“Life is ever so fickle. Tragedy, sorrow—and occasionally, love—plague this tortuous state of being we call existence. All my life, I have been exposed to the dark underbelly hidden beneath the peaceful exterior of this nation. ‘Lux Caelum’…what a farce. The nation Luxanne remembers is one of community—one filled with light—but that light is, and always has been, deceitful. No, it only serves to veil the scum manipulating it from the shadows. She has never truly known hardship until I conquered those miserable dregs, but I shall make her learn to hate. I shall fill her with fury, and only then will she grow up and learn to see the world for what it truly is.”

Grand General Xeros, Ruler of Nox Caelum

———

Xeros

For better or worse, this ash-covered land has always been Xeros's home. Although only misery comes from recollecting the past, nothing binds oneself more than the remembrance of happier times. Of what could have been. Xeros despises this nation more than any other, but he also cherishes it and the people that worked so hard, now lost in the starry skies above, to improve it for the better. Perhaps that is why he has never been able to abandon it, and why he now resides as its Ruler.

But, if he must be chained to this land, then he may as well mold it his liking.

"Grand General, we've arrived," Luxanne says upon entering his abode. "We shall begin loading the transport onto the lift in but a moment."

Xeros strokes his beard for a moment, mind consumed by the avarice known as nostalgia. How long has it been since he has personally observed the lower layers? The Corvid's Eye is a useful tool, but it simply cannot replace the value of experiencing the environment with one's own body. Yes, a much needed inspection is in order lest the people harbor hints of rebellion over his long absence.

He rises up from his seat and dons his charcoal cloak. "Do load the transport, but I shall traverse on foot from here on out."

Luxanne stares at him, and although Xeros cannot see her face through her white-porcelain helm, he can tell that her expression is one of puzzlement and hesitation. Does she believe him to have a momentary fancy for slaughter? That is quite an overreaction; such tendencies overcome Libevich, not him. Xeros has worked hard to maintain his image of authority over the years, but he expects Luxanne to at least understand that he doesn't maim unless the situation calls for it. A shame, but perhaps such an image of himself will help fuel her hatred to higher degrees.

"...But sir, what of the smog?" she asks with subdued nervousness.

"Luxanne, I know this baleful air more than any other. Although I have created a district where the worthy may bask above the smog, my lungs have already been covered in a perpetual coat of black. Even amidst fresh air, there's no escaping this malaise for me now."

She looks confused, but that is to be expected. Xeros removed her from the smog before it could irreversibly affect her body, and such conditions are of normality for the citizens. No need to mention it if it's always been this way; Luxanne is one of the few who've been spared this burden. Her armor is also equipped with a detoxifying incantation that prevents it from invading her body, as is the same for the rest of the commanders and the elite within the army.

Strangely enough, even though Libevich has been exposed to the smog for longer than Xeros, she doesn't seem to be affected by its burden. Well, common logic shouldn't be applied to monsters in the first place.

"P-Pardon me for this question, but then why do you usually reside within the transport vehicle whenever we leave the Archon district?"

"Because I do not like to have it seen before my eyes." It brings back unpleasant memories for him, but such hesitation must not be allowed to hold oneself back from completing their duties.

"I see, then allow me to at least accompany you."

"So be it."

He gestures towards the exit with a wave of the hand. "Lead the way."

———

Of the many changes made to Nox Caelum during Xeros's rule, the most notable is perhaps the transformation of the capital in regards to appearance. Caligos Imperium stands tall, piercing the very clouds itself with a massive spire situated at the very center of the city. Everyone, from the influential to the dregs, once walked the same land, the same ground, together, not unlike Polus's current layout.

However, the city now is divided into layers with each individual floor towering over the other from the sky. Their shadows act as a constant reminder for the citizens below of the heights they can still yet reach. The higher you go up, the smaller the layer becomes. The higher you go up, the better you are treated, and thus forms the foundation of everything, giving the capital the appearance of a ringed city.

From a wasteland of trash and debris, to streets covered in grime and oil. From a district filled with some semblance of presentability, to a place where humans may finally be treated as such. And connecting the skies to the earth below, a sight in which all may see whether they be human or lesser, is the spire.

The spire is a looming presence, and at the highest point, watching over all, is where Xeros's abode awaits. That is their current destination, and to reach it, they must travel layer by layer starting with the very bottom of society.

"Entering The Slums," Luxanne announces, eyes darting in-between the makeshift hovels and dirtied bodies with a look that can only be sympathy.

"Hmm, it has been quite a while, but it seems not much has changed," Xeros notes. Except, something has changed. Even though their visages are as decrepit as ever, he notices something stirring within their eyes. The hate and fury they stare at him with is nothing special, but there's something else. Something more peculiar.

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Hope. Though they try to hide it, the dregs are excited about something. None of them dare to make a move towards the source of all their misery, but it's as if they're expecting something. An assassination attempt? Perhaps a scheme to rise to the upper layers?

No matter, there is a simple solution to this: kindness.

Xeros walks over to a little girl nearby. She has a limp, but her eyes are clear and full of innocence. A jewel amidst a pile of trash, yes that is what she is. She shall do nicely.

Luxanne watches him with caution, but she need not fear. In fact, this girl shall experience what every dreg here so desires in their heart.

"Hello there, little one," he says. The girl trembles a bit from his presence, but her curiosity wins over her caution. "Tell me, what is your name?"

