The Great War

Reo's eyes fluttered open as he sat within the dimly-lit room, pondering over Darren's peculiar choice to remain in the city and the mysterious nature of the room. Descending from his elevated bed, he switched on a lamp while considering whether to delve into the undisclosed room in the ensuing day.

Retreating into his meditative stance, he stationed himself by the stone statue of Justine, speculating that Darren would inevitably depart. Finally, after a lengthy four hours , the statue astir affirmed his suspicion as Darren emerged and exited the museum. Engaging a carriage, Darren charted his course eastward, a path that Reo found himself unable to follow due to an unseen force obstructing his pursuit. Consequently, he discontinued his meditative state.

With two remaining hours, he ended up idly tracing patterns on the ceiling with his gaze. As dawn broke, he found himself absorbed in thoughts of the clandestine room. "What secrets could it possibly withhold?" he mused, anticipation for the coming day brewing within him.

Two hours after the alarm rang, Reo got up from the floor where he had been lying. He switched off the lamp and went to turn off the alarm just as Micheal woke up.

"Good morning, Micheal," Reo greeted, cheerily. Micheal, now sitting up in bed, returned the greeting. "Good morning, Reo. What could possibly make you so delighted about a school day?"

"We'll discuss it after school," Reo replied. They both then began their morning routines. As they left the room, Reo ensured it was locked. They walked to the dormitory building entrance together.

"Good morning, Charlotte," Reo greeted their friend. Micheal did the same.

"Good morning, Reo and Michael," Charlotte responded. Micheal's face showed notable surprise as he remarked to Reo, "She didn't call me a troublemaker today."

"Indeed," Reo agreed, adding, "You may be gradually repairing your relationship with her."

As they continued their journey, they saw townsfolk busy rebuilding a shop.

"Greetings, Mr. Dire," voiced both Micheal and Reo in unison, extending a friendly wave. Upon acknowledging their greeting, Mr. Dire responded, "Good morning, boys. I'm still open to suggestions," as they all simultaneously deviated left, embarking on their journey towards the school.

Upon arrival at school, Micheal and Reo traversed the substantial black gates, subsequently opening the door to the institution. They ambled down the corridor, leading to their designated classroom. After rotating the doorknob, they stepped inside. "Good morning," the duo greeted Miss Olivia, as they moved towards their seats. "Good morning, Aurora and Amelia" Reo echoed, and in response Miss Olivia announced, "It's time to resume yesterday's lesson."

Alright, I've previously told you about the genesis of Rivergate. Now, I'll narrate the tale of how our world came into existence. Historically, there was an overwhelmingly large and impressive ruin - equal in size to our present city. A defining feature of this ruin was a tablet upon which the name of a deity, Valdesa, was inscribed.

Interestingly, the majority were not aware of this god Valdesa until they came across this grand ruin. This encounter incited people to worship Valdesa, with some of them even experiencing divine visions. This religious fervor and the resulting revelations eventually catalyzed the establishment of numerous cities.

Valdesa greatly contributed to the development of human civilization. However, this evolution was not without its tribulations, such as the upheaval of war and the destruction of the Rose City. Rose City was the world's most expansive city during that era.

However, its dominion didn't sit well with other cities, including Telfer, Vernet, and Valner, due to its overarching control over their affairs. This city's unparalleled power understandably incited fear amongst the aforementioned cities. Around the same time, an explorer discovered a new city, Nallvet, situated further south.

Nallvet, almost parallel in size to Rose City, offered these cities an opportunity to counterbalance Rose City's supremacy. The cities of Telfer, Vernet, and Valner devised a plot, enlisting John Nexis, a spy, into Nallvet. Concurrently, they spurred several individuals from Rose City to launch an attack on Nallvet. This arrangement resulted in a considerable conflict between the two behemoth cities.

In the throes of battle, the two warring cities exhausted every avenue to overpower the other, even making supplications to the deity Valdesa. Despite the passage of seven years, the cities remained in a state of continuous conflict, disregarding the less significant cities of Telfer, Vernet, and Valner. The larger cities unabatedly solicited for funds and supplies from surrounding cities, causing the latter to gradually plunge into an economic crisis due to the mounting debt.

The magnitude of their amassed debt dawned upon the leaders of the warring cities, compelling them to terminate the longstanding feud to focus on reimbursement. However, during their attempts to reconcile their debts, both cities acknowledged the severity of their financial predicament.

In an effort to raise funds to settle their debts, they resorted to tax increments which bore heavily on the citizens of the warring cities. Not spared from this financial manoeuvre were the smaller cities of Telfer, Vernet, and Valner, whose residents also experienced an elevated tax imposition.

Now," Miss Olivia queried her class, "what do you speculate this series of events led to?"

Aurora swiftly raised her hand, her voice echoing through the class with her reply, "A revolution?"

"Correct," Miss Olivia affirmed, nodding her approval.

Due to an increase in taxes, unrest ignited among citizens; they claimed they were being unjustly punished, as the decision to wage war - the ultimate catalyst for conflict - was made by city officials. This turmoil signaled an opportunity for Nallvet and Rose, two cities under severe duress. They recognized a moment to fight back. Consequently, they brokered a pact, supported by numerous smaller cities, which stipulated that Nallvet and Rose ought to yield power.

This marked the genesis of the Great War. The combatants were the beleaguered metropolises of Nallvet and Rose - pitted against the smaller cities of Telfer, Vernet, and Valner. These smaller municipalities had the backing of several other towns in their quest to dismantle Nallvet and Rose.

Conventional wisdom suggested the smaller cities were destined to claim victory. As expected, Rose was defeated, leaving Nallvet as the only remaining large city. Nallvet was at the edge of ruination. Nevertheless, it was at this juncture Uriah Raiden, a high-ranking military officer, intervened. Raiden was known for his sharp military strategies. But would it be enough to turn the tide of the war?