Nature's Reckoning Part 3: The Light of the Cathedral

The earth quaked deep beneath the lifeless ocean as three volcanoes erupted at once into the moonless sky. Only the stars bore witness to the events of a new beginning. Reflections of molten red rock lit up the dead ocean below as ash and smoke spiralled into the air.

The stewards watched—motionless, emotionless.

It was time.

From their vantage, cloaked in dark robes, the stewards began their trek to the cathedral. It wouldn’t be long before the tsunami formed and began spreading in all directions.

The stewards were a small fraction of what was left of this world’s inhabitants. They had fought against politics, technology, and greed. They had stood their ground without leaving a trace. They had learned to love what they already owned, used only what they needed, and replaced what they took from nature. They had been granted divine immunity—by claiming it for themselves.

The earth wobbled, out of balance, out of sync with its inhabitants. The stewards began their ascent to the mountain’s summit, to the cathedral, to the gardens of life.

Lava spewed. Water welled into waves, silently gliding along the dead ocean’s surface. The air tasted of salt and ash, as if prophesying what the world was about to return to.

Up. Up. Up the mountain. The stewards climbed a path that would soon cease to exist. Far removed from what remained of the globe’s dwindling inhabitants, even if the path survived, there would be no one left to make the trek.

Waves as tall as towers began crashing against the shores of distant lands. The West would be the first to feel nature’s wrath. Many had already abandoned the world, as nature’s first waves of rebellion made it clear they were no longer welcome.

Next, the East would fall—for their desire for power over nature’s lands and their own inhabitants. No gods—real or imagined—would intervene for those who had refused to intervene on their own behalf.

Under the cover of night, the stewards reached the summit. A towering cathedral of stone stood before them.

Years of preparation had led to this. These were not the strongest, the fastest, or the most intelligent. The stewards were those who could work together toward a common goal. They had lived a life of gratitude. Of less. Less reliance on the distractions of the modern world. Less indulgence. Less need for attention.

Their lives of less had led to more. More love. More happiness. More enlightenment. More peace.

They supported one another. What was good for one must be good for all. They could see generations into the future—and they knew what needed to be done to ensure there would be one.

The cathedral doors slowly swung open, a soft and steady light welcoming them to the new beginning.

She had not spared them.
They had saved themselves.

Read Part 1: The Edge of the World
Read Part 2: The Silence of Gods