A few moments before the Apocalypse of Void…
"Isn't it a chilly day?" a man says casually, sitting beside a small momo stall, rubbing his hands together for warmth.
"Yes, it is, Mr. Kamano. What do you expect with those clouds? The current is changing after such a long time," the stall owner says, glancing up at the darkening sky.
"The town looks quite lively today, doesn't it, Mr. Chao?" Kamano says, glancing around.
"Well," Mr. Chao replies with a small smile, "I heard there's a newborn in town today."
"Is that so? That's rare these days…" Kamano says, disbelief clear in his voice.
"Yes! Rarer than a corrupted mana user," Mr. Chao says with a laugh. "And please, Sir. Kamano, don't speak to me so formally. I'm no noble or anything like that… just a shopkeeper trying to fill the stomachs of hungry people."
"But that's the noblest work there is—far nobler than anything most nobles do for their town or kingdom," Kamano says with a faint smile. "Well, leaving the ugly side of things aside… I still can't believe there's been a newborn after such a long time. It's time for a celebration."
"Sure is..! One thing I wanted to ask, Sir Kamano—where's your daughter? Isn't she usually with you?"
"She had a strange dream last night," Kamano replies, his tone thoughtful. "She kept saying we should leave the town immediately… and she couldn't sleep after that. So now she's taking a nap."
"…Strange," Mr. Chao murmurs, a faint chill running through his voice.
"Don't worry about it too much," Kamano says reassuringly. "She's a strong girl. She'll be fine."
He gestures around them, a soft smile forming. "Just look around you, Mr. Chao. Everything looks so festive and beautiful. The town feels alive—people laughing, gathering around bars and food stalls, sharing meals, dancing together…"
His voice trails off slightly. "Almost as if it were their last day to live. That's what life is really about—enjoying the time you have with your loved ones, as much as you can."
[And it's all because of you, Sir Kamano. If it weren't for you, no one would have believed that a life like this was even possible. This town used to be so miserable—no one would've imagined that we could live together like this, in peace.
A single person having such influence over others… that's what true leadership looks like. The kind of leadership worthy of an Emperor—unlike the one we're all too familiar with.]
Such thoughts quietly fill Mr. Chao's mind as he watches the town come alive around them.
"So… anything new from the palace?" Mr. Chao asks casually.
"Ah, nothing new," Kamano replies with a faint sigh. "The purpose I went for wasn't achieved. The Emperor wasn't even present at the palace."
Mr. Chao frowns slightly. "I honestly don't understand how you manage to deal with those palace scums—especially the Emperor. He's the worst of them all…"
[And yet… it's also because of him that we're able to live such a peaceful life—without constant interference from palace nobles,] Kamano thinks to himself.
He keeps the thought buried, unspoken, as if something deep within him resists the very idea of saying it aloud.
"Let's leave all this behind, Mr. Chao. Today is a big day to celebrate," Kamano says as he rises from the stall and starts walking toward his home.
"Where are you headed, Sir Kamano?" Mr. Chao asks, surprised.
"To bring my family," Kamano replies with a smile. "Let's celebrate together—bring the whole town in, Mr. Chao. Tonight, we feast as one."
Moments later…
"Mmm… Dad… Mom…"A young girl slowly wakes up and looks around, still half-asleep. She calls out again, but no one answers.
"Mom… Dad…"
Silence.
[Why aren't they answering?] the little girl wonders.
The girl gets out of bed and steps into the hallway, her eyes searching for her parents. She walks through the entire upper floor of the house, calling out softly, but there is no answer—no sign of them anywhere.
Slowly, fear begins to take hold of her mind. It's the same fear she tried to warn her parents about the night before.
Her heart sinks as a terrible realization settles in.
Her dream… may have come true.
As soon as fear takes hold of her mind, she breaks into a run, rushing down the stairs. Her vision blurs, the walls seeming to tilt and sway around her. Her feet tremble with every step, nearly missing the edges of the stairs, while cold sweat trickles down her face.
Her breathing grows uneven and shallow, her chest tightening as panic floods her body. Her heart pounds so loudly it feels as if it might burst, drowning out every other sound. By the time she reaches the bottom, fear has completely taken over—leaving her desperate, confused, and terrified of what she is about to find.
As she runs, her foot catches on something, and she stumbles forward, crashing to the floor.
"Ah… it hurts…" she cries softly.
Her knee scrapes against the ground, skin torn open as blood begins to seep out. But she barely notices the pain. It doesn't matter—not now.
Slowly, she turns her head.
Lying beside her is the maid of the house, sprawled across the floor. Her eyes are open, staring at nothing. Her body is cold, still… empty of life.
The girl freezes, her breath caught in her throat, as a deep, silent terror settles into her chest.
"No… no… no… NO… n—"Her words break apart as her breath takes over, her chest heaving too hard for her to speak.
Without another thought, she scrambles to her feet and runs out of the house, leaving the horrific sight behind. She doesn't look back. She can't. Her feet carry her forward as she runs through the streets, faster and faster, desperate to find her parents.
[No… please no… please…This can't be happening. I told them… I told them about my dream. Why didn't they listen to me…?]
Tears blur her vision as fear and regret crash over her, each step driven by the fragile hope that she's wrong—that somewhere, somehow, her parents are still waiting for her.
She looks around, her eyes wide with disbelief. The town that was lively just yesterday is now dead silent—cold and empty, like the ruins of some ancient, forgotten place.
Everywhere she turns, the same sight greets her. Bodies lie scattered along the roads, near houses, beside food stalls, and in front of buildings where laughter once filled the air. No one moves. No one speaks.
The town feels frozen in time, as if life itself was suddenly taken away, leaving behind only stillness and death.
Without even realizing she reaches the center of the town. There she sees her parents passed out at the center of the pile of dead bodies lying around.
The same dream she lived last night came to reality.
"Mom… Dad… please wake up…"
She moves forward, stepping carefully between the lifeless bodies scattered across the street. With every step, her heart sinks deeper. The way she walks among them feels like the aftermath of a war—where innocent people paid the price for something they never understood. It's a sight no child should ever have to see.
"I told them… I told them…" she sobs, tears streaming down her face.
Her cries echo through the empty town, bouncing off silent houses and broken streets—answered by nothing but death and cold air.
A few days later, inside the palace…
"My lord, the process is complete," Gina says with quiet confidence, lowering her head slightly.
"Alright… then," the Emperor replies.