It was a white and cold day, snow fell over Kenta as he rushed to combat, his eyes were soulless, almost like he was programmed to do his task. Six rebels ran away from Kenta and his comrades, Unni, Felix, and Elias, though the rebels' mouths were kept shut behind their masks, their fear could be sensed by their widened eyes and the way they ran, almost like they were trying to save themselves from an inevitable fate.
While the other three fought equally with the rebels, though the rebels had a noticeable disadvantage in artillery, Kenta took them down more easily.
The snow on the floor slowly melted as the fire being shot by the guns of both sides took over the place. The rebels kept resisting, using the device on their wrist to teleport to different sides and have the surprise factor over Kenta's squad.
However their efforts weren't enough, one...two...three...four rebels were taken down within the first minutes of combat, two of them by Kenta's own hands. One ran to a side while the other ran to the opposite. Kenta chased the one who was offering the biggest challenge while the rest of the team ran after the other survivor.
It was a paired fight, something Kenta was not used to, every single movement Kenta made was predicted by his opponent. The rebel, using the device on his wrist, got the first hit, his blade slicing through Kenta's shoulder and leaving him injured. He stepped back, blood seeping through his uniform, but his grip on his weapon only tightened. Something inside Kenta reawakened, the adrenaline of battle that Kenta hadn't felt in years took over his body and he kept attacking, now faster and with more precision than before, but still, the fight continued.
On the other side, the three soldiers were successful, killing the penultimate rebel, Unni tried to get where Kenta was as fast as she could, almost slipping because of the snow. As Unni arrived, the combat turned unbalanced, the rebel kept up the fight with the two but he got tired and slower. At one point, as he defended himself from one of Unni's shots from afar, Kenta surprised him. As he raised his blade, the rebel's eyes widened and looked behind Kenta but then their eyes met.
Everything went silent as the sound of Kenta's blade stabbing the rebel echoed. Kenta sighed but not from the relief of winning, this time it was different. The rebel slowly fell to the ground, the snow beneath him turning red. His eyes were still open, looking at Kenta who felt chills all over his body and looked at the man with widened eyes, breathing very fast. Then, the other soldiers arrived.
"This time it was Unni arriving on a white horse to save you for a change."
Said Felix as he readjusted his black uniform. His expression was clearly the happiest out of all soldiers.
"These Lytherian parasites get harder to kill every day. Even he struggled today."
Said Elias, his face slightly annoyed as he clenched his teeth and looked away.
Unni took out a device, a machine with a touch screen, the date 14th of November 2237 appearing in white quickly changed to a purple 2nd of August 2287 when Unni pressed the buttons on the side of the device.
As the noise of the machine started to get louder and everyone was waiting, Kenta was still looking down at the dead man on the floor, his expression still the same as before.
"His eyes are still open, staring through me."
Kenta thought to himself.
"How many more can I kill until there's nothing left of me? How many lives can I steal? How many children can I turn into orphans, how many wives into widows..."
The machine brought them back to the present, where the four stood now in the middle of a wide laboratory with people who started cheering them as they arrived. The soldiers thanked everyone as they walked towards the exit door but Kenta couldn't even force a smile, he was in the middle looking down, his thoughts still eating him from inside.
"I used to believe this Empire fought for a reason..."
He thought as he glanced at Solaris' banners, its golden sun and dark sword reflecting in his bright eyes. Once that symbol filled him with pride, now he felt empty looking at it.
"But today when I killed that man something felt different, like I was staring into my own eyes."
Kenta's legs get heavier with every step, he left through the door now looking at a blank space, his vision turning a bit blurry and the noises around him fading.
"If I'm fighting for peace, why does this feel like a war against my own soul?"
Kenta's thoughts were a mess all day, later he was lying down on his bed, his bedroom was dark and cold and he looked at the ceiling, his mind going through every place imaginable but his face was just emotionless. The device on the wall next to the door suddenly rang, he looked in the door's direction and a robotic voice started talking.
"Good afternoon, Kenta. Prince Leorion has sent you a voice message"
He sighed and put his hand on his face because he knew what it was about, he waited for the message to play. The device made a noise that signaled it was about to start.
"I can already see the look of annoyance on your face, Ken."
