An Age of Light

XX.

Tiesa was shadowed and lit in strange ways, given the dispersion of the crystals. The strangeness brought a feeling of unpredictability to the city that was engaging and terrifying. The feelings of the people of Tiesa varied largely according to the Light that they personally held, since anything else was not immediately quantifiable or real. The Light began to serve as a symbol of the status that one held, drawing lines that distinguished the people from each other. Those with more Light looked down on those with less and often thought that they are better in some way, more worthy to hold the Light thinking that those that don’t have it earned their lower position, perhaps it was simply karma, or maybe they were being punished for some past wickedness. The hoarding of the Light had resulted in more Shadow and brighter Light than existed before. A struggle between the two was evident, perhaps the chaotic struggle that The Glare wanted was being realized, as the Light and Shadow fought, the violence and hate that had been evidenced in the last moments with the battle between the Light Police and the Glare translating to the battle between those with and without the Light.

Those with the Light began to use the Light as a weapon, blinding those forced into the Shadows. Others gladly shared the Light with those in the Shadows, helping them find what they needed, using the Light as a guide, bringing them together. The splintering of the Light led to heightened emotions and reactions from those that wanted to keep the Light for themselves and those that wanted to use the Light they had for the benefit of as many as possible. Chaos and personal restraint reigned, with the absence of the Light Police and destruction of the Lighthouse, the people assumed that all was open for possibilities. The Glare was celebrating and no speech had occurred that claimed authority or victory for the actions, it had been left to shake out as it happened, without the influence of a group with some form of leadership, the people were their own sovereigns now.

BOOM!

An enormous flash of light shot into the air from the wreckage of the Lighthouse, causing the city to cease and look toward it. The shot had been fired upward, which the older citizens remembered as a sign of a speech, a call of sorts to come to the center to hear whatever the Leader or Chief Keeper had to say. They began to move towards the towers that remained of the Lighthouse, standing around the fallen Radiant Tower, a reminder of the collapse of the Lighthouse that had ruled and been the force of power for so long. As those that recognized the signal migrated, the other people of Tiesa began to gather as well, following the example of the older population, temporarily setting aside their differences, but segregating as the walked and gathered into those with the Light and those without it. All were ready to hear the words that would soon be spoken, curious as to who it was that would speak and what they would want (also slightly terrified that the Light cannon would be used against them).

The crowd continued to gather for some time, milling about, mixing and mingling, but fairly segregated between those with and without the Light. That seemed to be an unwritten rule that had quickly spread throughout the people. The speed with which they had separated themselves and divided along lines of artificial creation was astounding. The Glare gathered together, towards the back and spreading out along the edges, creating a ring around the crowd, as a precaution. Roxanne was among them, still in a state of shock that the Radiant Tower was gone and that she stood in its remains. She was searching for Patrick, hoping that he would be the one to address them and that she could work with him to heal the Schism once and for all, to bring unity to the city and peace that had long been missing. She wanted to follow the Light and do as it directed, not to manipulate it. Although, she was fearful that the Light was now forever scattered among the people, never to be recovered and brought together into a great whole that could be equally shared with all, not the piecemeal gathering of the Light that took place and was feeding the violence that had been escalating since the introduction of The Glare and the collapse of the Radiant Tower.

BOOM!

Another shot from the Light cannon, this one deafening and temporarily blinding those gathered to hear what was to become of Tiesa and who this person was that orchestrated the fall of the Radiant Tower and the destruction of the Lighthouse and aided in the ravaging of Tiesa.

As the crowd was blinded, The Glare stepped out onto the balcony, dressed in his standard knee-length black cloak, gloves, and eye patch emblazoned with the mark of The Glare. He stood with his arms raised, ready to address the people, seeming to appear in the midst of a glare as their eyes adjusted to the blinding flash of the Light Cannon. Waiting patiently and mysteriously, for the crowd to largely be able to see him before he began to address them. Searching for the maximum impact, beginning his speech while they were still dazed, so they would focus in on how great the speech was, losing focus of him, granting him the ability to largely continue his efforts without the interference of fame.

The anticipation and confusion reached its height and The Glare began his speech,

“Friends- I am and we are The Glare!” Cheers erupted from the back and edges of the crowd, spilling over into lukewarm applause from the remainder of the group.

