In the Bible, it is said that the language of the whole earth was one and the same.

As they migrated eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

They began to build a city and a tower, using brick instead of stone and tar for mortar.

It was truly blasphemous and deemed unpleasant to behold…

“What is a tower? A tower is something that rises high and dares to reach the heavens.”

Its name is Babel.

“It can only be blasphemy and irreverent! How could humanity dwell in the heavens? It is only possible to pass through with His permission, but to reside there is an irreverent act! It is akin to standing in the presence of angels and saints who walk in the celestial realm.”

And they came here to warn of that Babel.

“Dear faithful Christians, you know well what I am saying. The One who exists solely and uniquely has not permitted a tower that reaches the heavens. Thus, did He not bring it down and scatter their language across the earth?”

A tower that dares to reach the heavens!

“Our ancestors witnessed it. They saw it, felt it, and humbly accepted His stern chastisement. And they left it as a record to warn us: Do not allow the tower to reach the heavens.”

For the foolish humans who build so densely!

“But indeed, in His great mercy, He allowed the tower to rise high into the heavens. He permitted us to etch this spectacular civilization and, after passing through the long tunnel of darkness, finally arrive in the light. It is akin to the joy of a crawling baby finally standing on two feet, clothed, and beginning to speak. He gave us the toys we were too frightened to come near or hold as infants, believing that if we could discern right from wrong, we could overcome the overprotection and learn and grow in our own way!”

To issue a warning!

“But we must know this: Humanity cannot yet escape His embrace. The birth and history of humankind are far too brief, so in His eyes, we are like children, beings He cannot dare abandon. We are in a state of infancy, incapable of dreaming of self-reliance. Therefore, we must reflect on the past and examine the records, accepting that He acted out of concern for our safety. We must rejoice in standing on two feet after crawling, yet not be arrogant; we must discard the hubris of thinking we can handle everything and become cautious at last!

Thus, they must understand.

Faithful Christians.

Though sharing the same God, there are the different Muslims.

Orientals believing in strange religions—what’s this about Buddhism?—where they worship the angels of Christianity.

And even the idol-worshipping pagans!

All must realize.

The heavens are not a domain fully granted to us!

To dwell there is absolutely forbidden!

He granted us mercy to pass through the heavens and venture beyond the stars, but He did not desire us to reside there. Humanity is not mature enough, and if we attempt to dwell above, we risk falling into arrogance, thinking ourselves superior to other beings above and below.

Arrogance, oh arrogance.

If so, once again His wrath will fall—down will come the tower, and those who dwelled atop it in their hubris will fall too.

Just as the morning star plummets to the earth and meets a disgraceful end, so shall it be.

This must be prevented.

This should not happen.

How can we permit such a tragedy to repeat!

Thus, we declare.

“We are going. Towards the high-rise buildings.”

On a plane.

“Let’s show them that we can learn from the past ourselves.”

We shall show it.

“We can exercise self-restraint and utilize what we have learned. Let’s show Him.”

We shall prove it.

“Like knocking down a sandcastle while recounting an old story, let’s demolish the tower and show billions of humans the warning that we must not dwell in the heavens!”

* * *

[Breaking news! Currently, a plane has been hijacked…]

[Urgent news! A plane of American nationality has been hijacked. The hijackers only keep repeating that they wish to awaken people to the lessons of the Tower of Babel…]

[…Breaking news! The identity of the hijackers has been revealed. They are members of a cult that has gained power in the Portland area of the United States. Their doctrine states that high-rise buildings are like the Tower of Babel, and this hijacking is likely connected…]

[…The spokesperson for the U.S. government declared firmly, “We have deployed the Air Force and are considering all possible worst-case scenarios. We have no intention of repeating the nightmare of 9/11, and there will be no negotiations with terrorists.”]

[…The spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense stated, “We currently view the situation as a very serious threat to U.S. security and are in the process of finding a solution. We will go to any lengths to protect that security and will never forgive any organization or country associated with this incident.”]

The breaking news kept pouring in like crazy.

TV and internet were in an uproar.

The TV was showing an airplane surrounded by fighter jets. The fighter jets appeared to be state-of-the-art, loaded with missiles and similar armaments.

Indicating that they were ready to shoot down the aircraft if an unexpected situation arose.

“Hmm.”

And seeing this, Jinseong furrowed his brow slightly, tilting his head as if he didn’t quite understand.

“How strange.”

A cult in the Portland area.

The hijacking.

Even mentioning the Tower of Babel.

It was the same incident he was aware of.

The terrorist incident that had caused troubles for Lee Yang-hoon, who was on the plane.

The situation was not much different from what he remembered…

“Strange and even stranger….”

They say what is to happen must happen, right?

Then it isn’t all that strange that this is occurring now.

Such massive incidents don’t happen overnight; countless things build up, become a significant flow, and finally erupt, right?

If you think of it that way, it shouldn’t be strange.

Yeah.

It shouldn’t be strange, but…

‘Why does this feel so incongruous?’

What was it that had driven him to the U.S.?

Hadn’t his refined spirit and soul whispered to him?

When he felt perplexed at the lack of a terrorist act, hadn’t it indicated that something entangled with a variable and caprice was different?

That a significant change had occurred, and something vital must have happened?

A refined spirit and soul are connected to truth.

How could the instincts of a survival-honed animal compare to those of a full-bellied pig?

How could the light of the North Star guide to the same place as the light of a beast’s pupils?

That is what the refined state is.

And because that state whispered to him, he moved.

In his later years, he was led to acquire numerous spells, and now feeling a deep emptiness after Danbi had died, his instincts had always acted to fill that void. While he might turn back, he would not be led against his destination, and though not sharp or powerful, at least they had never betrayed him.

Adding signs and information to that, he had thus become a person who could wander the world even alone.

Why should this time be any different?

Why was he whispered something wrong?

What was different?

Was it just a butterfly effect?

Was it merely that the timing of the terror was delayed, and everything was mere coincidence?

Had his instincts failed him, and this event was just a plain, ordinary occurrence that had to happen?

Is that so?

Is it truly so?

‘No.’

It whispers.

His mind whispers.

His soul whispers.

The whispers of stars, which could not be heard in America, come to him.

The stars distorting the cosmos, connecting and breaking amongst themselves, whisper to him in light.

The movement of clouds responds to them, painting a picture, while the pitch-black darkness claims to be a canvas. The dim stars, buried in that darkness, extinguish their light while the bright, shining stars ignite, whispering something to him.

Something like inspiration.

Something that cannot take form in language.

Something that cannot be made into letters or speech.

So vague and ambiguous that it cannot even be turned into an image—this thing enters his mind under the name of inspiration.

And thus he spoke.

“You have now realized you don’t know.”

He said.

‘…I see.’

The knowledge of ignorance.

Jinseong nodded at the whisper.

“There are indeed many, many things in the world that I do not know….”