CW-ST-1: Dark Clouds

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CW-ST-1
Dark Clouds
Lone Trail: The Coming of the Future

Rain is coming to Trimounts.
Characters
Mansfield Jailer icon.png
Prison Supervisor
Male Columbian icon.png
Street Hawker
Jailer
Lively Trimounts Resident
Solemn Trimounts Resident
Backgrounds
Prison Block
1
Rhine Lab Laboratory
2
Columbia Streets
3
Desert
4
Rhine Lab Corridor
5
Rhine Lab HQ Control Office
6
Wilderness Dusk
7
Loken is released from prison, Ferdinand returns, Ho'olheyak and Muelsyse battle each other, Kal'tsit joins the fray, and a shooting star falls to the ground. It's about to rain in Trimounts.
Mystery Beyond the Skyveil.png
"If, in a century or a millennium, our descendants walk among the stars, the masses will sing her praises."
She sat on a tree stump, humming as she observed the shapes of the clouds above. It was not until her mother called for her that she hopped off and ran toward the voice.
The low flight that they were about to take was all too familiar to her parents. Otherwise, they would not have taken her along.
Her goggles were strapped on, and her seatbelt fastened. As the engines roared, the aircraft began to slide down the runway.
The wind brushing her cheeks grew stronger and stronger. Scared, she closed her eyes.
Then, her body felt very light. A nauseous feeling gushed through her larynx, and her heart raced to the tip of her throat. She squeezed tightly into her mother's embrace.
Fortunately, the feeling didn't last very long. When the aircraft stopped jolting, she slowly relaxed.
But she was still afraid to open her eyes...
Until her mother lightly tapped her shoulder.
She finally found the courage to open her eyes and look around.
From this angle, the city where she had lived her whole life felt so foreign and strange. The crowds that she was struggled to squeeze through now looked like tiny, insignificant insects.
Her mother pointed up, prompting her to look.
Clear Skies.png
The sky was so clear and bright.
<Background black>
Outskirts of Max, District of Columbia, Columbia, 1099
Federal Nomadic Prison
<Background 1>
[A finely dressed man approaches a prison supervisor.]
Finely Dressed Man Sir, you're sick.
Prison Supervisor What? I'm as healthy as can be.
Finely Dressed Man No, I can tell. Alcoholic, crapulent, and insomniac. In this oppressive nomadic prison, surely you haven't had the chance to enjoy much of the finer things in life?
Prison Supervisor Heh, you're right about that.
Finely Dressed Man Haha, I mean no offense.
I get the sense that you might need some rest and recreation. Have you been to Siesta? Minos?
Prison Supervisor Please stop making fun of me.
Finely Dressed Man No, no. This is an invitation. Please, choose one. Think of it as a way to kill time as this boring wait drags on.
Prison Supervisor ...Minos.
Finely Dressed Man Ah, Minos... The fruity aroma of its streets rides the wind past its pristine white walls. More importantly, the innate elegance of its beauties will have you reluctant to leave...
Prison Supervisor Alright, alright. I can already imagine the extravagant life you live. I'm green with envy–
Finely Dressed Man No, what I'm saying is that it's all prepared for you. "All prepared for you."
Prison Supervisor What do you mean?
Finely Dressed Man I believe an illness like yours can only be cured in such an environment. And you've been a great help for me across a variety of matters. Men like you deserve the finest of treatments.
After a few months, any gloominess clouding your mind will have completely dissipated. You'll be as strong and sturdy as the Minoan craftsmen. You may even enjoy a stimulating romantic encounter.
Prison Supervisor –Mr. Justin Fitzroy Jr. Let me say this again. I'm fine. Please stop toying with me.
Justin Jr. Please, Mr. Justin was my father, call me Justin Jr.
Prison Supervisor *sigh*... Alright, Justin Jr... So even Business Section people at Rhine Lab know their medicine?
Justin Jr. No, no, no. I don't know the first thing about medicine. Who would be interested in something so complicated that can affect no visible, immediate change?
Prison Supervisor Then what in the world are you talking–
Justin Jr. I'm sure you're dying to know what kind of illness you have and who spread it to you.
Take a look around you and remember–
Your superior, that unsympathetic, good-for-nothing judge, and even the old warden, so unpleasant even after he retired...
You should've been hailed as a hero after you retired from pioneering, or at the very least enjoyed a comfortable life with a fancy house in a nomadic city on a government stipend.
