The air above the Central Spire was eerily quiet, save for the occasional whir of patrol drones scanning the horizon. The city, located in the heart of the planet-state formerly ruled by King Eptor, had fallen into a tense and turbulent rhythm. But within the tall, obsidian tower rising at the city's core, Cloud Solslade stood by a large window, his arms folded, a calm glint in his eye.
"Let's leave this place," Cloud said, turning slightly to glance at Noir. "I have something to show you."
Noir followed silently. He had long stopped trying to predict what Cloud would do next. The blue-scaled Dragon-Kin, whose demeanor swung effortlessly between eccentric and terrifying, had proved to be anything but ordinary.
They made their way to the control deck, a sleek chamber lit by luminescent panels and shimmering screens. Cloud pressed a button and brought up a live hologram of the city.
"They should be arriving in five minutes."
Noir blinked. "Who?"
Cloud smirked. "The rebellion."
As if on cue, red alert symbols flashed across the screens. Rebel forces had begun swarming the perimeter, explosions lighting up the edge of the city. Noir stepped back in awe.
"You knew they were coming today?"
"Of course," Cloud said with a small grin. "I planned for it."
On the screens, dozens of rebel warriors poured in. But they weren't greeted with chaos—instead, automated defenses launched strategic counterstrikes. Barricades rose, drone strikes deployed, and escape routes were blocked with surgical precision. Cloud didn't flinch once.
"They think they're clever," he murmured, casually sipping tea. "But you can't outplay someone who designed the game."
Noir was speechless. The rebellion's grand attack was unraveling like a joke.
A rebel broke through and ran toward the spire, only to be met with a puddle of jelly. He slipped, flipped upside-down in midair, and landed squarely on his own face.
"That was Larry," Cloud noted. "He always rushes in without thinking."
Noir gave a single laugh, unsure if it was out of amusement or fear.
Suddenly, everything slowed down.
Noir looked at Cloud. The blue-scaled man had gone quiet, staring distantly as the rebellion unfolded below. Then, in that moment, Cloud began to speak—not to Noir, but to himself.
---
"As long as I could remember, I had always been alone.
Sure, there were other Dragon Kin. But none were blue.
I felt different. I felt... wrong.
Until...
I voiced my concerns to my people.
They helped me. They gave me structure, guidance.
They made me who I was today.
For the first time in my life, I enjoyed what I felt. Not power. Not superiority.
Connection.
And I wanted everyone to feel this.
I thought if I could expand this connection—to all races, all peoples—maybe peace was possible.
But then war came.
My kinsmen marched off.
And they never came back.
Only children were left.
So I realized—if I wanted to preserve this joy... I had to be the villain.
I had to unite the world against a common enemy.
Me."
---
The memory faded.
Noir was still watching Cloud, who hadn't moved.
Then, as if nothing had happened, Cloud clapped his hands. "Time to raise the stakes."
He pressed a button and his voice echoed across the city: "To everyone in the capital, gather in the Town Square. A speech is imminent."
Within minutes, the square was packed. Hundreds upon hundreds of citizens, soldiers, spies, and perhaps hidden rebels too. The sky glowed red with the fading sun, casting elongated shadows across the plaza.
Cloud stood atop a platform, arms behind his back, the wind tugging at his long coat. Noir stood nearby, heart pounding.
Then, from the platform's edge, Cloud stepped forward.
But it wasn't Cloud. Not really.
It was his clone.
Identical in form and presence, the clone addressed the crowd with a calculated arrogance.
"Today, I bring you no promises. Only facts. You cannot beat me. You cannot change this world by shouting in the streets. So either fall in line... or fall."
A gasp ran through the crowd.
A woman screamed, someone threw a rock, and just like that—chaos.
The clone stood tall as rebels emerged from all directions.
Noir turned his head, watching the trap unfold.
"He's buying time," Noir whispered to himself. "But for what?"
Cloud, the real one, remained unseen. He had vanished.
And as the city burned brighter into night, a storm brewed just beneath the surface.