[1]It has been over a month since the angel of death fell from the sky and wiped out the two armies. Before departing, the Lieutenant ordered us to follow a path he marked on the waterproof map and spread the word about Jesi, the god who blesses his most faithful with miracles.
We travel by day and spend our nights preaching to the townsfolk. At first, the people were doubtful, but my fellow villagers had already done their part in other cities. In one town, a woman mentioned a trader who had spoken of Jesi’s miracles. When we heard others repeating similar stories, it became easier to convince the people of Jesi’s power.
One night, the stars above shone brighter than I’ve ever seen. Some of them grew so bright, the birds started singing their morning songs. We used this strange event as proof of Jesi’s holy war against the nonbelievers. Many towns along our route witnessed it too, and were even more receptive to our message after that.
But not everyone believed. In one city, a priest interrupted our preaching, claiming that the celestial lights were a sign of Baal’s power. He called us heretics, and soon a mob formed. They drove us out of the city, and we lost most of our supplies.
Four men from our village were killed in the chaos.
We moved on to our next destination and were greeted midway by the Lieutenant. He was annoyed that we weren’t following the planned schedule and furious about the lost supplies. But when we explained what happened, his anger shifted to the city.
He promised that those who attacked Jesi’s servants would be punished. He gave us coins for new supplies and instructed us to rest an extra night in the next town to recover our strength. As we set out, we saw a fiery angel streak through the sky, headed toward the city that had cast us out.
A week later, a trader told us of a city where every inhabitant had choked and vomited themselves to death. On its walls, the name Jesi had been written.
Today, we reached the last town on the map Jesi gave us. An arrow on the map pointed us toward an unknown destination. We were afraid of venturing into the unknown, but we had no choice. Jesi’s will must be followed.
After crossing a large hill, we found Jesi sitting in the shade of a pavilion. He was surrounded by men and women dressed like him, and among them was the Lieutenant. An army of servants attended to them.
Jesi smiled as we approached. He invited us to sit at a table and praised us for our work. As a reward, he was going to take us to his stronghold to witness the wonders of his city, and then we are to spread word to other cities that Jesi seeks followers to join him.
After an hour of rest, a fiery eagle swooped down and landed near the pavilion. The side of the thunder-bird opened up, revealing stairs. We were ushered inside and bound to chairs as though we were cargo. Jesi and his Lieutenants retreated into a sealed compartment at the front of the bird, with a strange glowing sign above the door that read FIRST CLASS.
Suddenly, the bird lurched into the air, and I felt my stomach drop. We screamed, watching the ground fall away beneath us. I saw some of the Lieutenants laughing at us, but I was too overwhelmed to care. My mind raced with fear, wishing the bird wouldn’t become sick and vomit us out to our deaths.
Just when our nerves began to calm, the bird saw its nesting place. It was a circular city with great towers in the center. When the bird finally descended, I hoped our terror had ended. But as it dropped toward the ground, it seemed like we would fall to our deaths. At the last moment, the bird slowed down with such force that it felt like an entire village stood on my chest.
Once the bird settled on the ground, the Lieutenants laughed at us as they untied us from the chairs. It was done with such contemptuous ease that we could have untied ourselves if we only knew to lift a simple lever.
We stumbled out of the bird, some of us kissing the ground in relief. I overheard a man, a strange one wearing a hard hat, arguing with one of the Lieutenants about “safety regulations” and “being reported.” His complaints died as soon as Jesi appeared to dismiss the matter, The man, towering and stern moments ago, shrank under Jesi’s gaze, he bowed deeply and mumbled apologies before returning to his other duties.
Distracted by the scene, I barely registered my surroundings until I looked up. I was in awe. We stood in a vast city of buildings that towered into the sky. The structure at the center was much taller than the rest, and it seemed to reach heaven itself. Wingless birds flew between the buildings, moving in perfect formations. My mind struggled to make sense of it all.
Jesi told us to stay close to the Lieutenant, warning that everything in his city was dangerous to outsiders and might accidentally kill us. Then he stepped onto a moving path that carried him away faster than we could walk. By the time the Lieutenant gathered us, Jesi was gone.
The Lieutenant led us to something he called an “elevator” that will take us to “Counterweight Station.” We followed him onto a path that moved by itself, and I could only stare in confusion. It was like the ground itself had come alive, rolling us forward. As we neared the central tower, I noticed the path was made of wheels, like those on a watermill, but nothing else about it made sense to me.
Before I could understand more, a hand roughly pulled me through a door just in time, as something like a giant snake rushed past, its body gleaming and stretching as far as I could see. It moved faster than any creature should, and my heart pounded with fear. I was dazed and breathless as the Lieutenant scolded me, muttering about “children having more sense.”
Inside the tower, we entered a transparent room with rows of chairs. People tied themselves to the chairs, and the Lieutenant helped us do the same before sitting next to a woman with children. He quietly spoke with her before the room sealed itself.
Then, the room began to rise, climbing the side of the tower. My body felt heavier, pressed down as if the very air was trying to crush me. Outside the room, the ground fell away and we ascended so high that we passed into night. I heard a man groan in fear as our room was consumed by the darkness, but his neighbor shushed him.
We climbed higher and higher, and the children let out cheerful giggles as they pointed at a massive object called a “battleship.” It resembled a giant box with long spears sticking out of it. As we continued to climb, my body began to feel light, as though I were floating.
I noticed that we were climbing toward a rock and the floating sensation shifted as it grew closer, it quickly became apparent that I was being pulled toward the ceiling. The sensation was so disorienting that I could barely keep from screaming, though my mouth was too dry to make a sound.
Eventually, we stopped inside a city made of glass. The Lieutenant said goodbye to the woman and that he was sorry the war made it necessary for her to leave. He untied us and led us to a large building on the edge of the city. He ordered us to remain there until we received further instructions. We were served a feast, but I was too tired and confused to eat much. Servants guided us to rooms and we fell asleep shortly after.
Chimes woke us in the morning and we gathered in the main lounge. Jesi was there waiting as we entered with a giant blue orb in the night’s sky behind him. He told us that our next task was to continue spreading the word of his greatness, but this time, we were to bring people to his cities. They will worship the greatness of Jesi and serve the needs of his people. In return, Jesi promised that all who joined him would have their needs provided for the rest of their lives.
I was assigned to the city of Gomorrah.
We were still eating breakfast when I was suddenly blinded by a light and found myself back on the ground, inside another city. The Lieutenant was there waiting for me, smirking at my confusion.
[1] Diary of Miracles (Jesi Saga)
This story is part of a collection of narrative entries, eyewitness records, and sacred illustrations documenting the rise and fall of the false god known as Jesi. This account spans many pages and includes artistic depictions and individual miracle stories recorded by a witness whose voice grows ever more strained under the weight of truth.
This story is part of one continuous chronicle. Treat each section as a chapter within the same diary. Each page is part of a fragmented gospel of a false messiah, exposed through the steady hand of one who dared to witness.
As you read, keep in mind that this is not a story of salvation. It is a cautionary record, and like all cautionary tales, its lesson may arrive only after it’s too late.
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