But now?
Prison Supervisor Y-You looked into my background?
Justin Jr. That's suiting medicine to the illness, sir. And the way I see it–
–your situation is hopeless.
Prison Supervisor ......
Justin Jr. The remedy I prescribe is a vacation, a luxurious home, bottles of fine wines, beautiful specimens of your preferred gender, and top-notch security service.
Prison Supervisor I... I don't understand. I know what you came here for. You're gonna take that one back with you.
If you made it all the way here without trouble, then Rhine Lab and the brass must already have an agreement?
What's the point of bribing me now?
Justin Jr. I need an answer first. Are you willing to take fate into your own hands?
Prison Supervisor Heh. Who isn't?
Justin Jr. Right, which is why you're very unlucky, and also lucky in a way. At the very least, you know the obstacle in front of you and your predicament. For instance, you've always played lackey to someone else. You were deliberately ignored, and cast here.
You also know what you want. For instance, you've been planning to propose to a certain someone, which got delayed by this trip, right? Oh~ I wonder how that proposal would go on the Minoan plains?
Prison Supervisor Ah... Yes... I... haha.
What do you need me to do, Justin Jr.?
Justin Jr. It's simple. Sell the information on all of the prison's "special procedures" to Rhine Lab. I guarantee you'll find the price I'm willing to pay more than attractive.
Prison Supervisor Th-That certainly wouldn't be hard, but...
Justin Jr. But you'll be held accountable? Haha, we came prepared.
I mean it. The old men behind you have a serious appetite. I spent twice my budget to get all this in order... They've been plenty arrogant the last couple years, and that won't do.
Those greedy, selfish idiots haven't been willing to face facts. What, do they think they're some kind of Ursus or Leithanian nobles? Haha.
I prefer practical men like you, and so does Rhine Lab.
So, you could make a considerable fortune out of all this. Then, you and I can send those stubborn old men to prison. They won't get a chance to turn things around for the rest of their miserable lives.
Doesn't that sound nice?
Prison Supervisor You want me to defect–?!
[The supervisor's phone rings.]
Prison Supervisor I... Uh. Hold on.
Who the heck...? Couldn't have picked a worse time. Hm, a letter from the bank? I thought I paid it all off...
...Ugh!
Justin Jr... This money?
Justin Jr. Did I forget to mention? Haha, my bad. Seems I'm not fit to be a doctor. This is your first course of treatment.
Prison Supervisor So much...
Justin Jr. And the most effective cure for your disease is–"power and wealth."
I guarantee it will get to the root of the problem... on behalf of Rhine Lab.
Prison Supervisor I understand.
Pleasure to work with you, Justin Jr.
Justin Jr. The pleasure is mine.
Prison Supervisor Let me ask one more thing. Is Rhine Lab full of men like you?
Justin Jr. Hm? No, no, no, no... They're all freaks. The freakiest you've ever seen. But I'm cool with freaks.
Like the one we're looking for today.
[A jailer knocks the door.]
Jailer It's all ready, sir.
Justin Jr. Good, good. After all that effort, I finally get to meet our famous freak.
Please don't forget what we talked about. I hope you'll be at my cocktail party in Trimounts next month... As my personal guest. No invitation necessary.
<Background black>
She stood in the center on the day of her parents' funeral. People came and went around her.
One after another, men she didn't know offered their condolences in front of her parents' portraits.
A science journal's editor-in-chief, a high-level government official, a legendary investor in the finance world, the representative of a technology conglomerate...
All of them looked so, so saddened. Saddened that the genius inventor husband and wife brought the world of science to new heights, only to both die young.
None of them could understand. They couldn't understand why, when this era-defining technology–flight–had just taken off, why would they waste their energy and effort on something as meaningless as reaching the highest altitude possible.
All of them were furious. Furious that, with the death of the Wrights, the government-sponsored plans became a laughing stock, and their enormous investments had all gone down the drain.
......
One by one, the guests all left. She alone stood in front of her parents' grave and lifted her head up to look at the clear sky.
Yet it was so, so dark and gloomy.
[A door opens.]
Background-Rhine Lab Laboratory.png
The light is blindingly bright.
Past the passageway's dark shadows, the uncharacteristically bright lights keep Justin Fitzroy Jr from opening his eyes.
The brightly glowing laboratory is, right, exactly the same as the ones in Trimounts.
