A perfect utopia. Most people think that itself would be worse than everything ending. Some people crave for it and try to adjust themselves to fit into it. All people know that it is particularly impossible. But what now exists may be the close at the humankind has ever achieved to their perfect harmony. There is no need to know the past. No need to know past rules. No need to remember what they wish to forget. Because it should not effect you. It will not effect you. The dark ages were a time where the most powerful empire dissolved and when cultural ideas stopped. That is what they have repeated. Although most people don't know it. The Luma know it however. But don't forget-
"You do not need to know the imperfect when you live in perfection."
The sign lit up the streets. The being standing in the front of the picture arms outstretched as light engulfed it's palms. Holy palms they called them. Beacons of light they called them. Hope and life they called it. It was lie of course. No one would ever dare go against them. They didn't want their paradise stripped of them. That right now was a fate worse than death. Though most people did not know anymore what death truly was. After all fear was like a plague itself, creeping and clawing it's way up the subconscious and creating panic and despair. That was not perfection nor a utopia. So once again they hid it. They also truly never understood it. And when the Luma did not understand they hid it. What they always did.
Viktor stared up at the sign of the Luma. Their poses as if their offering help to those who need it. That he never understood. Who needs help in a utopia? Why would help still exist if everything was perfect? Nothing could go wrong so nothing would need help. Then again, he was always taught that perfection was a helpful thing to have and a harder thing to keep without the Luma. The Luma taught everything, so no one else truly dared to go against their word.
He looked up at the sign for longer and longer as rain continued to pour. Despite it being a perfect place the rain still haunted the sky. No one truly knew why. The Luma said it was so the sun didn't harm them. Viktor thought it was because the Luma wanted to be the only light around.
They controlled everything. Even as he looked at his uniform in the foggy glass below the sign. His school symbol the swirling stars of the cosmos, 6 to represent each of the Luma. The houses at his school were also the Luma symbols. Each was a constellation of stars or a Sun so bright or even a black hole. Anything to do with light was theirs. He himself was in the house of Cygnus. People in his house were known to be good people who were intellectuals however also those with short fuses. He supposed that matched his description well. He didn't understand how it matched the Luma Cygnus themselves. Cygnus was one of the heads and always had such a horrific aura to them. All you could see under their hood was a huge smile and a glowing star for an eye. No one knew who it truly was. The only thing that was known about Cygnus was that if you did something to upset them, you certainly would not see any light again. And that was a fate worse than death. Of course behind the masks and robes they were all just human.
Or at least that's what they told everyone. Although Viktor never truly trusted their word.
He sighed away from the sign as he walked around the streets. Once again, utopia was not as bright as he would have thought. The rain still pouring however never touching himself as it was merely a program of sorts. The streets littered with rubbish that could easily be kicked into another person path, each box no matter what it advertised had a Luma on it or something relating to them. Despite there being no laws anymore as no "crimes" truly existed there seemed to be a set of rules for every aspect of life. Advertisements had to have them on it or a symbol of them, the schools have to circulated by their curriculum, people have to trust their word and people couldn't even have any names to do with the starts of cosmos, if people did? Well it was either changed forcefully or they suddenly vanished.
Perfection. That's what they called it. Labelled everything a utopia thanks to their guidance. But utopia shouldn't be liked a dictator ship to them. They knew people wouldn't dare go against them. Because of what was so called the dark ages. Viktor didn't know exactly what they were or when they even happened, but he knew it was his lesson for today. So maybe he could find out what they were hiding now. Because whatever the "dark ages" were... they didn't sound all "perfect" like the Luma told everyone their history was.
He got into his classroom which always hurt his eyes. The walls painted a dark colour and yet covered with brightly coloured posters about the Luma and their ideals. The books were all written by the Luma, or rather they made sure it appeared that way. He sat at his desk and looked around. They all looked like robots, simply staring at the front of the class or some reading but it seemed controlled, as if the free will had simply been stripped from them. Then again that wasn't too hard to imagine.
From what Viktor had heard there was some lessons people went to as children if they did not behave the way the Luma wanted. Viktor was never sent to these lessons because he was a good and well-behaved kid. They always told his parents "You should thank the Luma for his good behaviour" but Viktor never did. His parents were the one who raised him and the ones who taught him morals. Perhaps that's why he turned out the way he was. Because those taught by the Luma were clearly taught by those who had no morals.
There was one other person in the class who hadn't been to the lessons as well; Maria. She was an okay girl although they weren't really friend despite their similar experience. But she was nice to talk to about their youth when everyone else talked about the lessons the Luma graced them with. Or at least she was fun to talk to. A few weeks ago, she simply stopped showing up. It was an odd experience. She seemed so paranoid about something and refused to look at any of the people who had the Cygnus house on them, which included him. Then after about a week? She vanished. When he asked the teachers when she would be returning they simply said she was on a little break. That was a clear lie. No one left the utopia. Even he knew that, and it was a fact everyone knew.
