Warm sunlight basked her skin permeating through little pores as her eyes groaned , hoping for a bulwark against this unwanted visitor . She opened her eyes suddenly half leaning on a pillar in a subconscious realisation.

She was quite sure she slept in a room ! Yet here she found herself now sprawled bare in seemingly Elysian fields  filled with beautiful dahlias, ,anemone,
aster,azalea,chrysanthemum etc all awaiting her just as she gained counsciousness.

She looked at her robes which seemed to be more or less same . A black flannel jacket still clung to her with half shredded jeans at lower side . Her hair on other side seemed to flow aside freely now brushing against her silver eyes , a mirage of its resplendence.

Just like the bird bearing name , her belief of being fated to die early  had indeed come to fruition.. only thing she didn't expect was to witness it happening to the entire civilization along with her .

"Isn't that too morbid thought ?" A cold feeling crept up her skin at abrupt voice .

"Oops ! Look like I scared you again ." She eyed the laughing figure floating beside her ,none other a self proclaimed god .

"Can you please not .."

"Sure !" He answered before she could finish as she eyed him warily .

"Fine ! From this point on, I won't read your mind . So how was your experience of 'a touch of heaven' that you humans have woven throughout generations "

"Oh! I thought that was you ..hmm! Fine I suppose. "She responded after a long pause.

"Just fine! Well ! It is to be expected . If humanity truly was at its best, then there would have been no need for any of this but it is time now ." He stepped down to ground as his black cloak slithered down the ground .

"Time for what?" She questionned.

"To find the ultimate answer ! To know whether it can ever exist concurrent with human race" He smiled as she gazed at him in innate curiousity.

........
"So this is reality now I suppose ! Can I get a chair at least?" As a chair appeared magically out of nothingness which he smiled sitting down comfortably .

Among several eyeing him , a girl in her mid twenties approaching him ." How can you be so nonchalant ? You were literally ..we all were ... just"

"I don't see any reason to stutter, lady ! After all it is just getting exciting and I am all for excitement ; whether that is provided in heaven or on earth is hardly of any relevance . The only thing I despise is boredom and boring individuals." He raised his brow as she backed away .

As arguments flew uninterrupted , all of sudden , familiar omniscient figure emerged sitting on throne as he waved to them all as Ariel subsided in back of crowd where she had been carried off by God .

She puffed her cheeks "He could have asked but I suppose that is the God for you .." glancing at him seated with an amiable facial expression.

"You certainly have a callous attitude after wiping out my friends , poser ." Alex seethed at him as he blinked .

"So how many of you are dissatisfied right now ? " At which half of the people joined Axel with a wary look.

"I see. Well if you are expecting me to bring your loved ones back from that realm, your spirits are bound to be dejected . All of the concepts that you keep about life and death are nothing more than a jargon! So now you have three choices." He rose up from his seat walking down the stairs . "Ask me to make you disappear from existence right now . Second , try to defeat me in fit of frustration and anger but be aware that kind of vehemence would be futile against me and lastly stay copped up inside a sanctuary with others who share your ideas in isolation from rest ."

An uncanny silence engulfed the room as all looked at each other in anticipation of other's actions in light of new information .

Ariel was quite sure that most people were considering first and third option as all would have definitely realized the impossibility of second option but was quite surprised when she saw Axel's punch completely pass through the God .

"Just what kind of hallucination is this ?" He grumbled .

"Try as you might , you can't acess the power to turn fantasy into reality . This is no hallucination . But I have already seen your memories . " The figure pitied him.

"And so what !" Axel's bloodshot eyes flared .

"You are well past any sort of dilapidation ! Quite unfortunate ." The figure paced his hands on Axel's shoulders as the latter widened his eyes .

"Everything feels like ....it is loose .." With parting words, Axel's body vanished into nothingness .

Ariel couldn't believe what just happened . He just killed Axel in front of them by judging his worth based on memories . She backed away hitting against invisible wall , with burning desire to run as far as she could from here, well aware of its impossibility .

When will she be next ? A momentary lapse of anxiety held her .She suddenly took a deep breath which felt like inhaling void. It was so lucidly cognisable  and yet in that panic, she had forgotten it .

What she did have to lose anyway ? After all , the Quietus was already here . Being gone like nothing would be nothing different than what her entire life had ever amounted to after all .

"So go ahead and do what you want . You can't intimidate a person who never valued something ." She laced her fingers together .

"It seems there is too much negativity and anxiety still.  Fine ! I can see that even now , at least some of you are quite adept at handling this in your own unique ways so beside them , I suppose it would be best to just send all back to their rooms." The figure snapped his fingers as she led an inaudible gasp, which she quickly stifled .

Nine people had been left standing , but more importantly she had been chosen to be one of them .

"Great! We can get started now ." Ariel could hardly keep track of movements as she found herself seated on a chair beside a large table pointed toward North where he sat with a satisfied smile .

"Don't presume that just because we all are here together, it is coterie." Everyone looked more or less piqued at voice .

A raven black hair slithered down his shoulders as he laid his left leg on table looking at the figure .

"Well then! From what I have figured so far , you are quite apprehensive to call me God even though I have shown you proof so for now ..I suppose you can call me.."

"Ilahen." A girl spoke up before he could finish.

"Unm.! I dont think..." Her neighbour Ariel tried to stop her.

"Ilahen sounds good !" She declared firmly as Ariel sighed at awkward tussle going on among others .