Said Leorion in a playing tone, Kenta tried to avoid a smile but he chuckled a bit at Leorion's words.
"Today's a big day, friend. I know dealing with the crowd is not quite...your biggest strength but...I hope you have your speech well-trained and if you do well, I'll finally read that stupid book you've been annoying me about. So, come on here to my room, dress something nice."
The voice message ended. Kenta was smiling a bit but at the same time, he couldn't help but be nervous. He got dressed, he was wearing a dark blazer with silver trim around the collars and cuffs, paired with a white shirt and dark-tailored trousers that covered the top of his polished leather boots. He held a pendant, a rusty but shiny raven with the wings a bit smashed. His eyes locked in the pendant for a few seconds before he looked at the picture above his dresser. There, his mother stood next to his father, she had green eyes which she shared with her son, brown light hair, and a soft innocent face that contrasted his father's masculine face and dark features that were a part of Kenta's appearance too. In the middle of both, there was Kenta, giving a naive smile to the camera. He looked at the picture with a bit of sorrow and then put the pendant on his neck. He looked in the mirror, took a deep breath, and finally left the room.
His steps were calm and slow like his eyes that looked around the huge halls and rooms that were filled with paintings and statues of the last emperors of Solaris and their achievements. His heart weighed with heavy grief as he looked at the painting next to him, which had the words "The Midnight Slaughter, 2256" written on a gold plate. In the painting, Emperor Drakiel stood above everyone as Solaris soldiers shot civilians in the middle of a town while Lytherian flags burned in the ground.
Kenta zooned out for a few seconds before coming back to reality. He walked a few more steps toward Leorion's room but then saw Unni, who had Felix and Elias behind her.
"All dressed up huh? First shower in what? Four months?"
Unni said in a playing tone while smiling.
"I don't want the boss to complain that I'm too unsophisticated for an event again."
Kenta responded, trying to share the same energy. Elias who listened from behind spoke, his voice slightly ignorant and his face expressing a bit of jealousy.
"I guess some people just aren't made for things like that."
Felix hit the back of Elias' head, making Kenta and Unni laugh.
"Well, duty calls me, I'll see y'all later."
Said Kenta as he continued to walk. He finally reached Leorion's door, he knocked but no one answered, he knocked again and no one answered again, as he was about to knock for the third time, he felt a grip on his shoulder, followed by Leorion's voice.
"Didn't I tell you to wear something nice?"
Kenta turned around and looked at Leorion.
"Is this not?"
Leorion's scratched his head, a small frown tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Well, if you were to have lunch with me at a cheap restaurant, perhaps this could fit but...I don't think my dad would love to see you give a speech for the Empire's 200th Anniversary in this outfit."
"The Emperor can barely see anymore, I doubt he would complain about a blur in my body"
Leorion rolled his eyes and put his hand on Kenta's back while turning to the opposite side.
"You're so pessimistic, follow me."
Kenta pursed his lips and gave an annoyed sigh but still followed Leorion.
They entered a wide room with clothes on all sides, Leorion's mouth was shut as he looked for something among the enormous amount of pieces there. Kenta sat unamused while waiting for Leorion to arrive and when he finally did, Kenta stood up.
"This one would suit you."
In Leorion's hand, there was a dark green tunic with a high collar embroidered with silver around the edges, featuring patterns of vines and thorns and delicate silver buttons down the front. The trousers were black and made of silk, they had the same patterns as the tunic however they had silver thread woven into them. The boots were made of leather, they were black with silver buckles that featured Solaris' sun engraved in it. Above the tunic, there was a dark blue cloak, longer than Kenta's size, made from thick fabric with silver lining, it also had an ornate silver clasp in the shape of a crescent moon.
Kenta carefully analyzed it but his face showed an overwhelming feeling, like it was too much for him.
"Not quite my style."
He said. Leorion ignored Kenta's words and just started to take measures with his eyes looking at Kenta's body.
"That's the point, now hurry and dress it"
Kenta sighed and shook his head as he took the clothes from Leorion's hand and went to dress it. A few minutes later, Kenta comes back dressed, Leorion who was sitting, stands up with a smile and rubs his hands. Before he could say anything, Kenta spoke up, clearly uncomfortable.
