In the Past
Location: Oculi Reality
Former Capital of the Oculi Kingdom
Before Nightfall
In the middle of the avenue, a hooded man walked, his combat attire hidden beneath his dark cloak.
He moved with a melancholic gaze, seemingly detached from the reality surrounding him at that moment.
Along the path he traveled, there was nothing but establishments and houses-remnants of what was once a thriving city.
Many years ago, life had pulsed within these buildings, but now, only ruins remained, their interiors reduced to debris.
Not only were the insides destroyed, but the walls and roofs bore the marks of devastation, slowly being reclaimed by nature as it spread across the ruined capital.
This great city, once home to nearly a hundred thousand people, no longer displayed its artificial vibrant colors.
Instead, it was now adorned with the natural green of leaves and the deep brown of roots that crept over shattered surfaces, clinging to what little still stood.
[Voice of Queen Luna from the Past] ...I was chosen to bring harmony to our race, divided between the Albi and the Nigri.
The man walked for nearly five kilometers along the same avenue, finally reaching the royal castle, its walls now overtaken by roots and moss.
[Voice of Queen Luna from the Past] I had to sacrifice so much of my life for the good of our people.
That very castle, once majestic and built centuries ago, was where this man had spent much of his life serving his dearest friend, Luna.
Long before she transitioned from a princess to the grand queen of the prosperous capital.
Now standing before the castle, after crossing what had once been the most beautiful garden, its golden doors lay destroyed, cast upon the ground.
This man was none other than the Count-the one Queen Luna had called her best friend, the one she trusted most.
Not only had he been entrusted with the safety of her daughters, Nox and Urius, but also of her youngest child, Lilian, whom he had the honor of being godfather to before Luna's passing.
Looking to the side, he noticed that the two once-beautiful and welcoming statues of Luna that flanked the staircase leading to the castle's main entrance were no longer standing.
[Voice of Queen Luna from the Past] I do not regret a single day of what I sacrificed, for... It was all worth it. That day, from one of the castle towers-
One of the statues had been completely destroyed, now covered in roots and flowers, while the other, though partially intact, had suffered the passage of time and violence.
[Voice of Queen Luna from the Past] I could look down upon the Oculi capital and feel such comforting, embracing peace.
The statue no longer had its arms open-a symbol that once conveyed warmth not only to those who beheld it but also to those who stepped into the castle.
[Voice of Queen Luna from the Past] Once, war was waged over the physical variations of our eyes, and I put an end to that prejudice of ages past... [Comforted Sigh]
But that second statue had been defaced, its surface vandalized with a phrase written in the blood of the city's innocent, tarnishing Luna's image.
[Voice of Queen Luna from the Past] But now, a new bloody war has begun, and once again, we have split into two Oculi factions. [Deep Breath]
Now, the statue bore a message for any who approached the royal castle, a reminder of that fateful night five years ago when the city burned:
"She may have given us hope in life, but in her death, she left us only fear!!"
Upon reading this, the Count lowered his gaze, his expression a mixture of rage and sorrow at such blatant disrespect toward the late Queen Luna.
[Voice of Queen Luna from the Past] Two factions, two opposing worldviews.
He knew that in life, Queen Luna had spent much of her time yearning for peace between the two Oculi factions of this world.
[Voice of Queen Luna from the Past] All this hatred was sown into our hearts, leaving so many questions unanswered.
Her death, which occurred during her journey to the human reality-on a mission of peace to aid humanity in an impending catastrophe-
A fate the Oculi themselves had once faced, nearly leading to their extinction. Luna had hoped to save the humans from the same cyclical fate.
For she knew that all realities would reach a breaking point, leading either to harmony or disarray until the end of existence itself.
But her peaceful mission ended in a brutal genocide, as the humans, gripped by fear, reacted violently to the Oculi who arrived bearing only a sense of deep inner peace.
Every one of them, along with Luna, was gunned down, their bodies never recovered by the Oculi.
