A man, presumably in his early thirties, appeared on the projector’s screen. The man’s luscious golden hair appeared tied up in a neat ponytail; the attire worn symbolised his affinity to a conqueror’s bloodline, complete with his unwavering gaze carrying dignified affluence.
Murmurs and whispers descended upon the theatre.
“Who is that person on our screens?”
“Wake up, everyone, something’s going on…”
“Who is that?!”
“It has been thirty years since the world ended.”
The emblem on the hijacker’s coat fashioned a new design. There were lions from an era. Some winged animals from another. And reptiles, to name a few. The new Drazen Empire crest had become a chimaera-like fusion of various factions who ruled in their respective eras into one solitary, unified emblem.
“Where are my manners?” The man smirked, “Pardon me for not introducing myself. I am Swaine Drazen, the Crown Prince of the Drazen Empire. It is a pleasure to introduce myself to you, the citizens of the United Atlantea Federation.”
The Drazen Empire had a storied legacy of ruling the earth with otherworldly strength. However, their feats of dominance had faded into history due to a violent revolution a century ago. The truth was, nobody thought they would ever have a resurgence after that horrific purge.
“Drazen…?”
“What is Drazen?”
“What Empire?”
“The Drazen Empire has been rebuilding since the Singularity War. It has been a challenging endeavor but we have managed to do what we can to move forward. A long time ago, Drazen was a sprawling continent with various countries. This was the time before the catastrophe when we could not find peace. We had our differences, but this is not a topic of discussion today; the message I intend on relaying to you is of greater importance.” The prince took a deep breath, taking a few seconds of respite. “When the Singularity War unravelled and spread to our borders, that marked the Drazen Empire’s revival. I’m sure you,” he pointed his finger, “The citizens of the United Atlantea Federation know about it. After all, you are the survivors of your fallen technological utopia.”
“What is this bloke talking about?”
“Y’all heard that?”
“Thanks to the North’s technological marvels, the world could enjoy the greatest luxuries. Several developing nations had an improvement in quality of life due to the North’s foreign aid policies. This is a fact I cannot refute, for the benevolent hand of the technocrats reached far and wide, like a hydra with many heads.”
The projected screen showcased a world map different from the version the Federation’s youths had seen growing up.
“Is the world…really that big?”
“There’s no way that map is real.”
“This fellow is pulling our legs.”
Akin to a sea of blooming lycoris flowers, the map turned red. Several countries on the map turned blood red, including Drazen and North Atlantea.
“Hey, why is it turning red?”
“It’s like a watermelon bursting!”
“Fruit punch!!! Fruit punch!!!”
“The final innovation of North Atlantea resulted in the Singularity War. As a result, ninety per cent of humanity perished. Can you see the sea of blood on the map? Look at it closely…”
“Yeah, that’s not our problem!”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Foreign objects–paper cups, lecture notes, napkins–flew in the projected screen’s direction.
“...What followed suit was an era of rebuilding. Globalisation, as we knew it, ended. The world swore to honour the mistakes committed by the previous technocratic and political regimes. How quickly that changed thirteen years ago…Words…are just words after all.”
Images of engineered feats–foreign objects to the eyes of the youths–appeared on the projector. A creeping thought pricked Neptune’s neck as he witnessed his fellow citizens whipping out their smartphones to take snippets.
Hold on…These images look oddly familiar.
A video started playing, showcasing the emergence of a landmass rising from the depths of the abyss. This landmass had an architectural design that did not fit with the official timeline of history; its aura gave off a mystical feel, with emerald energy particles floating around, defying the laws of physics and gravity.
On that day in A.W. 17, the world stopped to marvel at this glorious revelation. It seemed as though Atlantis, the mythical civilisation that sunk to the ocean’s floor, had found its way back to Earth.
*
“Papa…? W-what’s going on?”
“Son.”
His father carried him to the balcony in the master bedroom. His mother was also awake; the aura of emerald lights captured her attention while whispering and rubbing her giant belly.
Something caught his attention in the sky, but there was no way an island could ever float in the skies. But there it was, an island suspended in the skies. Rubbing his eyes, he wanted to wake up. But no, this is reality.
“How…?!?! I thought it ended with him?”
His father’s final words remain a mystery to this day. And it also marked the last time Neptune saw his father.
*
“The landmass codenamed New Atlantis appeared thirteen years ago. The Drazen Empire and the United Atlantea Federation agreed to sign a memorandum to launch a joint task force to research it. We had to prevent another arms race between the other survivors to preserve peace. Our combined intelligence sources revealed that the Tundralands…” The prince paused a second too long. “...And the Republic of Azea survived.”
In the Frostlands, near the tip of the icy sphere, the superpower nation of Tundralands, a winter wonderland deep inside the mountains with rumours of ancient giants and beasts calling it home.
As for the latter, when the Singularity War began, the Republic of Azea was the first country to avoid the gruesome fate countries suffered. Their rumoured arsenal of technology far exceeding North Atlantea's capabilities saved them from utter collapse, shrouding the Republic from any form of contact with the rest of the world. The mythical land in the east had become lost in time.
“If the Republic of Azea and Tundralands were to harness this technology ahead of us, there might be a chance the world would soon fall into the same spiral again, one which we wanted to avoid since the Singularity War. However, the moment we launched the joint research effort, something unforeseen happened,” The prince’s gaze, with rage in his eyes, sent digital shockwaves to the Federation, “The Empire’s representatives on the New Atlantis passed away on that island, with their bodies never returning to rest. We believed that the Federation would never double-cross us…However, we were wrong. After an internal investigation, the Drazen Empire discovered the Federation betrayed us.”
More stuff flew like crumpled javelins toward the screen.
“Lies!”
“Lies!”
“Liar!”
“We have learned that the Federation has actively sought new scientific developments with the instruments of destruction plundered from the island. As avid students of history and to prevent another disaster like the Singularity War from repeating itself, the Drazen Empire will undertake the noble task of becoming the guardians of this realm. In the name of preserving peace and charting a future for humanity, we will declare a proclamation of war against the United Atlantea Federation.”
The screen started to fizzle out.
“We will invade Atlantea unless the United Atlantea Federation repents for their betrayal and surrenders the technology plundered from the New Atlantis.”
Before the feed cut out, the prince’s final words silenced the captive audience, rendering them speechless at the prospect of war.
“In the name of the Drazen Empire, we will see you on the battlefield.”
“Everyone, don’t move!”
Several youths screamed and clasped their ears as the fear of uncertainty filled their malleable souls. Emergency sirens started blaring. More bright red flashing lights added further distress in the theatre. The crimson beams drowned the atmosphere, infiltrating their sensory receptors like bulls seeing that bloody shade of chaos.
“Ah!!!”
“Mommy! Daddy!”
In a crimson-themed asylum, Neptune remained unfazed by these parlour tricks.
“It’s as though…”
An analogue idol observed the maddened crowd shouting and grabbing one another to vent their frustrations on the surge of negative emotions swelling in hearts of darkness.
“I knew it.” The overwhelming disdain for the Federation’s lies caused Neptune to groan in displeasure. “I know you want to see our reaction to this. Don’t you?”
“If the Federation gives up the North. If only they would tear it down, but…”
Looking deep into the historical figure enshrined for eternity in the coin’s design retrieved from his pocket, he squinted at the synchronicity.
“...That’s impossible.”
The gold coin featured Nero, a symbolic figure from a distant past. Rumours had it that Nero once burned the city he was emperor in as it fell from grace. Nobody knew if such an event had ever taken place. Even if it did, nobody cared.