The three moons hung in the sky.
The ruined city bathed in silver moonlight.
Dark clouds covered the tip of the tower.
Occasional purple lightning flashed.
A tiny portion of the dimensional rift was vaguely visible.
The planet turns. The dimensional rift is stationary.
At night, the rift is not visible.
Roads led out of the city.
Several kilometers away, amid the roads, stood a metal dome structure.
A line of bulletproof glass went all around the dome.
A strange scene amid the roads. An odd building.
Yet no one minded it.
NO!
There was no one left to mind it.
It stood alone. Unbothered. Silent.
A figure stood inside.
The moonlight shone on his face.
He gazed outside.
His thoughts wandered. Expression dark, troubled.
The commander.
Swoosh!
An automatic metal door slid open.
Vivian walked in.
"Commander,"
She placed her right fist on the left side of her chest.
A sign of respect to the superiors.
"It's only something we came up with to establish the hierarchy."
The commander waved his hand dismissively.
He didn't bother glancing at her.
"Between us, there is no need to use it."
"Yes,"
She nodded.
"Commander, the Refinement team and Research team are assembled."
She reported.
"But at the moment, they don't have anything to work with."
"Mmhh…"
The commander nodded, still looking outside.
His gaze focused on the mountain in the distance.
The mountain dozens of kilometers away.
The forest-covered mountain.
"I've used my ability."
Vivian continued.
"I found the best ways to utilize the various abilities for combat. Commander, I'll assemble the battle team in just two days."
The commander stayed silent.
Vivian stood by his side, patiently waiting for his instructions.
Silence ruled the room.
They listened to the beating of their hearts.
"Vivian,"
The commander broke the silence.
He looked at her, his gaze sharp.
"I know what you did,"
Vivian's eyes widened.
Her body shook.
She lowered her head, bracing for the scolding to come.
"I apologiz…"
"Do you think I'm a bad leader?"
"Eh?"
Vivian looked up.
Her eyes wide. Caught off guard by the question.
Their eyes met.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Tears welled in her eyes.
For the first time, she had seen the commander like this.
His eyes were full of uncertainty.
It shattered her heart.
How did the high, mighty commander end up like this?
The pressure caught up to him.
He crumbled.
"I wouldn't dare!"
She kneeled.
"I apologize if my actions suggested that."
Her heart pounded. Pounded in fear.
Fear of the commander's crumbling.
"Vivian, in your opinion, what makes a great leader?"
"Commander, I don't think I'm qualified to…"
"Please answer me,"
His voice trembled, no longer authoritative.
He wasn't ordering, he was pleading.
Pleading for answers.
Pleading for someone to light his road.
Pleading for a road to follow.
She had been his secretary for years.
They were aware of their feelings for one another.
But never had she seen this side of him. So weak...so tired...so...broken?
Broken by the world.
Tears rolled down her face.
"Commander!"
Her eyes sharpened.
Determination flashed in her eyes.
'Now, he needs a shoulder to lean on more than ever!'
"Seniors should never abuse their power over inferiors, and inferiors should never curry favors with superiors."
She spoke.
"Unfortunately, it's human nature to desire special treatment.
But preferential treatment breeds corruption. And corruption feeds on humankind's endless greed, something very few individuals could suppress."
The commander listened intently.
His eyes glued to her, expectant of every word leaving her mouth.
"The corruption always appears with its mother, the preferable treatment. When those two occur, the system crumbles.
How could a person in absolute power judge correctly if he is corrupt, which initially means to give someone special treatment?"
The commander's thoughts clashed at lightning speed.
"A leader should be kind and magnanimous, yet ruthless and sharp.
A leader always looks at the bigger picture. Always looking for the greatest benefit of the group, even if it means sacrificing individuals for the group's well-being.
The leader will bear the blame and bear the sin. He won't forget them, but he can't endanger the entire group for them."
The commander glanced out the window.
"Do you think I'm a bad leader?"
"Commander, you are not."
Vivina shook her head.
"But the persona you created to manipulate the board is too soft. It counters their schemes and evil intentions, playing the pig to eat the tiger, but it limits you."
"Commander, you need to install order. And respect."
"Order and respect?"
He muttered.
"Commander, respect doesn't birth fear. But fear births respect,"
"You mean..."
His eyes widened.
Vivian nodded.
"When in danger, humans can come up and do things they never thought were possible. And now with no order to keep them in check, they show their true faces."
Her back straightened.
She saluted.
"Commander, you don't need to destroy your persona."
"I'll be the evil. I'll instill fear in them. I'll kill as many as necessary. Until they all are united under one leader, under you."
Silence descended.
Breathing stopped.
They held eye contact.
Pupils trembled. Hearts pounded.
The commander knew.
They both knew she was ready to go to any extent for him.
