Fall of an Empire

CG Chapter 36: Fall of an Empire

If someone possessed a map of the starry sky and directed their attention toward one of the lower realms inhabited by the rank zero worlds, they would unmistakably observe a world that eclipsed all its cosmic neighbors in brilliance. It appeared as though this world patiently awaited the chance to ascend and attain a higher rank. 

This world hosted the 'Mandated by Heaven Empire,' An empire that has for eons unified its entire world. However, being the sole sovereign of this world wasn't what was special about this empire; instead, it was the fact that the nobility of the empire chose to walk hand in hand with the commoners. Every house and every child there had enough food to fill their stomachs and more, yet this once grand empire is of no more. 

Acid rain started to fall from the dark clouds that were formed from the millions of burning corpses. 'Exodus ' stood as the sole reason why this heavenly realm was falling to pieces, and the head of this group was currently facing the last wall that was built by the empire.

The palace of the 'Mandated by Heaven Empire' lay in the middle of the capital, and from the grand gate of the palace, a man who didn't look like a servant or a member of the imperial family stood. He exited the palace, indifferent to the fact that he had just killed the emperor and all of his soldiers. His pupils were pitch black, and they lacked any sign of self.

He started to mutter some weird gibberish that no one understood, and just as he was about to descend the stairs of the castle.

A young boy clad in a dragon-embroidered robe came out running from his room, only for his eyes to lay on the gruesome scene within the palace chamber; he couldn't contain his terror and let out a piercing scream directed at the man as he started charging toward him with killing intent.

"Ahhhh, why… What did our empire do? What did my father, my mother, and young sister do to deserve what you did?" The boy's eyes were bloodshot as he started to lose the faith that was nourished inside him since he was young, "Rule with justice, they said. For the common people, they said. They said that the heavens are with our empire. You know what? I don't know if there is a heaven above, but if there is, I, Shin La as the heir, forsake such a heaven and wi-"

The boy didn't get enough time to finish his speech as the man ran toward him with astonishing speed, and with a single swing of his sword, the boy's head started to fly away.

After he killed the boy and returned his sword to its sheath. The man ignored everything as he continued to mutter, with his words slowly becoming more and more eligible.

"Heaven Will, Life and Death." He paused as if the thing he was about to say would remind him of something that he lost long ago, "A gift or a curse? The immortality that belongs to me."

"Who am I?"

"Who am I?" His question got louder.

"Who am I?" And louder.

He screamed and began to frantically claw at his own head, tearing at his flesh in a frenzied panic.

"I am Tian Long, a son of a hunter. I was killed by the enemy of my father." Once he thought that, a repulsive feeling filled his body. "No, that... this is not correct; I am more…"

"I am Edward Pendragon, the next king…" A stronger feeling of resistance filled him, "I am higher, much higher than a mere king."

"I… I am the one who will become an immortal. I was the one who abandoned my world to reach my dream. I am Thomas Blackwood, the endless traveler."

The madman returned from his frenzy after being lost for countless lifetimes. His madness caused the destruction and death of trillions of people, if not even more. Yet, paradoxically, Tom now exuded an even greater indifference towards life.

Once he regained consciousness, Tom received a message from Noor:

[Welcome back, host.]

Tom looked at the message with his abyssal eyes, "Why didn't you wake me up?" He already had an answer, but he still wanted to ensure that it was correct.

[I tried to project multiple messages to the host; however, you fell into the pit of despair so deeply that you ignored all of those messages.]

Tom halted her explanation abruptly; he had already grasped the situation far too well. Due to his many reincarnations, he slowly started to lose himself in the endless mortal lives. Initially, the experiences had held their allure, yet after having been a humble fisherman for the millionth time, even the most enthralling narratives would inevitably drive anyone to the brink of madness.

Having discerned the source of the issue, Tom didn't care whether any blame rested with him. A spontaneous laughter escaped his lips, a rare and genuine glee that had eluded him for so long. Amid his laughter, he recalled a phrase from a book he had browsed long ago, a saying that seemed to encapsulate his predicament:

"After boundless madness, only sanity remains. A soul ensnared in the eternal cycle traverses the spectrum, from demon to angel, before returning to a semblance of normalcy." Although he hardly resembled a typical person.

Amidst his newfound clarity, Tom strolled through the capital's streets, an observer who was indifferent to the engulfing fire that consumed the city whole.