In the second half of the 21st century, the military power of the Islamic Conglomerations matched the combined forces of the rest of the world. Regions such as North Africa, parts of the Middle East, portions of Pakistan, India, southern China, as well as segments of Eastern Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Netherlands, and Nordic nations, were under the control of these confederations of Islamic-oriented countries. The dawn of the 21st century marked a turning point for humanity. Western nations, grappling with aging populations and steeped in cultural relativism, had faced demographic decline since the late 20th century, with rare exceptions. The need to import migrant workers to address labor shortages became unavoidable. Some Northern European countries, on the brink of economic and social collapse, banded together in blocs to survive before succumbing to the influence of the Islamic Conglomerations. Decades of birth control policies, coupled with the prioritization of individualism, had drastically reduced birth rates in the West. Despite governmental efforts to encourage higher birth rates, deeply entrenched cultural values hindered reversal of this trend. Investments in technologies like artificial beings and synthetic wombs, though promising, still required centuries to yield significant results. With determination and unity, the Conglomerations gained sway in global decision-making, wielding unquestionable influence in international organizations. Their rise was driven by a combination of religious cohesion, technological advancements, and geopolitical strategies. Historians of the late 21st century, reflecting retrospectively, questioned how the once-dominant West allowed such a transformation. Could values like creativity, courage, and solidarity, rooted in ancient Catholic Christian traditions, inspire humanity to reclaim a path of renewal?