Rin, standing to the side, felt a chill run through him. He'd expected this to be a clean occupation.
He thought that almost everyone is dead,
But now, watching his brother and teacher address thousands , he realized:
This wasn't about rebuilding the North.
It was about erasing it.
And replacing it with something that wore the East's colors.
Rin stood at the edge of the loading platform, the metallic hum of the battleships roaring in the background as hundred of thousands of soldiers began organizing into formations. Kaelion and Master Arkan's words still echoed in the air,cold, sharp, unyielding.
His silver eyes stared at the vast military machinery. Each gun, each hovering warship, each thunderous cheer of loyalty,it all rang hollow in his ears.
"Capture or kill... establish dominance… raise our banners…"
It wasn't just war. It was annihilation disguised as purpose.
Rin clenched his jaw, his dragonblood simmering just beneath the surface. His mind replayed his brother's calm, regal tone,the practiced charisma of a man who smiled while ordering the erasure of an entire civilization.
"So this is who they are," Rin thought.
He glanced toward his teacher, Master Arkan. The old man stood motionless, a monolith of discipline and cruelty draped in honor. Not once had he blinked. Not once had he flinched when ordering the slaughter of survivors.
Rin's breath caught.
"And yet, the people cheered."
He looked around.
Faces alight with zeal, pride, hunger.
Not a single warrior questioned the morality of their mission. Not one flinched at the word extermination. To them, the North wasn't filled with people. It was land,land to be tamed, owned, rebranded.
His thoughts drifted to Earth.
To what once mattered.
Hope. Curiosity. Wonder.
Now, in this cold, endless world ruled by strength, everything was about conquest. And the worst part?
These people smiled as they did it.
Rin lowered his eyes, the corners of his mouth tight.
"They look human," he muttered under his breath, "but they're just beasts wearing the skin of men."
He remembered his first days here ,the confusion, the awe, the brief flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, they could reach to an understanding.
But now?
He knew the truth.
They were the ones who burned homes, devoured countries, and labeled it destiny. They were the people who slaughtered without guilt,monsters draped in royal blood.
He thought of Valen. Of the agony. The torment. The soul-rending pain.
"this world is corrupted and disgusting."
Rin exhaled slowly. His eyes dulled further. Colder. Emptier.
He was done hoping for humanity in monsters.
If he was to survive among them…
He'd have to be colder than all of them.
And far, far smarter.
Rin approached his designated ship,a mid-sized military transport shaped like a blade. Before he could step aboard, two figures appeared at his sides like ghosts.
No footsteps. No sound.
They wore black armor with crimson lining, masks over their faces. But Rin knew,they weren't ordinary guards. Their presence alone made the air feel heavier.
"You're the guards my brother assigned?"
They didn't answer at first. Then the one on the left, a woman from the sound of her voice, spoke quietly.
"We are to follow and protect you."
The other added, "Command us only when necessary. Otherwise, we will move as shadows."
Rin narrowed his eyes.
They weren't just bodyguards.
They were watchers.
And perhaps… executioners, if he stepped out of line.
He nodded once and stepped aboard.
The ship doors sealed shut behind him with a hiss, engines rumbling to life.
The North awaited.
And whatever peace it once held was about to end.