"Fine ! You can call me Ilahen ! Happy " The figure looked at the girl as she nodded her head .

"Good ! Now , if anyone has something to declare , then do it right now . Because when I talk , no one should impede me . No one! " He looked at them .

"Why are you looking at me first ?" Ariel frowned mentally as she glanced at stoic expression of others . It seemed that her neighbour was the only one expressive here.

Three guys and girls , one woman and one man including her and there was the unknown masked person scrutinizing everyone at edge of table on other side .
She tried to remember his/ her name failingly .

Each one of them awaiting patiently for an immortal figure to say something , a being capable of debilitating them any second ; just what awaits them on this unexpected quest ?

"Alright ! When I first summoned you here , I asked you a single question "What is Utopia " . At that time , it appeared as callous as it could but in fact , you must realise now if you haven't already , that finding the answer to that question is the whole crux of this . There is no point in your existence now . Everything connected with your past life save your experience have been wiped out permanently , irretrievable beyond anyone .

You bear no identity from now on but one : that of mortals . The only reason you managed to thrive is because of a stroke of luck . It was simply on a whim that I saved one thousand humans from entire population for this purpose.

You can retain whatever your attitudes you must . I have no interest in your choices to lead your transient existence at this point but if you wish to thrive further , if you wish to stay in this place , then all of you must find your own answers to the ultimate question.

I am a God .why can't I think all of this on my own ? Raise your hands if this question is persisting inside you right now ." As all raised their hands expect Crezina .

"Oh ! You know the answer .." Ilahen smirked at her.

"Maybe ! The only way to confirm is to hear it from you so I think it would be best if you go on ."

"What a sneaky one you are! Though I wonder just how long you can hide your identity here from everyone . There is no need to , you know . After all..."

"There is no need for a perfect society, no need for humans or you to exist in first place but you don't hear me whining ! So I would suggest sticking to your goals , celestial ." Crezina retorted as others breathed heavily .

"This girl got guts ! I like that .." The raven haired guy laughed .

"How do you know it is a girl ?" A blonde woman seated beside him questionned .

"Well ! I can't keep calling by her presumed name  now, can I ? Anyway , my name is Jean Morgan ! I am seventeen well was about to be eighteen next week... anyway !  I look forward to your answer to this 'Utopia '."

"As do I ! " Crezina smiled beneath the mask . This was certainly interesting . The unintentional slip of information made her (presumed ) wonder if she could age here or everything connected with human biological construction and development had become fixated to their original state at time of death .

"Well ! " Ilahen drew everyone's attention back to him ." Just because I am God , it doesn't mean that I can think of everything . I simply happened to be the first one in existence before allowing other things to exist by creating them . So the only one who can ever know creations are creations themselves . To solve a problem haunting humanity, it must be you in end who solve it !

You can take as much as time you want here but only in pursuit of this goal . Neither have you earned a heaven to enjoy here through your merits nor have such a realm ever existed in first place . So be warned , if I find you complacent in your approach, then I would be more than willing to unite you with rest of humanity ."  He rose up .

"I leave the rest of discussion for today to you ." As he disappeared with a grave look.

"Ooh! It is like being locked in a hostel with a warden that would give you permanent detention for slacking off instead of a small warning !" A guy in his early thirties giggled .

Ariel looked sharply at him . Out of all people here even Crezina, only this guy appeared to be unfazed by sudden capital punishment conditioning revelation. But then again, there was a chance that the guy could be trying to cope with stress in different manner .

She wasn't really sure. Psychology had never been one of her good subjects like many others .

"You have something planned already don't you ,  you little titwit ?" Jean eyed him warily.

"Karl Summer! Can you remember this name though! I mean you are just so young and an idiot... going around making over generalization of my ..."

"When we first gathered here , you were the only one trying to catch attention, deliberate declaring to everyone about your  detest towards anything boring !

Now when we finally came to know that of this stringent condition attached for continuity of our existence by Ilahen, you appear to be the only one amused . So tell me what am I supposed to make of that ?

Either you have something planned already to survive here  or are you one of those bonkers in head.. " Jean glared fiercely.

"Oh ! It seems you are quite perceptive actually ! Little Jean looking for approval ...outshined by lack of attention " Karl chuckled.

Ariel held her breath feeling tight in her chest even though that shouldn't have been possible here . Was this another effect of intense confrontation around her ? She wasn't sure.

"Uhmm.." A soft voice rang transversed through surrounding as all turned to look at a girl seated at Ilahen's seat , facing all of them .

"Aren't you the one who suggested Ilahen ! Ilahen ! in your little timid voice for no reason . what do you want ?" Jean asked annoyed .

"Actually I wanted to tell ..." She clicked her fingers.

"I said, what do you want ?" He tapped the table impatiently as she backed in her chair nervously.

"Hey! Let her speak, will you ? Don't you have manners , Morgan ?" Karl raised his eyebrows.

"Fine ! Let's just see how relevant opinions of a twelve year girl are !" Jean crossed his arms with such a distaste as if he couldn't bear the sight of her blue hair any more .

"Was blue hair even natural  ? and that strange dress" Ariel doubted looking at the young girl .

"I wanted to know your species ? Is it Nephthaleaners ? Or Homo maximus? ..I am just not able to place you in timeline you see." She scratched her head as a fraught silence etched the room .

Only one burning thought , persisted like a tinnitus in everyone .

"Just how many questions will they have moving forward, and will they ever be able to find the answers to them all."

Vehemence of love can never extricate one from pain