<Background 2>
Justin Jr. takes two steps to feel things out and finds his attention instinctively drawn to the equipment so clean and shiny that there is light reflecting off of it.
"How much did this cost to build? They built all this for this one man's sake?"
Deep in an area of the laboratory untouched by light, an old man whose face is hidden guards a radio as ancient as himself.
Justin Jr. ...Haha. This is a prison? You call this a prison?
Goddamn. Kristen built a whole replica lab here just for you?
She thinks really highly of you, doesn't she, Convict No. 30?
[The Convict No. 30 approaches Justin Jr..]
No. 30 You aren't the regular liaison, but I've seen your face.
You're a Rhine Lab director?
Justin Jr. Well, that's just hurtful. I played no small part in expanding the company to its current size in such a short period of time. How could Kristen not have told you about me?
No. 30 I have no interest in people like you. I'm a sick, crippled man. What do you want from me?
Justin Jr. ...Don't talk like that.
I've read your file. You were extraordinary. If it wasn't for–
No. 30 *cough*–*cough* *cough*–
Sorry, I'm pretty sensitive about the past.
Justin Jr. Oh. Alright.
But I'm really curious. What is it that Kristen wants you to accomplish so badly she went to all this trouble?
No. 30 She didn't tell you... *cough*... which means you have no need to know, boy.
Justin Jr. This isn't the first time a science freak has mocked me.
Well, no biggie. My job here is to take you away. Looks like your little project has moved on to its next stage. She needs you there in person.
It's about her "survival plan."
No. 30 ...So you do know, you sly little punk.
Justin Jr. All I know is Kristen has had you working on something to do with Originium and the human body.
It's not my area of expertise, but at the very least, I know one thing. Rhine Lab's Control is not a coward who fears death, and she definitely has no illnesses that need healing–
Which means there's something else going on that's making her desperate for a way to extend her life... some kind of extreme circumstances.
No. 30 You're a smart one... No wonder she chose you to bring me out of this place.
But you'll have to wait a little longer. It's almost time for the Vice President's speech.
Justin Jr. A speech? You're into politics now?
No. 30 No, today is going to be an interesting day. Patience is a virtue, kid.
Now, we still have to introduce ourselves. I'm...
Justin Jr. Loken Williams.
It's a pleasure. I'm Justin Fitzroy Jr., Business Section Director at Rhine Lab, an outsider to the world of science and technology.
I'm only here to bear witness to history, sir.
<Background 3>
[The crowd chatters as Conrad Jackson, the Vice President of Columbia, stood on the podium, putting everyone in silence.]
Jackson Dear Columbians of Trimounts. This is your Vice President, Conrad Jackson.
I'm sure many of us are confused by today's press conference. Before I explain anything, I'd like to have a chat with you all.
Do any of you feel that, on our Terra today, it's gotten hard to focus just on the cities or even the country in which we reside...?
There is more and more to be proven, exchanges between nations have become more frequent, and likewise conflicts and confrontations have become more intense and unavoidable.
So I want to ask all of you. Columbia has only be around for a handful of decades, but our history is already as rich as any other nation's. What is it that we have used to achieve this?
It's our thirst for knowledge that drives us to explore the boundaries and depths of science. It's the pioneering spirit that flows in the veins of every single Columbian. That's my answer. That's our answer.
And to "maintain" these two things, we are always willing to pay the price, no matter how high it may be.
[The crowd murmurs.]
Solemn Trimounts Resident What is Jackson talking about?
Lively Trimounts Resident The next election is right around the corner. He hasn't really done anything the last couple years, so he's probably anxious.
Solemn Trimounts Resident Paying a high price...?
He's not exactly off to a great start.
[VP Jackson continues his speech.]
Jackson In this city of technology, Trimounts, there are over a dozen special plates–
On those plates, we're working tirelessly on countless research projects. We're developing, discovering, and guaranteeing our future ways of life...
Many of you here are participating in those projects, and I am very proud of you.
In just two weeks, we will announce an achievement that is truly the greatest among them.
It will change the landscape of international relations. It will allow us to seize the initiative, to never again to fear any storm across any lands.
<Background black>
It will be Columbia's first step into a new era.
<Background 4>
[Two people in Columbian military uniform, one of which is Ferdinand Clooney, the now-fugitive director of R.L.'s Energy Section, watches VP Jackson's speech from a TV.]
Man in Military Uniform First step into a new era...?
