rogue_2

It is currently eight in the morning. The sky is completely dim, and torrential rain pounds ceaselessly upon the ground, but the people continue to walk forward mechanically and numbly, seemingly paying no heed to the wrath from the heavens. Compared to the hope of survival and the fear of death, a little stroll through the rain is hardly a concern. They are already far more fortunate than most. While their human compatriots scattered through the wilderness are slaughtered by the Seaborn, they will quickly make their way into a city that appears impregnable.

Kal'tsit rarely lets her emotions show, but as she stands on the high walls looking over the procession of refugees stretching out to the horizon, the frown on her brow does not relent.

With Ishar'mla having gone completely rampant, the Profound Silence first swallowed the coastlines before all sound in Terra completely disappeared. The Seaborn and Sea Terrors began to assemble into packs and marched upon the land, Ægir trapped beneath the waves without any communication. The armies of the various countries disintegrated, and all of Terra was plunged into chaos.

So far, all attempts at solidarity have proven useless. Even the combined forces of Kazimierz's Knight Orders and Leithanien's Gesatzswächters were unable to withstand the Seaborn tides for even a single day. By sacrificing their lives, the Emperor's Blades were able to hold the national defense line, but this only bought enough time for mankind's retreat. A few months later, the Seaborn adapted to the empire's traits and penetrated through the troublesome barrier, and humanity suddenly found themselves with no weapons they could rely on. Columbia's cutting-edge technology joined with Sami's ancient Arts to try to open up more avenues of retreat, while Great Yan and the remnants of the various countries' armies attempted to consolidate into mankind's final bastion. The soldiers are all united, manning the stronghold with a determination beyond death. For each extra day they stand, countless more lives can be saved. Until the last flag falls, until the last immovable Tianshi of Great Yan watches the distant ranks of civilians and meets his death in a brief yet near-eternal grief.

From the day the Profound Silence once again befell humanity, Kal'tsit has practically foreseen the demise of humanity. But the Doctor's miraculous survival as well as her sense of responsibility to protect humanity still drove her to find a way to build a city that can allow the human species to live on.

She begged and pleaded with a number of Feranmuts, reaching agreements with several Beast Aristocrats. She managed to recover several pieces of ancient human technology needed to finally erect this spectacle.

Humanity's final bastion.

These technologies, the way they were put together, the way they were applied for creation rather than destruction — each one of these topics is itself worthy of an entire book. These things were originally the hope of humanity to break away from its limitations; now, they have become the pen and ink by which humanity has drawn its own prison. What worries her even more is that despite all this, the city is still unable to accommodate all the survivors.

In other words, when the city has gone past its capacity, she must slam its gates shut.

In other words, a considerable portion of people will be made to face the despair hidden behind hope. And those who happened to survive can only witness this tragedy, and accept it.

This is a decision that cannot be stayed by kindness, compassion, or zealotry. Amiya has already cried over this dilemma numerous times. She must be the one to steel her heart, make the impossible decision, and deal with its fallout. There may well be unrest in the city once she does so.

Simply because she is the highest authority in charge of Rhodes Island.

Kal'tsit knows that this is too cruel, but in the face of hell itself, even she has no tricks left up her sleeves.

If this situation were as simple as sacrificing herself for a greater cause, then Kal'tsit would not mind giving up her near-eternal life.

But what about sacrificing herself for an elusive, ephemeral hope for the species' survival?

Every theory, every idea... She has already tried her utmost to put them into practice.

There is only so much Rhodes Island can do.

Kal'tsit gazes into the distance. The heavy rain pours down, but no sound reaches her ears. Beads of water continue to hammer against her skin, as if trying to wash her away. She lets out a sigh, and gestures for the Doctor beside her to return and seek shelter from the rain.

What Kal'tsit does not know is that in Iberia's Royal Court, thousands of miles away...

Ishar'mla is currently leaping across space, 'observing' the person at her side.

Of what little humanity remains inside her, only this silhouette seems to linger.

Thus, she continues to will her swarm forward, just to reach the Doctor as quickly as possible.

Skadi never could've imagined that the bit of comfort she found in her personal relationships would lead to the destruction of an entire species.

Until all of humanity is reduced to one single entity, an individual known as the Doctor.