Revelations


A man sat alone in the corner of a crowded diner, sipping a steaming cup of coffee as the TV behind the counter switched between channels before stopping at the evening news. As the camera cut from the news anchor to a notorious politician, the man in the corner sighed into his cup, stirring up a wave of steam that would’ve singed anyone else’s eyes, but his remained transfixed on the screen, glaring through the heat.


The politician spewed out what he was known for: misinformation and blatant lies. But while many people saw through those absurd accusations, there were still a substantial number of people who absorbed his words without a second thought. It was not long before a single argument between two tables spiralled into an all-out brawl. The man gulped the remainder of his coffee and quickly paid for his order to escape the mayhem that was unravelling before him.


Speeding through the shadows at an inhuman pace, the man walked through the street as a wave of water before turning to a blind alley. He then approached an old building that was a week away from being demolished, along with the others that surrounded it, and snuck up to the balcony using the fire escape ladder.


During his ascent, he heard a sea of voices experiencing a myriad of emotions: some were that of couples quarrelling, others were of children’s laughter as they played their favourite videogames. And then there were the few somber conversations that echoed in whispers; the voices of the elderly struggling to grasp the reality of losing their homes.


As the man sat there on the dusty floor, letting his legs hang loosely over the ledge, he looked at the flickering lights ahead. The firm gaze he bore before now faded into a softer yet burdened form. As he was lost in thought, another man suddenly appeared from behind him.


“Sulking in a corner again, are we?”


The man on the ledge turned to his companion. “I’m tired, Ahura. Just look at them.” He turned away and paused for a moment. “Our names and stories have changed over millennia, yet somehow, humanity finds a way to make us their scapegoats for almost every vile act they commit.”


Ahura nodded in acceptance and sat next to his friend, taking in a deep breath of the cool night air. “You were right, Angra; we should have intervened sooner.”


Angra turned to Ahura with a spark of surprise, yet there was still a shadow of bitterness cast upon his face. “And it only took… How many wars and acts of genocide, again?”


Ahura’s head hung low. “I’m sorry… I—”


“That’s enough,” Angra interjected. He placed his hand upon Ahura’s shoulder. “I’m glad you finally came to your senses, my friend.”


Ahura smiled. “Thank you for waiting.”


Angra rose to his feet in a split second. “Now, then… Where do we start?” he said, scanning through the countless skyscrapers ahead.


The world began to unravel the next morning as politicians and businesspeople around the world began to pour out the truth for the world to hear, their confessions sending shockwaves through the communities that followed them blindly for so many years. Ethnic cleansings on foreign soil, secret weapons deals, false claims about immigrants, and hate crimes against minorities and maginalised groups—everything was laid bare.


Those who reinforced their prejudices with religion were especially struck with paralysing confusion as they argued amongst themselves about what they could even believe anymore when their own preachers claimed to not believe even a shred in the gods and devils they had talked about on a daily basis.


The truth was bitter, but it was a start. Angra and Ahura climbed that same old building that morning as more and more prominent figures began to confess to their crimes and malicious agendas. They looked ahead with hopeful eyes, wondering what humanity would do with their new revelations.

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