"I look like one of your dad's royal advisors thriving too hard for approval"
"If you said this 100 years ago to a prince, you would have your head on a stick, you're lucky I'm your friend. You look good, don't think too hard about it."
Leorion started adjusting Kenta's clothes, Kenta looked up showing uncomfortable body movements and facial expressions again. Then, Leorion started speaking in a more serious tone.
"This is an important event, Ken, your speech too, my dad is... not in the best condition to lead a country right now and I could have to step up anytime. I have to make a good impression, you know?"
Kenta looked down.
"Yeah, I know. But what does my speech have to do with that?"
"The biggest problem of the last leaders of Solaris was that they surrounded themselves with cowards who didn't dare to challenge their rule, only idiot high-borns who get down and suck the emperor's cock every time he says something. It is no coincidence that my grandfather and uncle were murdered...or my older brother...But you...you are one of those willing to confront someone like me, to put some sense in our heads so...I'm gonna need you, the country is gonna need you, Ken."
Kenta looked directly at Leorion's eyes with a surprised facial expression, Leorion took his hands off Kenta's tunic and waited for him to speak.
"I...I'm glad that you think so highly of me but...I'm a soldier, my job is to fight not to rule."
"Exactly, you know how things are out there, in the real world, not like the men my dad has by his side. I'm not asking you this as the heir to Solaris' throne, I'm asking you this as your best friend."
Kenta looked down again, thinking.
"You don't need to answer right now, just go out there and please the crowd, okay?"
Said Leorion. Kenta looked at Leorion again and put his hand on his own neck, rubbing it.
"I'm not sure if I'm able to do that."
Leorion spoke now in a more relaxed and playful tone to make Kenta cheer up and gain confidence.
"It's easy, if your speech glorifies the Empire and demonizes Lytheria, it is already enough, the rest is confidence."
"Yeah, I...didn't quite demonize Lytheria."
Leorion sighed and compressed his lips, he knew Kenta had too much empathy within his heart.
"You are too sympathetic with the enemy."
Kenta shook his head and gave a smile of indignation.
"Didn't you want to be different? A better leader than the ones before you? I'm not gonna say that we should put them on a pedestal, I'm just gonna undo the dehumanization that the government does to them, at least I can try"
"If I wanna be different, first I have to get the people's love, I'm not gonna be able to do that if the first thing I do is to oppose everything we stand for."
"Okay, I understand but-"
Leorion put his finger up to interrupt Kenta and then spoke.
"No more buts, just do this one thing for me please."
Kenta looked disappointed but approved with his head.
"Good, now put a smile on that face, they want someone charismatic not depressed."
Leorion said as he left the room, leaving Kenta alone with his thoughts. He never wanted to get into the politics world, to decide people's fate with words instead of actions, but now he was left with almost no choice. He sat there with his head now, waiting for the ceremony to start.
A period of time passed by, the ceremony had started, and the crowd was screaming and cheering while waiting for the emperor to arrive. There were banners everywhere, the symbol of the Sun of Solaris on every single corner, and the crowd was full of posters demonizing Lytheria and praising the Emperor. Kenta and a few more important people were standing in the corner of the stage, guards, and soldiers everywhere to ensure safety. Finally, the emperor came in and the crowd went wild. Walking slowly and with Leorion's help, the emperor arrived at the microphone, Leorion kissed his father's head and went to stand where Kenta and the others were. A bell rang, signaling that the crowd had to quiet down, they waited for the emperor to speak. Finally, in an old, fragmented, and shaky voice with a lot of stutters, he started.
"Two hundred years...seven emperors and so many achievements...as Emperor of Solaris and as a human, I've gone through a lot of difficulties and hard moments but I...We never perished! I..."
The emperor put his hand on his face looking down, conflicted about something. Everyone looked at him worried, Leorion even almost stepped up but the emperor started talking again.
"Because of my love for this country...I am now a husband to a murdered wife and a father to a murdered son...My father was assassinated when I was only 10 years old, and a lot of the people you see right behind me tried to steal the throne from me when that happened."
The advisors and members of the council on the back of the stage got offended and gasped, Kenta was a bit confused but couldn't help but be amused by their indignity. The crowd was silent, waiting to hear the rest.
