A Dance of Two Worlds

A Choice without a Choice

Chapter Twenty-Five

A Choice without a Choice

No Savior can save a world without hope

Elisium

The Fifth Loop, Year 491, 5th February (5L/491/2/5)

"Wake up my girl. You can't go like this. Talk to your father."

George held his daughter in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. His friend Jacob sat beside him, face drained of color, staring into nothingness. A ghostly silence had engulfed the House of Almighty. No one there understood how or why George's daughter dropped dead, but they all saw the strongest man in Elisium weeping like a child. Broken. Shattered. The positive energy that had filled up the hall a few moments ago quickly dissipated. Just when hope had surged destiny floored it with a crushing blow.

The funeral got delayed due to this tragic incident but people decided it was time for the coffins to be taken to the graveyard for burial. They had to first bury their martyrs and then prepare for Jennifer's funeral.

The thunderstorms were getting nastier with every passing minute. A bolt of lightning lit up the night sky and almost turned the gloomy night into a bright day. It lasted much longer than usual but no one was scared of it. Any kind of light is a sign of hope for someone surrounded by perpetual darkness.

Someone gasped. A woman shrieked. A man pointed towards Jennifer's body. Everyone in the hall gazed towards her. Many people put their hands over their mouths. Others rubbed their eyes. George, who was weeping on a chair near Jennifer's body, was startled and slipped from his chair. Jacob pinched himself. Sometimes reality trumps the weirdest dream.

Jennifer, whose body had been laid down on a table, was now sitting upright with her feet dangling from the table and her eyes wide open.

People kept staring at Jennifer as if they were in a trance. Bewitched. A bright glow was emanating from her. Her face was radiant. She looked like one of those beautiful angels from the fairytales. A pinkish hue was radiating from her forehead—from the exact spot where Jacob had placed the ruby on Moses's forehead.

"This is unbelievable," Jacob cried. "A miracle."

"God! My girl is back!" George exclaimed and hugged his daughter.

***

Jennifer's soul was trying to get used to the confinements of her body and this mortal world all over again. Her legs almost gave way when she got down from the table and had to hold on to her father for support. She furiously snapped her fingers to clear her brain. Every eye in the hall was glued to her, the living miracle. It was time Jennifer told them about the new reality.

"O the people of Elisium!" Although her body was still shaking, quite surprisingly her voice was loud and clear. "We have gathered here to bid farewell to our martyrs and our much-awaited Savior. Moses was no Messiah, but he was our brother. He was given powers to lead us into the light, but fate snatched him away. Destiny tested our belief in these desperate times, and we clung to hope. We showed a will to keep fighting. That glimmer of hope and that strong will have given us a second chance.

'And this time, we will not fail. Together we will vanquish the tyrants and bring Elisium's glory back. To achieve that goal, the Supremes have chosen Jennifer, the daughter of George and the heir of David and Solomon to guide you toward freedom. Jennifer will show you the way through the powers of Adam, the fury of Noah, the wisdom of Abraham, the diligence of David, the bravery of Solomon, and the courage of Moses."

Jennifer looked at the blank faces in the crowd and smiled. Even rising from death wasn't enough to convince people that she had become the Transitioner. The human race is obsessed with miracles and no one believes in a Savior until he shows them one.