I heard Jackson was already a famous orator and activist back in college... Heh.
And now he's holding a press conference in Trimounts. You know what that means, right?
Ferdinand Let's cut to the chase, Colonel Blake.
You need my help, and I need yours. This is easy.
Blake Help... yeah... sure.
A super weapon crafted specifically to keep that damned Shard of Londinium in check... Who knows how much money the military poured into that thing?
But now, Kristen and all the techs on the project have disappeared without a trace, overnight.
And that–What does the handbook call that big ring again? "H.A.M.H.R.R.?" Dammit... How did she hide such a big thing?
The military is being pretty gentle as it is, not surrounding the city with an entire fleet of high-speed battleships.
Ferdinand And this is what I'm here for.
Blake I have to admit... Kristen really took me for a ride this time, but what reason do I have to believe that a failure like you can take care of this problem?
There are lots of companies in Columbia that can rival Rhine Lab. There's nothing stopping us from taking a military approach and handing everything over to some other place–
Ferdinand –You're right, Colonel Blake. I failed, but I'm no fool.
If the military were really that hardy, you would have done this a long time ago. You army guys were never the meek humanitarians you're trying to play.
Blake ......
Ferdinand And I, the... former Director of Energy... I know Rhine Lab. With my help, whatever you end up doing will go much smoother.
Especially if you want to take care of this as quickly and as quietly as possible.
Blake Why should I trust you again?
Ferdinand Is there anyone easier to keep in check than a failure with nothing to his name?
Blake ......
I never thought there would come a day when you called yourself a failure, Ferdinand. Why are you so fixated on this?
Ferdinand Always high-and-mighty, never revealing her secrets. She threw everyone's hard work and achievements under the bus, sacrificing the whole of Rhine Lab...
Kristen doesn't have the right. No one does.
Blake Alright. That's the most convincing thing you've said today.
<Background 5>
Hallway outside Control's office, Rhine Lab, Trimounts
Muelsyse I don't actually like this feeling a whole lot.
Too quiet... The air's so chilly and dry, and the light's awfully cold. No idea what's up ahead, either.
Things weren't so lively back in the day... Most of the time, everyone was just busy with research.
We rarely ever saw each other, but after meetings, we'd party and get drinks, pad the table legs with the project reports we'd just finished.
I miss that feeling... The feeling of being accepted, the feeling that we were making a difference, that our work had purpose.
You have to feel nostalgic for that too, don't you...?
...Kristen.
<Background 6>
[Muelsyse opens the door to Control's office.]
Muelsyse ......
You can stop dragging your gross tail across the floor? Nobody's coming to clean today...
Ho'olheyak.
[Ho'olheyak was in the office, who turns around towards Muelsyse.]
Ho'olheyak Oh, so you come here to cry your eyes out, huh? Guess I should've stayed hidden a little longer.
Muelsyse ......
Were you waiting for me?
Ho'olheyak Mm-hm.
Muelsyse Then why are you standing all the way over there?
Ho'olheyak I've got to be careful. A kid who just lost her parents might have a pretty bad temper.
Besides, I thought you already had a water clone ready the moment I stepped into the room?
Muelsyse
[Muelsyse channeled her hydrokinetic powers, and...]
Greeting Gift.png
Muelsyse Since I'm found out, I might as well drown you right away and stuff you into a dead power armor.
Ho'olheyak Oh, I didn't know you were such a vengeful elf.
Muelsyse A Maylander agent infiltrating this place, huh? What are you up to?
Ho'olheyak Infiltrating? Think again. Would Control's office be that easy to infiltrate?
Muelsyse Are you working for Control? What kind of deal do you two have, and what's she got you doing for her?
Are you betraying the Maylander Foundation for this, K'uk'ulkan?
[Ho'olheyak, who turned out to be one of the legendary K'uk'ulkans, retaliates with her wind Arts.]
Ho'olheyak So many questions. Why don't you ask Kristen yourself? You're so close to her, I'm sure she'd tell you.
Right... You're at the end of your rope. Why else would you expect to find Control in her office? *sigh*.
Muelsyse ......
Kristen really asked you to come?
Ho'olheyak If I told you I invited myself here, would that make your heart ache more?
She doesn't have the time to deal with you right now.
Perhaps she's already sick of all your backstabbing and all your distractions. Maybe she never had a place for you in her plans. Whatever you want to think...
Muelsyse That's not your place to say.
