Columbia [Jean Kirschstein]

Jean was awestruck. All around him were floating platforms with buildings and statues standing upon them. The city glistened in the sunlight; the beauty was beyond breathtaking. As the pod descended to its destination on one of the floating platforms, Jean took note of the largest statue in the heart of it all: it was of a woman in an angelic dress with colossal angelic wings. Jean questioned who it was and why she was so important, but his thoughts were suddenly cut off when he was plunged into darkness. 

The pod came to a halt. The door opened to reveal a room dimly lit by candles. The metal cuffs that bound him to the chair snapped in half, and Jean escaped the pod as quickly as he could. Once in the room, he realized it was slightly flooded with water. The candles continued down a staircase, which Jean concluded was the only exit. 

The stairs led down to a foyer, which had two separate staircases; one on the left and one on the right. Dozens of candles decorated the space between the two. Standing to the left was a man dressed in a white robe. 

"Excuse me," Jean cleared his throat. "How do I get out of here?"

The man motioned for him to continue down the left staircase. 

Jean obeyed. It led to a large church that was now flooded to the knee. At the very end of the church stood multiple men dressed in white robes surrounding one preaching in a black priest's cloak. Behind them was a tunnel that Jean presumed was the exit. 

Jean pushed through the wall of white robes and approached the priest. He did not seem phased by Jean's presence.

"Excuse me, what's the fastest way to Columbia?" 

The priest did not acknowledge Jean's question and continued to preach without hesitation. 

"Excuse me-" Jean raised his voice. "How can I get to Columbia?!"

"If you want to go through to Columbia, you must be cleansed by these waters!" The priest lifted his hands in the air, "That is the only way!"

Jean groaned, "If it gets me through to Columbia...."

The priest grabbed hold of Jean's hands, "Do you wish to accept the mighty mercy and forgiveness of our Prophet, and to start a new life by being cleansed of your sins?"

"By the mighty power of our Prophet, I-"

Jean was momentarily dunked in the water before being hauled back to his feet.

"I don't know, this man still seems a little dirty!"

The men in white murmured in agreement.

Before Jean could react, he was forced back underwater, but this time, the priest wasn't letting up. Jean struggled under his grip; his lungs begged for air. He felt his body become weaker and weaker....his eyesight was giving out.....

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Jean gasped. A bright, white light was beaming down on him, and instantaneously he lifted his arms to block his eyes. He rolled over onto his hands and knees, taking deep breaths as he tried to recollect himself. He was no longer knee-deep in water, but instead was on patches of grass.

He was outside.

As Jean climbed to his feet, he noticed more men in robes praying under trees and concrete arches. The grass beneath his feet, he realized, was a short path that led around the corner of the church to two copper doors. Nobody made a move to stop him from proceeding, so he continued to push the doors open....

The grass came to an end where the brick road began, which paved way to a courtyard with a towering silver statue of a man in the center; his arms wide open and one leg propped up on a rock, as if to showcase the city. His beard and cape flew in imaginary wind, and his eyes were locked onto something in the distance.

Buildings were floating around the platform he was on. Jean took notice of track-like rails that connected one platform to another. It was a sight to see; a city in the sky.

Jean sighed, "Now to find the girl."