"Doesn't that show us how much this country has been corrupted? And we all know why that is...Lytheria, my family...my first-born son and rightful heir is dead because of those filthy people..."
Kenta's amusement quickly faded as he heard the emperor's words, he looked at Leorion and saw him trying to fix his composure. Leorion was hurt when the emperor called his dead older brother "the rightful heir", even though he tried to hide it, Kenta noticed it, however, he didn't say anything.
"Since we conquered Lytheria 200 years ago, we've had control over them...but the rebels have been acting out more and more each day, there is an order to things, and we need to keep it! Like 200 years ago, we need to remind them of their place!"
The crowd started cheering and applauding. In the back of it, a mysterious shadow appears, unnoticed by everyone. The emperor starts coughing a lot before continuing.
"My...condition...is making death closer to me every day, so I leave this quest for my son and heir, Prince Leorion Jahanvard."
The crowd applauded and Leorion walked up to the front, he patted his father's back and stood, waiting for the crowd to quiet.
"Thank you... What makes Solaris, Solaris? Some might say it's the symbols, some might say it's the government, the conquests, the treasures or the culture. And even though none of these are wrong, there is one thing above all…the people..."
They all looked up to Leorion, who the population trusted more due to his charismatic personality and young passion. Among the crowd, a group of masked and armed people walked through it while Leorion spoke.
"Me, those standing behind me, you there in the crowd and you there watching this on your TV. And our biggest objective is to protect the people and give them what they need. However as my father said, we've lost our focus, corruption has taken loyalty's place, war has taken peace's and hate has taken love's. Lytheria has been rebelling, attacking us more and more each day. Some of these attacks are unheard of in the news, that's because it doesn't happen right here, right now, it happens in the past and we must control it. That's why C.L.O.C.K., Chronological Line Optimization & Correction Kommand exists, to go back and stop rebels and thieves from making this country stop being what it is. Right now I could call Martin Venner, the CEO of the corporation here but, I don't want people that sit behind a desk, ruling those stronger than them to give a formal speech and follow the rules."
Martin got offended and Kenta gave a little smirk that quickly faded because he knew what was about to come.
"I need a fighter, someone that does anything to protect this country, that is why I call here, not only C.L.O.C.K.'s best agent but also Solaris' greatest soldier, Kenta Bellmor!"
He pointed back at Kenta and the crowd applauded. Kenta took a deep breath and started walking towards the front, when he reached Leorion, he stopped and the prince whispered.
"You got this, Ken."
They went opposite ways and Kenta finally arrived at the destination. He took another deep breath and closed his eyes while waiting to speak, his hands shaky.
"Thank you, Prince Leorion and Emperor Drakiel for this opportunity and to everyone here today...I...I'm not very good with speeches, my whole life my biggest flaw was communicating, so that is why my way of helping the Empire is to fight. While I may not have the widest vocabulary or all your fancy words, what I do have is honesty."
Kenta felt something weird behind the crowds' excitement and curiosity. The sharp scent of metal and clicks of shifting equipment went unnoticed by most, drowned by the applause. His words flowed smoothly, but he couldn't help but sense an uneasy feeling in his chest, a disturbance in the atmosphere, like the quiet before a storm. However, he kept speaking.
"And I honestly feel like this country's fate is to perish. But I do work with fixing anomalies in the timeline, so one thing I know is that fate is something you can change and we have to fight to change it."
He looked down again, his mind racing, conflicted about whether or not he should say the next part of his speech.
"Our conflicts with Lytheria in the past are growing and one day they'll explode over our heads and while we do have to stop the rebels...we must remember that we are all humans and our lives have the same value..."
Kenta felt Leorion's gaze on him and stopped for a brief moment. In the distance, behind all the crowd, there was a white-haired woman, she had a black mask that covered all of her face except the eye area and a hood over her head. She looked directly at the stage where Kenta stood, her curiosity picked.
Continuing the speech, Kenta tried to look confident even though his cracking voice slightly gave away his insecurity.
"To avoid war we must also care about the Lytherian's well-being..."
He stopped again, his heart pounded on his chest as he struggled to continue the speech. He was there to inspire Solaris but his conscience urged him to speak truths that challenged the Empire's beliefs. The woman in the crowd could see right through Kenta's insecurity. Each word felt like a choice, each pause like a battle between what he knew was right and the consequences of speaking it in front of the whole country.