He kept trying to remember what Maria had been saying as she always kept mumbling during that week. Something about the Cygnus and the Luma and how her "light was finally being given to her" but yet she didn't want it. The whole situation was confusing for him. He knew he should have felt some empathy for her or something and yet he didn't. He almost saw it as her failing the test. Her falling into the system of fakery and rules and becoming a mindless happy servant to the Luma. He didn't get much time to question Maria's disappearance and actions however, as the teacher always seemed to start her conversation just as he was about to connect the dots or make a good point.
The screen in front of him flickered to life as a slide appeared, the title of the dark ages daunting as it was mysterious. He had heard of dark ages before, however those were ages ago. When such things as the Roman Empire existed, although that was when it was dissolving. But the Luma weren't even around at that point. So it couldn't have possibly been that. The dark ages had a simple description in concept, the aspect of no cultural movements and frankly everything staying the same plain concept for years if not decades. The concept was easy to understand, and yet even with such simplicity Viktor just knew that the Luma had twisted it into their own sick way to trick the people into believing their words or into fearing them.
And sure enough, as the next slide flickered to life his thoughts were confirmed as the text sprawled across the screen. Even though it was simply a piece of text it clearly sent a message across:
"These Dark Ages is what happens when someone loses their light. The Luma's glow which blesses them has been lost by actions that go far against what we would accept in such our perfect place. However do not worry! These people are dealt with. When people enter a dark age they usually do not suffer through it for very long, then the utopia is back. No one is in a dark age very long with the Luma's influence so great."
Something about that last line sent shivers down his spine. Not in the dark age for very long... it was the fact that they didn't even mention anything about rehabilitation or what the person did to enter a dark age. Simply that the Luma dealt with them. Could this have been what Maria was so paranoid about? Cygnus was the black hole of the Luma, both figuratively and literally. She was so terrified of simply seeing the symbols connected to it. Was that what happened to her? Her light was taken away and she entered into this dark age? He couldn't even tell if it was a place, a state of mind or a dangerous concoction of the concepts mixed together. He had never been intimidated by something the Luma proposed but this? It was frankly disturbing. He looked at the other kids around him, and for once even they looked a bit confused and worried about the Luma and this practice. The teacher seemed to notice, as she raised her hands. Ironically it was in the same pose he saw earlier on the Luma sign.. simply showing to him how controlled the Luma made their education system.
"Now now children. Please do not worry. These dark ages barely happen to anyone of your age and innocence. These words are simply a warning that is all. You all know the rules and I assure you those dark times will not plague you."
The words seemed to settle the other children. It didn't settle Viktor. A warning... yeah right. They weren't a warning they were a threat. However of course he would never say that out loud. He sat there, doodling in his notebook about these dark ages and about Maria... he didn't notice that the other children had started asking questions around him, he mainly tuned them out. Until one students words caught his attention.
"What about the Reaper?"
Viktor looked at them. Reaper... he had never heard of that name before. There was no seventh member of the Luma from what he knew.. maybe it was a concept? Or one of those stories they were taught when younger. To him it was a confusing statement but not really a bad one. However everyone around him looked as if the world had just collapsed, as if the cosmos needed to be realigned. Some children were covering their ears while others hid behind their books. They knew something. Something about this Reaper character. And the fact that he did not know was frankly irritating to him. He was about to go up and ask the kid about the Reaper, until the intercom let out a static shriek before it rang out the child's name to the halls.
That was not a good sign. The intercom was never used for good purposes.
He kept his head down, trying not to get involved as the child started crying which only annoyed him more. He never understood that, why people knew they had done something wrong and then cried for their actions as if they expected no one to notice. But of course people would have noticed. It was the Luma's society. Eyes and ears were everywhere. Nothing went forgotten and they would know when someone did something that went against their perfect utopia.
Later on in the day he could hear people discussing about the boy but many too scared to say that one word. Reaper. When they needed to say it they simply called it "The Death of light" whatever that was supposed to mean. He wanted to know more about it. But he couldn't just ask about it. Then he may get taken away like that poor other boy. Luckily for Viktor however he had made one alliance in this school, someone who hated the Luma as much as he did and who would help him try find out information he was never supposed to know.
A librarian could be a library of knowledge and secrets themselves. He just hoped that whatever he was about to discover wouldn't taint his safety too much, as he still couldn't shake the shiver that ran down his spine whenever he heard the words "dark ages".