“We have brought the Light to you, down from the lofty tower where it was kept secret and hidden, into your very hands, giving you the power to control what, when and where you’ll see. The struggle to understand what the Light is and how to use it may plague us for sometime. It is difficult to grasp the full power and beauty of the Light, but in time, we can give Light to all, better than the Radiant Tower and the alleys and corners of perpetual shadow.”

At this the crowd erupted in genuine cheers, led by the lightless. Hopeful for the Light to be shared with them, the prestige and power that had already attached itself to possessing the Light, spread to all. The Light holders were slightly lackluster in their applause, the idea of all having equal access to the Light infringing on their prestige and power. If everyone had the Light, what would set them apart as better than others? How would the inequality that was evident be manifest? Everyone would think they had a right to everything, making them no better than those without the Light right now, a frightening possibility. Surely, he was simply trying to appease the masses and not seriously suggesting that the Light be spread out and equalized among all of Tiesa?

“The time has come to hear all voices. No more will people be silenced for disagreement, the Lighthouse has been broken and the opening of the walls represents the opening of our minds. Break down the barriers that were enforced upon you and see past the artificial limitations you have placed upon yourself. No more will you be sheep, following blindly as the Light was manipulated to cast certain areas in Shadow. Explore the Light and the Shadow, find for yourself what has been hidden for years and embrace the reality, moving on past what the Lighthouse spoon fed you. Tiesa is a buffet for you to partake of. Look at the possibilities!” The Glare gestured out over the city and the crowd looked around, originally excited, but quickly disheartened after noticing the destruction that surrounded them. It seemed that the cost for having the Light was all that they had held dear before. Was this what The Glare meant by breaking down walls? Maybe they liked the walls, had found comfort there and didn’t know what to do without the comfort of something solid, showing boundaries. How far could they go? Was there nothing that they shouldn’t delve into? They felt lost and hopeless, as if their entire world had been shattered. Where could they go for direction?

“What may appear to be destruction and ruin is simply the ground for new growth. No longer are you constrained by the walls that existed before. Build anew, creating whatever you like. The restrictions and guidelines of the Lighthouse are no more. There is only Light and Shadow. Find your place in the opposition and tension that they create. Then you will have peace. Peace like the ocean, with its waves crashing and the white foam rising, stark against the blackness of the storm-tossed sea. You can be the white foam, rising against the blackness of Tiesa’s storm-tossed sea. Or you can join the sea, embracing the storm, and letting yourself become one with the chaos.”

Roxanne noticed some commonalities between the words of Patrick and her father. Both spoke of bringing the Light to everyone, of making known what lay hidden in Shadow, being open about the negative and not hiding things from the people. She wanted to believe that everything he said would come to pass, but couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t quite right, something just seemed wrong about the picture. Perhaps it was the death and destruction that preceded the announcement, making it seem as if the only way to achieve the utopia that Patrick was describing was to bring down all that disagreed with you in fire and flames, the same path that Bartholomew was on, that brought about The Glare. Could the destruction of the Lighthouse and the rise of The Glare come about the same? Or would The Glare be doomed to destruction, building their foundation on violence and hatred? Roxanne knew that something needed to be done and that with the Lighthouse gone and The League completely out of touch with everyone, The Glare was her best bet to bringing harmony to Tiesa. Perhaps she could bring Patrick back. The young man that spoke echoed many of Patrick’s early sentiments. Maybe he wasn’t as dead as The Glare claimed.

“The Light can do great things, but you know that. The Light has given you life and now that life is in your hands. The past is past, the Lighthouse as you knew it is no more, it has fallen and you stand in the rubble that once stood as tall towers and walls, keeping the Light a guarded secret. A new age has come upon us. An age of equality, of Justice. An age where all can light their own way, finding what they need. An age where the Shadows are no longer forbidden. An age of individuality. An age of Light.”

As The Glare finished, he raised a staff, with a crystal on the end that shot a beam of Light into the sky. Those with crystals of Light, raised them to the sky. Beams of Light shot from some of them, connecting to the beam ascending from The Glare’s crystal. The Light was beautiful, cutting through the misty, shadowy darkness that had been lurking around Tiesa since before the toppling of the Radiant Tower. Roxanne looked up and felt a surge of hope. The Light did shine.