Location: Middle of the Indian Ocean – 2 Months Later
The horizon was endless blue. No lands. No ports. No satellites overhead.
And yet, there it was.
A glistening, floating paradise over the water—The Aetherion.
A self-sustaining floating city made from high-density levium foam, solar-mirrored decks, luxury greenhouses, kinetic docks, and kinetic-wave generators. Built with no blueprint.
Just imagination.
It wasn't listed on any map.
Not even the richest CEOs knew it existed.
Not even AI could trace the transactions used to build it.
Because every single worker, designer, and AI assistant had been hired temporarily, paid absurdly, and memory-cleansed after departure.
It was the ultimate ghost city—built for nine people only.
---
Day 1 on Aetherion
Jiwoo stepped onto the central platform barefoot. Wind swept through his hair as the sun shined down on an ocean of glassy water. Floating beneath them were pods of dolphins and reefs with no name.
The Circle emerged one by one behind him.
Yoori: "...It actually exists."
Mirae: "This is what happens when you give us too much money."
Jihye flicked through her tablet, scanning the city specs. "Ten floating islands. Auto-stabilizing platforms. Luxury powered by waves and sun. Emergency submarine pods. Hyperloop bikes. Ocean-floor observatories."
Sena laughed. "Why didn't we do this sooner?"
Eunsol kicked off her sandals and sprinted across a rainbow-glass walkway. "Dibs on the floating pancake café!"
Baek pointed across the skyline. "Is that a chocolate fountain tower?"
Jiwoo nodded proudly. "Unlimited chocolate. 24 floors."
Jihae whispered, awestruck:
> "We built a dream."
---
Later – Personal Zones
Each of the nine had their own floating sector:
Jiwoo's Zone: A glass villa over koi-filled pools with a retractable library that hovered in midair.
Jihae's Zone: A soft-lit floating garden with an easel that paints with her finger gestures.
Yoori's Zone: A floral greenhouse where she grows color-changing lilies.
Mirae's Zone: An open concert island with a floating music stage and reactive lights that follow her voice.
Sena's Zone: A sports island with gravity-adjustable tennis, jet-surfing, and air gliding lanes.
Baek's Zone: A gamer haven with holographic VR domes and AI opponents that trash-talk in Shakespearean English.
Noeun's Zone: A spa island with bamboo pools, robotic massage fish, and her private tea waterfall.
Eunsol's Zone: A 5-star breakfast island that resets with new menus every sunrise.
Jihye's Zone: A control tower that controls nothing, but lights up like a spaceship and plays calming jazz.
---
That Night – Opening Celebration
On the central platform, a crystalline dome opened like a blooming flower.
Inside, the nine sat around a grand table made entirely from transparent stone imported from Norway, illuminated by soft blue light from beneath the ocean.
Floating servers (yes, literal AI hover trays) served:
Rose-infused sushi.
Pancakes that changed flavor mid-bite.
Liquid cheesecake in champagne glasses.
Ice cubes shaped like constellations.
Baek raised a glass of zero-gravity soda. "To the dumbest, richest, happiest decision of our lives."
Sena clinked hers. "To building a city with no mayor, no cameras, and no rules."
Jihae added: "To forgetting what the world looks like... and building what we wish it looked like."
Jiwoo said softly:
> "To all the days we lost…
Now made up in laughter."
---
The Aetherion – Amenities
The city had:
An underwater cinema where jellyfish lit the screen.
A cotton-candy park with edible clouds.
A bedroom with auto-floating beds based on your dreams.
A sunset rail that slowly rotated your view of the ocean horizon.
A central AI voice named "Wavey", who greeted them daily like a butler in a rom-com.
Wavey:
> "Good morning, Jihae. I've prepared your rainbow toast and filtered out clouds that looked grumpy today."
---
Spending Summary – Month 1
📌 Spent: $2.7 billion
📌 Used For:
Floating chocolate waterfall museum: $310M
Private moonlight cruise blimp: $88M
Designer pillow island (yes, actual pillows): $15M
Singing dolphin school (just for Mirae): $1.1M
Watermelon juice canal: $3M
Zero-gravity tea salon: $900K
📌 Remaining Balance: $999,948,300,000,000
Jiwoo looked at the number, smiled, and whispered,
> "Still can't spend it fast enough."
---
That Weekend – Game Night
The group gathered at Baek's VR arena.
Tonight's game?
> "Luxury Tycoon Battle Royale"
Where you win not by surviving, but by spending imaginary currency the fastest… on the most ridiculous things.
Jihae bought a moon made of boba.
Yoori adopted 40,000 cats.
Sena terraformed Mars into a spa.
Baek lost on purpose just to watch.
Jiwoo? He didn't even play.
He just watched them all.
Laughing.
Alive.
At peace.
---
System Notification – For Jiwoo Only
> [Status Update: You have created the world's first "Emotion-Based Micro-Nation"]
[Designation: Unregistered. Undiscoverable. Unbothered.]
[System Response: No further updates needed.]
> This… is the endgame.
---
Final Scene – Midnight, Ocean Breeze
The nine sat together in a transparent dome overlooking the sea. Above them, artificial stars danced.
No cameras.
No signatures.
No systems.
Just the sea.
Just them.
Jiwoo closed his eyes and whispered,
> "Let them chase peace.
We're already living it."
The sea answered with silence.
And that silence was worth more than 999 trillion dollars ever could be.
-