The Earth After Rebirth

The Sanctum was a a secret society. That was started more than 500 years ago, it had 12 prominent families, each representing the animals of the zodiac. But the 12 dwindle down to 8, it was not known why.

Originally the purpose of this secret organisation was to help the masses, it was for the people. It spread justice far and wide. It dismantled corrupt governments and ensured order and equality was achievable, in one way or another.

The known co-founder was Frederick Silva, it is not known about the other founder. Their information completely disappeared from the face of the earth, therefore nobody knew anything about this mysterious being, not even his family name. As time went on though, the once great organisation for justice lost to human greed and took to controlling the citizens it once vowed to protect.

The organisation was now no more than asserting dominance over others and ruling them. The power it came with was akin to a second government that was corrupt. An utter embarrassment to its original purpose.

At a somewhat sophisticated warm room, Jesús Silva sat at a lounge cross-legged. Whiskey in hand. His daughter looked a bit him. He sat there enjoying his own company with his drink. There was a lot on his mind this particular day, but all of his thoughts were questions instead of answers.

He was the first to arrive in their weekly meetings. He was a punctual man, he preferred arriving anywhere at least 5 minutes early. One by one, the members of the secret society arrived. They didn't seem to like each other much, but came here anyway.

He looked at each and every member that came in, with a hasty greeting, they'd go straight for the bar. These men clearly couldn't leave without a great numbing drinking.

Several minutes passed, Gilbert entered like he was being chased by the grim reaper, the butler poured him the usual whiskey, he gulped it in one go and a second and a third.

His anger was beginning to calm down, when he noticed Jesús just sitting there doing something on his phone, occasionally taking a sip of the drink his hands clatched.

He snorted, remembering that his son's plans were ruined because of his daughter. Isaac attempted to put them blame on her when he told him about his failed plan.

He walked over and sat across him.

"When are you marrying your daughter to my son, Silva?" He asked with a mocking tone.

Jesús didn't immediately look up, he surmised that Gilbert was in a mood to start an argument, he wouldn't indulge him.

Once he was finished with whatever business he was doing on his phone he looked Gilbert dead in the eyes. He had never liked this man, but for the sake of appearances he had to act civil, not nice, but civil.

"My daughter isn't a thing to be given away. I've raised her with pride, she has her own brain." He told a man that didn't understand a thing about free will.

Those words were enough, they didn't need explaining. But Gilbert didn't let up, he wanted an outlet to channel his anger. And he had found the perfect scapegoat.

"Pride? I heard she's doing gods knows what with some slum rat."

"Like I said, Sir Gilbert. She has a brain, if this boy has ambition, I don't see the problem." He said with finality, as he took a swig of his whiskey.

Gilbert was about to retort, when Arnold Black said something that drew his attention away from Silva and to him.

"Heard some Waynworth family bought the AI company..."

Gilbert shook where he sat, he didn't hear anything else after that, everything became muffled. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, weren't they just peasants? Most of all how did they know the company will make billions in the future. He had spent a fortune researching the probabilities.

"How's that possible? They're mere slum rats. How could they afford such a large sum?" He shouted loudly than he expected.

He couldn't understand how they got money to buy an estate at the upper district, while having enough to buy a company and start a new one. He was red with fury.

"I forgot, you were planning to buy their shares? The Waynworth beat you to it." Arnold laughed, not truly grasping the situation.

"Don't you watch the news Gilbert? Some game made it possible for their currency to work in real life. Now a few lucky people scored big." Mahindra Khan chimed in.

"Yes, and the general population thinks we're behind the game. But I reckon none of us invested in it?" Nathan Naidu asked, not expecting an answer and his question was met with silence.

A game? Gilbert remembered how this Kiro character humiliated his son in that very same game. How could he not remember, the videos were viral for days.

"We can just buy the game, can't we?" Gilbert asked reluctantly.

"We've tried, but the company is nowhere to be found. Everything is a mystery." Arnold shot back.

"Haha, ah yes." Jesús laughed lightly, which rubbed Gilbert the wrong way. "The Waynworth moved in our street not too long ago. I suppose my daughter has an eye for ambitious men after all." He wanted to grind his gears for worse.

Gilbert was completely crimson. Whether it was anger or the alcohol or both, it couldn't be known. He cursed under his breath, the people he had fired were now his greatest competition. It was absolutely atrocious.

"So your daughter is close to them..."

The conversation went on like this. They were investigating anything they could from Jesús. But he had met the boy only a few times, so he didn't know anything either, he was as much in the dark as they were. Even if he did know more than he let on, he didn't really want divulge information here.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, let's start the meeting. Gossip isn't going to get us anywhere." Jesús said with finality.