Ho'olheyak I'm just trying to remind you out of the kindness of my heart–or pity, if that's how you want to see it–that you should try to not be so tense.
Muelsyse Don't you think you know her better than I do, K'uk'ulkan. I've known her a lot longer than you have.
Ho'olheyak Maybe I don't understand her, but I know what it is she's trying to do.
<Background 6>
[As Muelsyse channeled her powers, Ho'olheyak gives up.]
Ho'olheyak It's hard to blame someone for grasping at straws when they're desperate, but if you get in the way...
...Next time, I'll really kill you.
[Ho'olheyak escapes.]
Muelsyse ......
The dreadful Liberi has vanished. Aside from the droplets of water on the sofa, the fight earlier might as well have never happened.
The door closes; Muelsyse doesn't try to give chase.
There's no telling how much truth there was to Ho'olheyak's words, but her presence alone already explains a lot.
She should ask Kristen directly. This is why she came here today, and she still has many other questions.
Muelsyse ...Kristen.
There is no one here to answer her. Muelsyse's voice echoes throughout the empty office. Her shadow is split into two halves by the wall, like two people standing at a branching path.
When and where did this all begin? Everything that once was has changed, yet she knew nothing about it.
This familiar room... this familiar hallway both seem so foreign to her now.
She hates this feeling.
It's just like the time after she was born, when she realized for the first time that she was all alone in the world.
<Background black>
On the day of Rhine Lab's foundation, everyone had faith that this was the starting point of a company destined for greatness.
The idea made everyone nervous. It cheered them all up. It put smiles on their faces. It kept them up at night.
She and Saria chatted about the future on the balcony until the next day's beaming sunrise shone directly into their eyes.
At that moment, she thought that she, Saria, and all these people would walk with Rhine Lab forever.
It was an unrealistic notion.
When topics like profit, conflict, and misunderstanding piled onto her desk one after another, she couldn't help but laugh... What exactly is confining mankind?
She lifted her head to look at the sky...
It was so, so ugly.
<Background 7>
Rest stop, Trimounts Outskirts, roughly eighteen miles from the city center
[A man in metallic exoskeleton walks toward a hot dog stand.]
??? Hi there. Four large cheese dogs, extra cheese.
Street Hawker You got it. Coming right–
[The hawker turns around, only to be shocked with the man's appearance.]
Street Hawker Holy shit, bro, what the heck is this?
??? I caught some kind of disease when I was a kid. It's only because of the exoskeleton that I'm still alive. Sorry for spooking you.
Street Hawker Spooking me? Hell no, that looks so cool.
Oh... so it's got to do with the Trimounts tech companies? No wonder. The gizmos they pump out are evolving so fast!
??? ...Something like that.
Street Hawker Uh, my bad. That was probably rude of me, acting so surprised.
??? I'm used to it. Mind if I smoke here?
Street Hawker You can still smoke? That's amazing.
[The man lights a smoke.]
??? –Phew, so empty here. This road doesn't get much traffic, does it?
Street Hawker Just today. When the Vice President came through not long ago, the traffic jam was miles long.
Maybe it's the weather–Here, your hot dog. That's some appetite you've got, bro. Take a seat wherever you want. Not like there's anyone else today.
??? Thanks.
[The man takes the hot dog and heads to find a seat.]
<Background fades out and in>
??? "Hot dog," huh... Columbian fast food really is really making strides.
Well, it's all the same to me.
So why are they called "hot dogs" again? Anything to do with the Perros?
[Kal'tsit joins in.]
Kal'tsit It was the first wave of Bolívarian settlers who introduced this particular food item to the Columbian masses. This type of sausage sandwich was frequently sold in knight competition arenas at food carts attended by scantily clad Perro females or well-built Perro males.
And with the passage of time, this food item came to be known as the "hot dog" in Columbian parlance.
??? Passage of time, huh? Funny how things can turn out just because of time.
Want one, miss? My treat.
Kal'tsit No, thank you.
??? *sigh*, the years really haven't been kind. When I still had a sense of taste, my appetite was probably a dozen times what it is now. I guess that's how things turn out with the passage of time.
I envy a young lady like you.
Kal'tsit ......
??? I wonder how many things on Terra are built atop of this passage of time.
Kal'tsit Everything is.
??? I guess you are right about that.
It's been a while, Dame Kal'tsit. When was the last time we met?