This, despite the best scientists finally succeeding-after so much effort-in creating a passage between the Oculi reality and the human world.
[Voice of Queen Luna from the Past] By the hands of the Begeneri twins-those who should have led us to peace, not manipulated our hearts to achieve it.
This passage had provided an opportunity for the Inanis faction, led by the Begeneri twins, to further twist the minds of the survivors.
After the capital fell, the years following her death at the hands of humans only deepened the wounds.
The weight of this tragedy fell upon the legitimate heir to the throne-the current queen of the Oculi who followed the Reginae faction.
At the time of the capital's fall, she had been just a ten-year-old child.
And when she ascended the throne, she was only eight, far too young, yet still the rightful successor.
For she possessed something her older sisters, Nox and Urius, had lost as they grew.
[Count - Deep, Emotional Whisper] ...I wanted to see the world through your eyes, my dear friend. But... [Voice Trembling]
That something was innocence-the desire for peace, even for her greatest enemy. The very same quality that Luna had held throughout the past war.
[Count - Deep, Emotional Whisper] I can only see shades of gray after everything I've lost. [Deep Breath]
Luna had won her battle with words, shedding little blood in the war among her own people.
[Count - Deep, Emotional Whisper] After your funeral, when I looked into your coffin... I couldn't see your body resting there forever. [Painful Breath]
In the Past
A Few Moments Later
In That Same Place
At the moment he considers walking into the castle and ascending the stairs, a voice calls out to him from behind.
[Young Echoing Female Voice] ...Count! Is it really you?
The Count seemed frozen in place as he recognized that voice-now carrying a more mature tone than the last time he heard it.
Before he left for the human world to prevent the silent genocide orchestrated by the Inanis faction as an act of vengeance against human society.
[Count - Whispering in Disbelief] Young troublemaker... [Faltering Voice] -
He tried to hold back the tears forming in his eyes as he turned around, feeling his world slow down. The once-gray colors surrounding him suddenly seemed vibrant again.
[Count - Whispering in Disbelief & Faltering] Is it really you, little one? [Voice Trembling] -
Before his eyes, standing in front of him, was the young woman clad in red combat attire with golden trim.
[Young Echoing Female Voice] I thought I was seeing things, but... -
As she spoke, her black hair, streaked with white at the tips, swayed gently in the breeze.
[Young Echoing Female Voice] It really is you, dear Count. [Subtle, Comforting Sigh] -
She stood less than ten meters away from him, gazing deeply into his eyes. Above the structures in front of the castle, twelve knights in black armor with golden details held their gleaming blades at the ready.
[(Count - Confused Mental Murmur) Wait...]
Each of them appeared to be acting as the young woman's personal guards, each wielding a single sword in one hand, prepared to protect her with their lives if necessary.
[(Count - Confused Mental Murmur) Something is wrong...]
The person before him was revealed to be Queen Lilian-now fifteen years old and no longer the child he once knew.
[Young Lilian - Calm & Attentive Voice] You haven't changed at all... -
But now, in the present, she was far more mature-not just in her expression but also in her posture and height, clearly marking her growth.
The Count, after so long serving in the human world on a mission for the Reginae faction at Lady Nox's request, realized something profound at that very moment.
The little girl he had trained in physical and mental combat no longer displayed that innocent look-the one she had never lost over the years by his side.
[Young Lilian - Calm & Attentive Voice] ...My dear friend. [Subtle, Comforting Sigh] -
Sensing that something was terribly wrong with this unexpected reunion, he instinctively thought of stepping toward young Lilian.
[(Count - Cautious Mental Murmur) You may look like her...]
A strange feeling in his subconscious urged him to use his Oculi abilities against the person before him.
[(Count - Confused Mental Murmur) But... in essence, you are completely different.]
His body seemed to act on its own, driven by his subconscious desire to eliminate this hollow imitation of Queen Lilian's purity.
[(Count - Confident Mental Murmur) This imitation could fool many, but...]
The Count was the one who knew Lilian best, second only to her two older sisters, Nox and Urius. He had stood by her mother's side, guarding her during childbirth.
