"Darling, wake up. It's time for school! You'll be late."
"Ugh... I'm coming, Mom..."
The girl dragged herself out of bed and headed to the sink. Her face was tired, her eyes barely open. Cold water touched her skin, but her thoughts ran far too deep for it to truly awaken her.
"Do I really have to go to that school buried underground? For some unknown future?" she thought as she slowly washed her face.
...
"Are you done getting ready?"
"Yes, Mom..."
"Eat your breakfast before it gets cold."
...
Breakfast was simple, but it was the best part of her otherwise dull morning: eggs, sweet pancakes, jam, milk, and pieces of fresh meat with a rich flavor. She ate in silence, then stood up and picked up her bag, heading to the door.
Her mother gently cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead.
"Can I count on you to succeed?"
"Of course, Mom."
"Take care. Study hard."
...
On her way to school, the girl spotted soldiers patrolling nearby — they were from Lumiera. Their daily rounds were meant to collect "taxes" from the locals. Those who didn't pay... were punished.
"Damn... I forgot to do the history homework... I hope the teacher doesn't remember..." she muttered.
Suddenly, a voice called out from afar. It was her short friend, the one with the glasses.
"Hey! Lovely morning, isn't it?"
"..."
"Did you do the history homework? :)"
"Just shut up..."
The school bell rang. Class was about to begin.
"Wait! What's our first class?"
"History :)"
"Nooooooo!!"
The girl and her friend sat at the same desk, waiting for the teacher. In an attempt to shake off the boredom, they began whispering jokes and exchanging soft giggles until the teacher entered the classroom.
"Good morning, students. I hope you're well today."
He picked up a piece of chalk and began writing on the board in a calm, steady hand:
"Today's lesson is about the history of our country, Oraia, and its relationship with the Lumiera Empire."
...
"Tch... Haven't we studied this every year?" the girl thought, sighing.
"Our country has a long history with Lumiera. There were never strong military or diplomatic ties, just minor trade exchanges and shared interests.
But Lumiera recently rose to fame due to a surge of extraordinary power and the rise of a new ruler."
"Then came the era of the 'Kingdom Wars'. A conflict broke out between Oraia and Darval, alongside the United Empire states. The dispute began when Darval sent some of its scholars and students to Oraia's capital to study the remains and bodies of creatures from the otherworld — under the protection of the state."
"But for reasons still unknown, the residence housing these foreign guests was attacked in a brutal massacre by an unidentified group. All of them were killed in horrific ways. Even those staying in hotels across the capital weren't spared — as if someone had sent an assassin just for them."
"Darval assumed Oraia had orchestrated the massacre — or that their scientists had discovered something Oraia was trying to cover up — so they were silenced."
"Darval demanded an explanation, but Oraia responded that the attack wasn't committed by the state, but by extremist groups."
"Darval didn't believe a word. They saw it as Oraia shirking responsibility. So, they demanded reparations: a task force of elite Oraian scientists to serve under Darval."
"This elite force... rare experts trained in Lumiera's own laboratories."
"Oraia refused, saying the state wasn't at fault and that the blame fell on terrorists."
"With that, Darval lost patience. They declared war on Oraia."
The students murmured in surprise, but the teacher continued steadily.
"Once, humanity was united in facing the threats from the otherworld... but suddenly, wars between men returned."
"Darval, backed by powerful allies in the Union, held a strong military advantage. After several battles, Oraia was pushed back to its borders and was on the verge of collapse."
"With no choice left, the king of Oraia called for help from the ruler of Lumiera."
"Lumiera responded swiftly. They deployed massive forces into the territories of Oraia captured by Darval. Soldiers with superhuman abilities and unimaginable combat prowess. They obliterated Darval's forces in moments."
"Darval panicked. Fighting Lumiera wasn't part of their plan — a direct battle would be suicide. While their strength was proven against monsters, facing humans with supernatural powers was an entirely different matter."
