World of Serenity

"*We lived in a cacophony of warmongering, poverty, and exploitation. Victors were decided by bullet, bank balances, or shouting matches. What the baby Earth needs is... peace. She needs quiet. Every human an island in a sea of many islands. Our paths will cross, but without anger or conflict. Progress will be based on chasing higher joy, not on escaping anxiety. The music that reaches all our senses will be clean and radiant. In this serenity, humanity will be able to express its brightest side, at last.*"
— Mario

The **World of Serenity** (平和の世界 - *Romanization: Heiwa no Sekai)* is one of the many paths available to take for human society after the destruction of Earth in the *Conception*, a cataclysmic event that placed the planet in a transitory phase inhabited by demons and spirits as the last remaining humans vied for *Reasons*, or doctrines upon which the reborn world would be built and function. The world's foundational reason is *Heiwa*, which translates loosely into peace, or serenity. Its custodian is Mario, a college student. The protagonist will have the option of supporting him or of destroying him and his *Reason*. Its demonic sponsor is Nyx, goddess of the night.

The central tenet of the World of Serenity is that humans will live lives of introspection and personal enlightenment in a silent world conducive to that end, free of excess noise pollution and other sensory invasions birthed by humanity in the last two centuries prior to the Conception. Negative-energetic emotions such as anger and anxiety are to be erased from the human psyche, replaced by a journey for peace and artistic enlightenment. Humans will share ideas and collaborate in communities but generally live in quiet solitude, interrupted only by deep relationships. Mario's goal is for the mental silence to allow the planet and all its beings to flourish, enjoying a perpetual - if mandated - peace in contrast to the "raging sensory barrage" of the deceased Earth.

In the transitory world, the reason of *Heiwa* derives most of its support from Lady, Megami, Seraph, and other angelic/healer demons, but is widely opposed by more aggressive races of demons.

## Details of Implementation

### Major

1. At the world's rebirth, anger, anxiety, and similar emotions are removed from the human psyche.
2. All those found to be incompatible with the prior adjustment (those that would have changed drastically or had ways of life deeply at odds with the new world, like violent criminals) are deleted perfectly from existence, with no remaining memory of them or proof they ever lived. Around 53% of the old population is erased without a trace (that is, simply not brought back into the post-Conception world).
3. (Indirect) All aspects of a violent existence, like weapons production, no longer exist.
4. (Indirect) All governments become deeply confederated, with very little central rule anywhere to be found. Human society is built more on voluntary, temporary participation than forced lifelong stays.
5. (Indirect) Due to massive population decay, the Earth slowly begins to recover from climate change and greenery and fauna overcome many former centers of human society. Prices of living also fall drastically.

### Minor

1. (Aesthetic) The world is locked perpetually at midnight on a blue supermoon (a full moon on which the moon is closest to Earth and is hence seen as larger). Although this would have been disastrous in the old universe, rewriting of existence in the World of Serenity holds this to be possible. During small bursts of time throughout the day, the moon shines brightly enough to give the illusion of a soon-to-rise sun via a pale blue horizon, but the sunrise never comes.
2. (Sensory) The world's temperatures are modulated across the planet. In hot regions near the equator, they are reduced as much as 15 Fahrenheit year round. In colder regions more to the north or inland, they are sometimes increased for comfort.
3. (Aesthetic) Due to the creator's personal tastes, the world is "voluntarily" locked in an 80s vaporwave dream as its core urban aesthetic. In urban centers, shops adorned with neon signs overlook old cars as they drive by slowly at all times of day.
4. (Way of life) The population decay has led to both central population concentration in urban centers and an influx of rural residents. In the former, cities have become slightly more walkable, but progress is unpredictable as of the world's creation.
5. (Way of life) There is somewhat of a technological standstill, as human desires evolve more slowly and all are content with the current form of existence. A notable exception is the medical field.
6. (Way of life) Visual arts and music are paramount to society, but have drastically changed to mirror a vision of serenity and quiet longing.

## Philosophical/Ethical Implications

The reason of *Heiwa* brings with it many ethical concerns and philosophical questions, among which two are chief.

1. In eliminating half of the human psyche, are we implicitly valuing one form of belief, or even one form of culture, above another when it should instead be subjective or left to choice?
2. In eliminating those who do not follow the ways of "peace", how can we ensure fairness if different types of people (different nationalities, different races, different geographic origins, men vs. women, etc) are more prone to "incompatible" beliefs than others?

There are other philosophical concerns, including questions about human evolution. In a world where everything is slowed down, is progress not also slowed down? What if, in the old Earth, anger and discomfort played key roles in key inventions and famous human leaps of faith? The supporters of *Heiwa* insist that since humans strive to peace and harmony, there is no cost too large for it - however synthetic the peace.

## Gallery

The city of Tokyo in the World of Serenity, still a massive and popualted cultural center.An American suburb in the World of Serenity during the faux sunrise (Cocoa, FL).