[(Count - Confident Mental Murmur) I would never doubt it, for I know the purity of her essence!]
He had been with her since infancy, after her mother, Luna, departed for the human world-never to return to the Oculi realm.
[Count - Ruthless & Furious Whisper] ...How dare you wear her face before me! -
As his whisper echoed through the silence, a powerful gust of wind stirred his dark robes.
He then felt an overwhelmingly dense, bloodthirsty aura enveloping the surroundings, rendering him momentarily paralyzed by its sheer presence.
In the blink of an eye, he found himself completely surrounded by twelve armored knights.
Each occupied different vantage points atop the establishments ahead-about twenty-five meters in front of the castle.
He noticed that their armor seemed to draw strength from the essence of its wearers, amplifying their power based on the intensity of their fully activated Oculi abilities.
Queen Lilian, standing before the Count, appeared unfazed by the knights guarding her from the buildings behind.
She locked eyes with the stunned Count, who remained frozen in place, overwhelmed by the sheer power radiating from each of the knights.
[(Count - Deeply Intrigued Mental Murmur) What the hell is going on here?]
Individually, none of these knights were strong enough to defeat him. But together, they could decimate an army of ten thousand men.
This realization made him consider materializing his blade, forged from his very essence. However, the knights noticed his intent and, in less than the blink of an eye, advanced toward him.
In an instant, the Count found himself completely encircled by the twelve knights, each wielding their essence-forged swords.
Their precise control over their Oculi abilities impressed even him-he, who had been feared for decades by both the Reginae faction, to which he belonged, and the upper ranks of the Inanis faction, who viewed him as a dire threat.
[Young Lilian - Calm & Intrigued Voice] I can feel your desire to kill me... -
Queen Lilian observed as the knights successfully surrounded the Count, their blades' tips pressing against his throat from all directions.
[Young Lilian - Calm & Intrigued Voice] ...Even though you know I am your queen-the one you swore never to raise your sword against. -
Saying this, she began walking toward him, her gaze piercing into the Count's soul.
[Young Lilian - Calm & Intrigued Voice] And yet, you still thought of stabbing my heart. -
Her eyes carried an expression of total contempt-a brutal departure from the affectionate personality he once knew, replaced by something far darker.
[Young Lilian - Calm & Hollow Voice] The man who swore to protect me... is breaking his most sacred vow? -
Hearing this, the Count wanted to refute such an absurd claim, but in the very next moment-at the mere snap of Lilian's fingers-
A crushing force, emanating from the knights' blades, pressed down upon him, forcing him to his knees in complete submission. He could have easily freed himself.
But psychologically, the simple weight of Lilian's words had paralyzed him, preventing him from resisting this false Lilian.
Calmly reaching a mere meter from him, the young Lilian materialized her blade.
It took shape within seconds-razor-sharp, its edges faintly glowing-leaving him speechless.
For as long as he had trained her, Lilian had never been able to successfully manifest her own essence-forged blade. It had been her greatest wish since childhood.
The reflection of the young Lilian was now mirrored in the Count's wide, horror-stricken eyes.
Her black hair, with its naturally white-tipped strands, danced in the wind, as her activated abilities intensified the surrounding air pressure.
She was making it clear-she was about to kill him. Kneeling before her, his expression twisted in a mix of rage and sorrow, he cried out her name.
Then, with burning determination, he declared that she could never be Lilian-no matter what she had lost, no matter how much of her family had been taken from her.
For the same pure, radiant essence that once belonged to her mother, Luna, had been inherited by Lilian-and darkness could never corrupt it.
The Count's anguished cries were suddenly interrupted by another voice-one unmistakable, one that belonged to none other than the real Lilian.
From behind him, at the top of the castle stairs, came a resolute command.
[Young Lilian True - Confident & Assertive Shout] ...STOP THE TESTS AT ONCE!! -
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- (Act 1 - Our Capital) -
[Arc 0 - A Perspective from the Past]