Arknights : Final Rebirth - Gladius Belii

[E] Chapter 0 - Prologue

"Mono/Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

Narration

Year: 7193.

Location: Imperial Sector Alpha, Alpha Soldius System, Trading World C-I-R 1180.

POV: Narrator

The universe of the early 8th millennium is a hardly peaceful time. Humanity had embarked on the first celestial voyage more than 5000 years ago... but alas the uncharted cornucopias of galaxies filled with bounty poisoned the spirit of camaraderie between them. More damningly is the fact that planets filled with bounty, riches, and luxury once thought to be impossible only cause humanity to further drift away from one another...

Humanity was truly fragmented by the first, and hopefully last, War in Heaven, a calamitous war of the 4th millennium. Hundreds of worlds were shattered, billions or perhaps trillions had died, and unmitigated economic decline and depression plagued humanity in its entirety. The war lasted for 70 years, and the damages caused were more than enough to leave remnants of the war to sue for peace. Salvaging what's left but letting the hatred fester all the same.

But war is, sadly, always a part of human nature... any cooperation and effort to mend the wounds humanity inflicted upon itself has mostly lost to history, propaganda, deceit, and general ignorance regardless of deliberate method or pure coincidence.

Humanity's worst fear was once again manifested in the worst way possible. The second War in Heaven had finally started... with arguably tens of trillions of projected human casualties...

Year 7193, March 19th.

Location: Imperial Sector Alpha, Alpha Solidius System, Trading World C-I-R 1180.

POV: Eleana Castita.

2nd years into the Second War in Heaven.

"Haha! Come here you little rascals!" A man bellows playfully. His old looks betray the energy he manages to show the children. His graying hair looks dazzling even though the dullness showcases the history behind it.

"Wahh! The monster is here! Run!" the children laugh with the same playful enthusiasm. They are not just any kids however, they are a bunch of noisy cute little gremlins who had come with nothing. This is the place for the forgotten, unwanted, and left by the world, he is one of them.

"Hush now! don't run around too much or else Nyx would have to fix you up again!" I chide them to be more careful and mindful of their surroundings. Nyx just flashed me a playful grin. "Oh come on, Ela. They are only doing a little bit of trolling here and there." Goodness, this man... I can only sigh, but can't help a smile forming on my face.

'Well... that's precisely why someone scary looking like him had been readily accepted around here.' I fondly recalled a memory of when he struggled to get close to the children at first, how he was despairing like it was the end of the world at the sight of children making themselves scarce. He was feared because of his stature, and history of being a veteran.

How he had done a lot of things, including knitting a doll for one of the children. Now, they called him Big Bro or Uncle.

"Big Bro! You're going to be a hero right!?" An innocent and good-natured question perhaps, but Nyx's expression froze for a mere moment, imperceptible by the children, but I can see the clear pain marring his expression briefly.

"O-oh yeah! Of course!" A wistful smile graced his scars-riddled visage. All of the children around him become giddy with excitement. They look up to him as their "hero" so to speak.