Three generations ago, the rainy nation of Nimbria, located in the central-northern part of the continent, changed its name to Nova Orda after concluding a long and bloody conflict. Eridia, its neighbor to the west, had been its main adversary, with the support of the "magicians" from Feng, a mysterious transatlantic nation from the far east, with customs and attire considered extravagant by the locals.

General Leopoldo I, a war hero on the front lines, became the de facto leader of the nation during the conflict. However, his ambition didn't stop there. With the army on his side and the assistance of some noble families, Leopoldo rebelled against Nimbria's original government and seized absolute power, changing the name and direction of the nation. He established a military regime that banned any approach to the hitherto unexplored "magic," fiercely persecuting those who attempted to understand or practice it, accusing them of being pro-Fengnians, pro-Eridians, and traitors to the new homeland.

Exploiting the nationalism that always arises with war, he easily instilled the idea of magic—and everything originating from Feng—as something aberrant and monstrous. Despite the occasional appearance of curious or unfortunate individuals who could be attributed with "magical" characteristics for one reason or another, making it impossible to completely eradicate the aberration, the fear and rejection instilled in the inhabitants of the nascent Nova Orda were enough to garner societal support for his regime.

Leopoldo I's rise to power was meteoric, going from a mere warlord to ruling the entire nation. His ruthless government left no room for opposition, and he soon became a lifelong ruler, respected and feared by all citizens. As is often the case in such situations, Nova Orda became a closed and oppressive society, where freedom and individual rights were sacrificed in the name of order and stability.

Seventy-five years later, under the rule of Leopoldo III, Nova Orda has experienced relative economic stability, partly thanks to the liberalization of trade. Merchant ships that were once restricted to national ports can now travel freely across the seas, and businesses have flourished along the country's coasts and rivers.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

However, the regime's iron fist remains evident in many aspects of life in Nova Orda. Political opposition is nonexistent, and dissent is quickly suppressed by the regime's secret police. What is understood as magic is still considered terrorism, and anyone suspected of possessing such abilities is investigated and, if their suspicion is confirmed, arrested and sent to prisons for "re-education." Likewise, newborns—at least those conceived in official hospitals—are subjected to tests developed exclusively to detect potential magicians, who are immediately transferred by the government to "rehabilitation" centers, as these abilities would be the seed of foreign threat and treason to the homeland. Of course, both the re-education centers and rehabilitation were merely the official version for the general public. No inhabitant could claim to know any rehabilitated individual or child reintegrated after their stay in one of these centers, which were nothing but prisons.

Currently, Leopoldo III is seen as a firm and relentless leader, more due to propaganda and his policies than his rare public appearances. Although he has allowed some economic liberalization, there has been no significant political reform during his tenure.

Of course, anyone with characteristic Fengnian features is still looked down upon by the general population and can be detained by state security agents at any moment. The exception to this rule occurs almost entirely in cases of trade, for those who, for work or hidden interest, have to deal with the occasional Fengnian on the coasts. It is not uncommon to see them disembark from ships to—legally or not—deliver their previously ordered products or to settle for a few days to offer goods.

Despite the challenges facing Nova Orda's population, many citizens have learned to live within the government's mandates.

For some, the stability and security offered by Leopoldo are more important than political freedoms and, even more so, than the chaos that would entail dealing with loose magicians in the city.

But for others, the regime's oppression and the prohibition of magic—which often appears unexpectedly—are a constant source of resentment and potential rebellion, mainly in the less affluent areas where surviving without starving or freezing to death on the streets for another month is still often an odyssey.

The following story takes place in this spatiotemporal context, on the outskirts of Valtoria, capital of Nova Orda, in one of the many prisons for magicians established in this nation.