Kal'tsit The day of Theresa's ascension ceremony after the war was over. Most Sarkaz who still had a lingering nostalgia for Kazdel were there. You were no exception.
What should I call you now?
Tin Man Tin Man. That's what my coworkers call me. It's an apt descriptor, and not like names have much meaning to me anymore.
Kal'tsit You represent the Maylander Foundation.
Tin Man I do.
Kal'tsit A powerful revenant.
Tin Man An once-powerful revenant. And besides, you know that the Teekaz are closely connected to every corner of the world, and the Columbian plains are no exception.
Or would it make you feel better if I told you the whispers of hatred still keep me up at night, and that I can't wait to turn into a flying fortress and fly straight back to Kazdel?
Kal'tsit No. So the Maylander Foundation noticed Rhodes Island long ago.
Tin Man This isn't the first time you've showed up on Columbia's radar, even if the last time was just a minor legal dispute... Was that in Tkaronto or someplace else?
Rhodes Island is still a young organization.
Kal'tsit You know who it belonged to and what course it is taking.
Tin Man *sigh*, I'm not trying to talk you into giving up, but based on our agents' intel, too many old friends are mixed up in this mess. A fair amount of them are your old friends, too.
I have no issues with Rhodes Island getting involved in this, so long as you hear Maylander's thoughts first.
Kal'tsit Is it thoughts you want Rhodes Island to hear or demands?
Tin Man Regardless, personally speaking... I do hope we're on the same side this time, Dame Kal'tsit.
Kal'tsit I understand.
Tin Man Are those girls yours?
The Tin Man lifts his head up to gaze at the bottom of the dark clouds. Not far away, a pure white Feline and a fire-red Savra sit on a bench.
The Savra girl enthusiastically tries to tell something to her buddy, but her buddy simply stares at the sky, seemingly paying no attention whatsoever.
She is thinking about the past.
She seems to know why she received that letter and why she had to come back to this country, but she actually doesn't understand it all that well.
She is simply thinking that there are things you have to face, sooner or later.
Rosmontis Hm. I should remember this place, but... I don't think I wrote it down.
Why didn't I write it down?
Do I... need to remember this place?
Ifrit Duh. You don't remember anything, no matter what I ask you. This sucks!
Rosmontis Do you remember?
Ifrit Me? O-Of course I remember!
Rosmontis Hm?
Ifrit This is Columbia! I've been here, and I hear you've been, too!
<Background fades out and in>
Tin Man Oh... I remember them... I see now.
It's a cruel twist of fate, Kal'tsit, but you'll have children so young face their fate head on?
Kal'tsit ......
This is their decision. I have no right to intervene.
Kal'tsit silently looks at Trimounts shrouded in dark clouds in the distance.
Its tall skyscrapers remain under the thick, dark clouds; its base hidden by the fields around them.
Likewise, the Tin Man lifts his head.
Up in the sky above the city and the entire lands, at an unreachable altitude that mankind has dreamt of reaching for thousands of years–
–A burning fireball is tearing through the skies like a falling star.
<Background black>
Ifrit, do you want to hear a story?
A story... Alright. Today's story takes place in a beautiful city in Sargon...
There was once a well-respected king, loved by his people, but when he finally grew old, he had an anxious look on his face, never calming down for even a second.
He gave it his all to rule his city, but he found that not one thing in the city would bear his mark forever. His statues would crumble, and his legends would fade. People forget too easily.
In the final days of his life, he eagerly hoped for there to be something that could truly symbolize his whole legacy and ensure that it would be told for generations to come.
And so, he asked his wife. He hoped to find this treasure with her together.
They searched all over the lands and found a bottomless pit of gold, clothing that restored youth, a magic mirror that allowed its user change races at will, a sword that could rend mountains, and a treasure map that led to mythical realms.
None of these were what the king wanted. They were all too specific, and the desires they bore were too strong. The old king did not think any of these could represent his legacy.
This left the queen stricken with grief. She prayed to the night skies that her husband would get his wish. Finally, hearing her faithful prayers, a star arrived in the mortal realm–
Ifrit stares blankly at the blazing red tail sweeping through the sky.
She suddenly recalls a story out of the thousands that Silence has told her.
Legend has it, there is always hope wherever a star so happens to land. The differences that divide mankind are mended the moment the star reaches the ground, and everyone's wishes will be fulfilled all at once.
Will a star come falling down? There's no time to think. Time is flying by.
I wish for–