The Slum residents carefully gauge his every move. Although they are the lowest of the low, the one thing they have that Xeros acknowledges is loyalty. They will no doubt rush at him if he harms her; a foolish endeavor, and one they no doubt realize themselves, but loyalty and community is all they have left when stripped of nothing. Without it, they can no longer be considered human.

"U-U-Um," she stammers, nervously playing with a filthy stuffed bear in her hands.

"Ho ho, relax girl. Take a deep breath. Continue when you are ready," he reassures.

The girl takes a couple gulpfulls of air and then stares straight into his eyes. "I'm Lilac."

"Well, Lilac. I see that you seem to be having a bit of trouble with your leg."

"O-Oh, um, I'm used to it. Sarah helps me when it gets heavy."

"Is Sarah your caretaker?"

"Yeah! She's really nice. Sometimes I get sad because my mom didn't want me, but Sarah is nicer than my mom so I like her more."

"Oh, you poor child. Why would a mother possibly abandon such a cute girl like you?"

"I don't know. Sarah said I was this big-" she says, cupping her hands into a little ball, "-when she found me. I think it's because of my leg."

Abandoning children, no matter what abnormalities or physical conditions they may have, is forbidden as stated in the Nox Caelum constitution. Talent, and the pursuit of skill, is not wholly dependent on one's current state of body, but Xeros understands why such situations may occur. Children are treated as a blank slate in this nation, belonging to no specific layer and treated equally, and having a child excel and rise to a layer above one's own allows the parent to benefit from their success, provided they loved the child enough for them to care about filial duty afterwards.

Unfortunately, a certain stigma has become rampant throughout the populace that a faulty child is the byproduct of a faulty parent. The adults are treated with disdain, so if therein lies the possibility of such humiliation in the future, then they would rather remove the risk altogether.

It is quite the shame, but such behavior does not go unpunished. The child's birth and their future education is strictly documented to prevent these types of situations, and if the parents fail to adequately explain the reason for the disappearance...well, Xeros reckons Lilac's parents have already long left this world. But, she doesn't need to know that.

"I see," Xeros says, kneeling down to her level and dirtying his attire. "Children such as you are so very precious, and for you to befall such a tragedy at so tender an age...it deeply saddens me. Say, what would you do if your leg were to be healed?"

"Healed?" she asks, clearly puzzled at the question. "Um...I want to run. I-I've never done it before, but I see other people do it all the time and I want to do it too."

"How innocent." He smiles. "Then, let me fulfill that dream of yours."

Xeros turns around and gathers some nearby scrap and metal. It has been an age since he has personally dirtied his hand with craft, but instinct tends to stick with you no matter how much time passes.

Luxanne appears quite perplexed, as do the other residents of The Slums, watching him tinker and mold the scrap. Here is the highest authority in the nation, a Ruler that stands above all, dirtying himself with common labor. A most peculiar sight it must be, but peculiarity drowns out loathing. He can see the animosity dimming in their eyes; everything is going as planned.

Eventually, Xeros finishes his creation and holds out a leg-shaped metal mold for all to see. He presents the device to the little girl and gestures for her to try it on.

"Now, place your leg in this little casing here as if you were putting on a shoe," he says.

"Ok!" She does as Xeros says and puts her bad leg into the machine. The device begins to whir and glow, but it is not yet complete.

"How is it? Do you feel any pain?"

"Nope!"

"That is good. Now, inject your aura into your leg."

"What's aura?"

"Do you ever feel a slight tingling sensation within your chest sometimes such as when you are feeling sad or in pain?"

"Oh, yeah! I do!"

"Remember back to that feeling, and try to move it into that leg of yours. You do not have to try hard; it should be a gentle process."

Lilac closes her eyes. A few moments pass, the air as silent as the dead, but eventually she succeeds and the machine roars to life. It startles her and she begins to fall back, but her new prosthetic catches her fall and plants itself firmly into the ground.

"W-Wha, huh!?" she stammers.

Xeros pats her on the shoulder and points to the distance. "Now, how about you test out that new leg of yours?"

She tentatively takes a step forward. Then another, and another, and another, until eventually she breaks out into a full sprint and dashes around the scrapyard with the energy of a thousand children. She jumps, she leaps, she soars, and she yells out in glee as tears flow down her tiny face. The Slum residents look on with awe, throats clogged with happiness upon witnessing the joy of a little girl finally experiencing what it's like to have a normal body.

After a while, she uses her new agility to crash straight into Xeros's arms, sending him tumbling on the ground below.

"T-T-Thank you," she blubbers, covering his coat in tears and snot.

"Hoh, you are very welcome my dear," he says, gently comforting her as she continues to sob into his chest. "Children should never be forced to endure such hardship. Remember, as long as you remain steadfast in your will and devote your everything into improving yourself, then nothing is impossible."

He picks her up and places her on his shoulders. "Come, Lilac. I shall lead you to a place where you will never have to worry about hunger or poverty again. Instead, you shall be able to learn whatever you wish."

"Really?" She squirms around his shoulders at the thought, but her voice suddenly becomes sad. "Um...what about Sarah and everyone else? I don't want to leave them."

"Never to fear, my dear. You shall be able to visit them whenever you wish in your free time. This isn't goodbye for any of you, rather a new beginning."

"Yay! You're really, really nice."

"I'm glad you think that way, Lilac."

The two laugh, and The Slums becomes enveloped in a merry atmosphere. Tears are shed, celebration ensues, and the dregs line up one by one to congratulate Lilac on her new opportunity. Everyone is happy. Everyone is full of joy.

Everyone, except Luxanne.