"So Darval withdrew, and invited Lumiera's ruler to sign a ceasefire."
"The ceasefire was signed. Darval's war against Oraia came to an end."
But Lumiera's support didn't come for free...
A moment of silence filled the room.
"The ruler of Lumiera demanded that Oraia submit to the authority of the Empire in exchange for continued protection and support. The king agreed, even though it cost him his pride."
"Lumiera's aid was powerful, but conditional."
The teacher began listing the terms:
– Allow marriages between Lumieran and Oraian citizens.
– Pay regular taxes to the Empire.
– Do not oppose Lumiera's soldiers, nor conspire against them.
– And lastly, Oraia may not form its own army."
"In return, the people enjoy freedom of living, education, work, and expression... as long as they pay their taxes."
The Empire did not send its superpowered soldiers to collect taxes, possibly out of fear they might cause chaos — or because some Lumierans remained "ordinary," though even they were not entirely normal.
The teacher smiled suddenly and asked playfully:
"So, students, are Lumiera's soldiers kind to you?"
"Sometimes."
"No."
"Yes."
"They're handsome :)"
"They have superpowers! How did they get them?"
"Is their ruler a god?"
The questions came fast, messy, chaotic.
But the girl stayed silent.
She was simply grateful... that the teacher forgot about the homework.
"Even though we've studied this lesson so many times, I think this teacher explains it best. Don't you think?" her friend whispered.
"Maybe..."
The bell for the final period rang, signaling the end of a heavy school day. Students poured out of the gates, their chatter filling the air.
The girl walked calmly beside her friend along a cracked sidewalk.
"Could you help me later with math? I'll stop by if that's okay..." her friend asked shyly, clutching her bag.
"No problem."
"Thanks! You're always the best!" said the smaller girl with a bright smile, waving goodbye as she turned into a narrow alley.
Now alone.
She sighed and looked at the long road ahead.
"Damn... this walk is always so long."
**
On the other side of the street, three Lumiera soldiers sat on a low stone wall. They looked like ordinary men, but their presence said otherwise.
One of them, with messy hair and narrow eyes, spotted the girl walking alone.
"Look what we have here... a lone flower in this filthy neighborhood," he said with a mocking grin as he stood.
"Hey there, sweetheart... A moment of your time."
He called out in a fake, arrogant tone.
The girl paused, stared at him, then spat on the ground — away from him — and walked on.
"Oooooh..."
His companions chuckled knowingly, one of them letting out a sharp whistle.
"She rejected you like all the other strays get turned away!"
The soldier's face twisted in rage. He stormed toward her, fists clenched.
"You bitch... Think you can just ignore a man of my stature?!"
He roared, grabbing her shoulder violently.
She screamed, tried to break free — but a heavy slap struck her face, knocking her to the ground.
The other two soldiers closed in, circling her like wolves around helpless prey.
One of them knelt, took her chin, and lifted her face toward the light.
"You're pretty... despite the mud you crawled out of. You know? Maybe I'll keep you. A wife? Nah... A servant, maybe. Or something in between."
His voice was low, dripping with filthy desire.
"Who'll stop me? Who's going to save you?"
Then came the laughter.
The girl trembled, trying not to show fear — but her eyes betrayed her.
Then...
Drops.
Something warm hit her cheek. It wasn't rain.
She touched it with her fingers — red liquid.
The laughter stopped.
The one in front of her touched his neck slowly.
"...What is this?"
Before he could finish the sentence, his head rolled to the ground. A heavy thud followed, then a violent splash of blood as the bodies collapsed all at once.
In seconds, the alley turned into a silent massacre.
The girl, still on the ground, looked around in shock. Blood covered her hands. The soldiers' faces were frozen in death.
She looked up.
Just ahead... he stood.
A knight, clad in full black armor, a metal mask hiding his face. His body still — like a blade sunk into stone.
He sheathed his sword.
Without a word, he turned his head toward
her... for just a moment.
Then vanished.
No scream. No noise.
Just... gone.