"But right now we matter more than them, we have to protect our children from the demons that are trying to take our country from us!"
The crowd cheered and Kenta stopped a bit to look at it. He felt like he just betrayed his beliefs but now he couldn't go back. Leorion relaxed and applauded while the woman behind the cheers sighed disappointed.
"So we must show them what we are, we must put them in their place like we did years ago. The Empire must stay strong and we are the key to its strength, so to all of you listening, keep fighting!"
The crowd went insane, they screamed Kenta's name and burned Lyhterian flags. Kenta started breathing heavily and put his hand on his chest, trying to keep his posture. Leorion was proud and applauds Kenta as he smiles. He noticed Kenta was having a panic attack and walked towards him. While that happened, Kenta's vision turned blurry but from the distance he noticed the white-haired woman, he felt confused as he saw she had a device in her hand but didn't give it too much significance. As Kenta's vision was blinded by the lights of the cameras taking pictures, the ticking noise got louder and the air got thicker with tension. Then, without a warning, a deafening roar went through the noise of the crowd and the ground shook violently beneath their feet.
Kenta's ears rang as the world seemed to shatter before him and the shockwave sent him flying through the stage. It looked like time froze in his mind as he watched the explosion burn the crowd. He fell, he still hadn't come to his senses but got his gun while he tried to stand. As he stood, he saw the carnage before him, people screaming and melting as chaos and panic took over the place. Ambulances and rescue helicopters arrived quickly, Kenta went to the middle of the chaos and tried to help civilians get out safely even though he was injured and drops of blood ran through his face. The screams of the people almost deafened Kenta, he tried to focus on protecting the civilians, however his eyes couldn't stop turning back to the dead bodies on the floor. At that moment, all the hope, the euphoric feeling of conquer and dreams vanished, replaced by fear and panic.
While Kenta was helping, soldiers arrived to meet with the ones already at the place to try and find the ones who caused the disaster. Leorion was injured but trying to get his father out, he walked alongside Unni who was armed, both carrying the emperor on each side while going through flames.
Kenta was helping a boy and his mother get in the helicopter when his eyes came across a masked tall man who ran in the emperor's direction. He left the two civilians and followed the man, in the path, he met up with Felix who gave Kenta his blades to fight.
Kenta was running euphoric, thriving to protect the emperor when he was suddenly attacked from behind. The shockwave missed Kenta and he looked back to see another masked rebel, who seemed to be a male, with guns in his hands. Kenta started fighting the rebel, planning to finish this off quickly. The rebel didn't seem to have much experience and left many openings to Kenta, however, Kenta felt a bloodlust in the rebel's way of fighting, an uncontrollable rage that sought freedom. Kenta was almost winning the fight but he froze as he finally noticed the rebel's hair, white as snow, just like the woman he saw in the back of the crowd before chaos unleashed. The rebel took the opportunity and attacked him when Kenta was distracted, finally getting a hit. Kenta was now hurt in the arm, holding it further from the rebel, his mind still wondering.
Kenta looked back again and saw a dozen more rebels running to the emperor as the sounds of shots and blades hitting each other multiplied when more of Solaris' forces arrived to protect the old man. Kenta turned to the rebel again, determined to finish him off. He battled against the rebel, who was now more tired and injured. Kenta fought with precision and he finally got a hit that made the rebel fall. Kenta's blade cut through the rebel's mask, not only taking it off but also leaving a huge cut from the left cheek that passed through the lips and landed just under the right eye. The rebel fell to his knees, his hand was full of blood as he touched his face, he looked up at Kenta in pain but his eyes were full of hatred. Kenta's mouth opened in shock as he looked at the rebel now unmasked. He was nothing but a boy, he had a young face that didn't look older than fifteen but a hatred in his eyes that lasted for generations. Kenta felt like a monster, his heart ached for a bit however he couldn't do anything except spare the boy. He turned back, his face still in shock as he ran towards where the main fight was.
