kai didn't know about the suicide attempt in the bathroom. Then it occurred to him that if he hadn't brought her here in time, she might actually have died because of this irresponsible man. "Anyway, I've prepared an introductory chart for you, take a look." Alex took a black card from Kai with the factions and symbols of the academy on it.
Alex found it hard not to laugh at Kai's writing and drawing skills. "Your handwriting is really bad. Why are Elementalists called Rookies?"
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He quickly replied. "That's how we mock them for not winning a single tournament. Any other questions?"
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He had a lot of questions, but basically he had to answer two questions. "Where is Jessy and what do you want from me here?"
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Kai continued as if he had never heard the question. "Before I explain these questions, I need to clarify a few things." Kai mysteriously began to read the paper in his hand "This, of course, is about Kaizen. The world has come a long way to achieve its current balance. It is through the academies that the different classes cooperate."
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Alex intervened because this was information he had just learned."Sofia has already told me all this, but I still can't get my head around this place, so I want you to show me every single part of it."
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Kai crumpled the paper and threw it in a random direction when he realized Sofia had told him these details. "She did, all right. I hope you get to see everything. Now that the presentation is over, we can go to the Dojos." Alex was about to protest when he suddenly found himself in a different form, someone was dragging him along and he felt like a runny pudding. Just as he was getting used to the feeling, he found himself in his old form again. As he slowly rose from the ground, Alex looked around him and realized that he was in a garden where the best flowers on the planet had come together. He didn't know which Dojo he was in, but at the top of the majestic mountain with a view, there was a large temple-like structure and many students. The students were dressed in gray uniforms similar to the ones Kai wore. The color was chosen as if it matched the color of his hair. Alex sat up and realized that he was wearing the same suit. As he was checking whether it was real or an illusion, he saw Sofia and the German boy with blond hair next to her. As he locked eyes with the duo and waved, a hand emerged from the watery form behind him, materialized, grabbed him and pulled him back into the Artery. Alex was back inside the Artery. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he had arrived at the best place among the Dojos. Undoubtedly this magnificent structure belonged to Kai. Once Alex realized that no one was around, he started moving forward, grumbling to himself. The colorful garden with pink roses flying through the air, giving the place an exotic look, made Alex never want to wake up from this dream again. He slowly made his way to the front of the Dojo, which was covered in diamonds and gold ornaments.
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Alex realized he was on the highest mountain on the island. When he opened the door and went inside, he realized that this place had all the necessary tools for meditation. The interior was decorated with many vivid miniature landscapes. The closer he got to them, the more beautiful they became, as if they were trying to absorb the beholder. As Alex examined them one by one, he noticed a long wooden table with dinnerware in front of it and finally Kai sitting on the Dojo's terrace with a view. The silence of the temple was broken when Kai turned to him and began to speak.
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He had changed his clothes. His long white dress made him look like a temple priest. "Welcome to my home Alex, I hope it was nice for you to say hello to your friends."
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"Of course, we became very good friends..." Alex came over to Kai with a suggestive look and sat down on one of the floor cushions with strange markings on it and started talking. "I think I know what happened here. The chemical you pulled out of your shirt made me like this. Is it drugs, but whatever it is, it made me feel good for the first time in my life." Alex thought Kai was going to make another careless joke, but he was surprised to see Kai's expressionless demeanor.
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"I'll be brief, Alex. You were put on Kaizen's execution list the moment you were born because you had a dangerous gift. The reason you weren't executed and the reason I protected you all these years was because Logan, Kaizen's guide, thought you were the last hope to save the world. What mattered to me was your intern."
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"What are you talking about and what does this have to do with Jessy?"
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Kai turned his eyes away from Alex to the sunset view. "The situation is complicated. For now, all you need to know is that the process of destabilization is accelerating and the end of humanity is being postponed to an earlier date. What we call the process of change, what changed the leadership of species on the planet millions of years ago, will happen again." Alex guessed that Kai was talking about the catastrophe of the dinosaurs. "As for Jessy, her excellent memory technique will pass on Kaizen to the next generation."
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"What, someone as powerful as you can't stop it? You killed the rulers and accelerated the process of decay. Now you're going to fix it with Jessy!"
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Kai's eyes suddenly shone like the moon. You could tell he was angry as a cloud of white mist formed around him.
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"Don't comment on things you don't know, Alex Brown!" Kai calmed down again and looked up at the sky. "I didn't cause the war, but I ended it. I wish things were different..." Kai continued, looking at Alex again. "I will use my power to protect Jessy, destruction is inevitable. Now you have a choice, either you agree to enter the Academy or you go home. Don't worry about the execution, if you come back I can delay your execution. And if you stay, you'll be the one Logan is counting on to save the world."
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Alex was trying to understand what had happened. When had he ever thought about anyone else before in his life? A man who couldn't even help people on the street was going to be responsible for saving the world? It was all too much. Alex thought of his father in this situation. If you are happy when someone else is happy, then there is still hope for humanity. Those were his father's words. Maybe he had known about these events all along.
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If this man had been taking care of him since he was a little boy, he must know something about his father, she thought. "I'll do whatever you want, but I have a question. What happened to my father?"
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Kai refocused on Alex and answered. "You know that better than I do. "
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"You're being mysterious again."
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"Time is a complex concept Alex, this conversation is just a formality, I already know what your decision will be. Do you think it was by chance that the person who will carry the secrets of the planet to the next generation came to you, or that it was by chance that I found you?" Alex had never thought about things in this way before. First his father and then these events. He couldn't possibly understand what was happening.
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"You sound like someone told you about me..." Alex felt lost in the depths of Kai's eyes and focused on a single answer.
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"Yes, he did, Alex. It was you..."
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End of Chapter Two
A Moment in Time 1910 / Kaizen Executive Council / Beijing / China
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Kai was standing in front of a cauldron of water in the executive room. As he looked out, lost in thought, Lisa, Kaizen's Assistant Manager, walked in.Lisa started shouting as if she couldn't accept what had happened. "How is this possible after all these years!"
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Kai spoke without interrupting his own thoughts. "Isn't it a strange feeling to know that the world is coming to an end? You could see it in the faces of the executives at the meeting this morning."
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"You didn't say a word to the questions they asked at the meeting, so you must have some idea why all this is happening?"
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Kai was angry, but he didn't change his tone. "It would be foolish to answer questions from someone who has committed murder. The killers are on that table, Lisa. That son of a bitch Neon accelerated the Decay so that the Process of Change is now very close to us. Humanity has had tens of thousands of years to live without upsetting the balance."
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Lisa thought about Kai's words. They might have been right, the rulers were now acting as if there was a secret between them. "Those are big words, but deep down inside I can see that you're right."
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"Every word of what I said is true and you know it. I don't know why Neon did what he did, but I will make him pay."
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"You can't do that even if you want to. It would be like lighting a fire in the ocean."
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"You're right, Lisa. But I'm different from them. Kai made a small spark of fire with his hand and dropped it into the cauldron of water in front of him. As
the cauldron suddenly burst into flame, he continued. "I know that the ocean is made of oil. Everyone around him is just waiting for a spark, and I will be the one to make it..."
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