In a rush, Kenta finally arrived and immediately started fighting rebels. There were no more than forty rebels who fought about a hundred soldiers. The same device on the wrists of the rebels this morning was worn by the rebels from now, one of them being that tall man who caught Kenta's attention a few minutes ago. Among all the chaos, screams and blood being spilled in battle, a masculine, old but steady voice spoke louder than the soldiers' bullets and blades.
"Run back, I'll handle it myself now!"
As the man spoke, all the rebels pressed their wrist and vanished, leaving the man alone. Everyone was confused but then all of Solaris' forces quickly turned to the man and Kenta went up front with guns in hand.
"Take off your mask and drop your weapons! It's over!"
The man took off his mask to reveal a grin behind it. The old man looked up at Kenta and then to the side that was empty and laughed like he knew something they didn't. Kenta got enraged and talked in an indignant voice, his grip still strong on the gun.
"What the fuck is so funny?"
The rebel looked back at Kenta with a sense of control.
"You didn't even make sure if all of us were gone."
As the man spoke, the white-haired woman appeared from the side, throwing herself and her blade at the emperor. A flash of silver cuts through the air. Before Kenta could even move, the emperor's head rolled across the field, a fountain of blood leaving through the neck as the body collapsed on the ground. Leorion stood there, his brain still hadn't processed what just happened, his clothes were red and the hand that held his father's arm was empty now.
Kenta was still standing with his mouth open as the soldiers, even with their minds still not figuring out what just happened, quickly captured the woman and took the device off her wrist. Kenta looked back at where the old man stood, now it only had the flames on the ground, the man had vanished while everyone's eyes turned to the emperor. Leorion was on his knees next to his father's decapitated head which had a shocked facial expression and widened eyes, Leorion cried. Kenta looked around to see hundreds of corpses lying on the ground and fire taking over the place. He looked at Leorion, who spoke with pure hatred in his voice, still looking at his father's head.
"They'll pay for this...all of them!"
He looked back to see Kenta standing, the flames between them obfuscating him.
"Are you still sympathetic with these demons?"
Said Leorion with red eyes and tears and blood all over his face. Kenta couldn't even respond, he just looked at the prince in disbelief, his eyes a bit watery. Kenta couldn't feel his body, it felt like he was watching it from the outside, and he felt powerless. He looked around and realized he had shed more tears for a single person than he had for the other hundreds already dead before the emperor. He felt guilty for not saving the emperor but also for giving him more importance than the other people there, even though both opposed each other. Suddenly, he was surprised by Unni putting her hand on his back.
"It wasn't your fault, Ken."
She said trying to reassure Kenta that he couldn't do anything, but her words were in vain. Kenta didn't say a word and just kept looking at an empty space, consumed by his thoughts. The regret he felt sooner this day and the spark of hatred he felt now fought each other inside Kenta, leaving him numb.
Far away from the chaos, the old man walked down an empty hall with poor lighting, the walls were full of paint that drew symbols of rebellion. He got close to a big, grey and metallic door, where the white-haired boy stood with stitches on his face, waiting.
"Where's Lyra, Bunthar?"
Said the boy. The man looked down at him and felt the stitches on the boy's face with his fingers.
"Don't worry, Zaer. We'll take your sister back from those parasites."
They both opened the door and entered a big room, where all the rebels recovered from the battle. Some screams were heard from afar from the poor medical procedures that were made because of the lack of conditions. They all looked at the leader and the ones who could, stood and everyone applauded him. He looked around and spoke confidently.
"Today marks the day in which Lytheria is reborn again from the ashes!"
Everyone cheered.
"We may have lost many lives in this battle...but we must suffer losses if we seek victory, brothers. And many lives will yet be lost in the future, but think of how your children will be spared after we've reached our goal...after we've conquered freedom. So we must keep fighting!"
Everyone screamed and cheered Bunthar. He looked at Zaer, put his hand on the boy's white hair, and spoke up again.
"You see little Zaer's face? The person responsible for this is someone we all know..."
Zaer was a bit uncomfortable being treated as a child and kept quiet. Bunthar looked down, his voice spiteful.
"Kenta Bellmor...that monster not only did this but he also has been stopping our attempts for independence for years. So if you want to be free, then he shall no longer live."
The rebels cheered Bunthar again. He looked around at everyone and felt a sense of power and hope, two of the things he had weakened for Solaris today, and which he planned to take away completely.