But now that she spoke it. And he heard it.
All restraints broke.
Nothing held them back.
Swooosh!
The commander grabbed her.
Her hair passed through his fingers.
He grabbed the back of her head.
Their lips touched. Tongues moved.
A passionate kiss.
Everything fell. Their profesonalizam. Time, circumstances, nothing held them back.
No, they cared no more.
Their love broke out.
And became the shoulder the commander needed to lean on.
His pillar of support.
…
Deep in the city.
The buildings were ravaged. Ruins.
A lonely house protruded from the ruins.
A luxurious house.
Deep cracks went up the walls.
It was on the verge of collapse.
Completely submerged in rubble.
But the rubble actually held it from collapsing.
The roof had not sunk in.
It was covered with sheet metal, not tiles.
Thus, less weight.
A corner of the sheet-metal roof was open.
Forcubly thorn open.
A hole led inside the house.
…
"We-We're gonna die,"
A man mummbled, his voice shaking. Fear.
He sat on the ground, knees hugged to his chest.
He rocked back and forth.
Growl!
His stomach growled.
"W-We can't leave....T-The monsters are outside. We'll starve,"
His eyes weighed.
Face had sunk in. His mouth dry, cracked.
His skin was an unhealthy pale color.
He had starved for a long time.
Rubble covered the floor around.
Rubble seeping in through the broken windows.
Darkness ruled the room.
Only the moonlight shining through the roof hole lit the room.
A pillar of light. A pillar of hope.
Across from him, a young man and a woman leaned against a wall, hugging.
The man was handsome and the woman gorgeous, both with blond hair.
But the days of starvation had diminished their beauty.
Growwl!
The woman's stomach growled.
The young man by her side stole a glance at the other man.
His eyes weary.
Seeing him rocking on the ground, caught in desperation, the young man reached into his pocket.
Swiss.
A sound tore the room.
The sound of thin, plastic foil.
He pulled out a cookie.
Swoosh!
As a wolf sensing its prey, the desperate man sharply turned.
His eyes locked.
'A cookie?'
His pupils trembled in disbelief.
The young man immediately attempted to hide the cookie.
But too late.
A dark, malicious light flashed in the desperate man's eyes.
His face darkened. Veins popped out, his anger boiled.
'A cookie! He saved a cookie till now! And he is trying to hide it from me! He wants to starve me!! HE WANTS TO KILL ME! BASTARD!'
"HARRRRY!!!!!"
He gnashed his teeth.
The creaking of bone meeting bone echoed in the room.
Harry, the man with the cookie, immediately stood up.
"Rone, calm down! I can explain!"
Rone stepped forward.
The pillar of moonlight fell on him.
He raised his head, looking at the outside sky.
The three moons hung.
The malice in his eyes intensified.
Swoosh!
He shot forth, his speed terrifying.
"Damn!"
Harry stepped back.
He put his hands forth, dropping the cookie.
"Lightnin..."
PAM!
He couldn't activate his power.
Rone arrived.
A clean punch landed on his jaw.
Thud!
Harry collapsed.
Rone jumped on him.
Thud! Thud!
The punches fell.
Each punch malicious. Each punch landed on the face.
Harry's girlfriend watched coldly from the side.
"You tried hiding food! You wanted to have it all to yourself! You wanted to make me starve!"
Swoosh!
Rone reached to the side.
He grabbed a stone.
"Die!"
He mercilessly swung down.
POP!
The skull cracked open.
SPLASH!
Blood splashed, spraying on his face. Spraying on his clothes.
But he didn't seem to mind it.
Thud! Splash!
He swung repeatedly.
His gaze fixated on the crack in the skull.
Blood gushed out.
His eyes showed madness.
White brain matter came out.
The ground painted red.
Mushed brain floated in the blood.
A handsome young man turned into a disgusting, cold corpse.
All over a mere cookie.
"Heh," Rone smirked.
"HEHEHEEHEHEHEHE!"
He burst into laughter.
He dropped the stone.
Slap!
He slapped his palm across his face.
His bloody palm.
A bloody palm printed on his face.
Rone laughed hysterically.
He sat on the bloody corpse.
The bloody, metallic stench lingered in the air.
He sat on the bloody corpse like a demon.
"Harry, it seems my dashing ability is better than your lightning!"
He laughed.
Swoosh!
His gaze turned sharply.
His eyes landed on the cookie on the ground.
Thud!
He pounced.
His hands trembled. He picked it up, tearing it open.
Munch! Munch!
He stuffed the cookie in his mouth, munching on it.
Crumbs fell on the ground.
Gulp!
After starving for a week, he finally saw hope. Hope in this cookie.
Thud!
He threw his face on the ground.
His tongue moved, licking the crumbs.
He stopped at nothing, even if his tongue licked blood.
Truly, starvation made a person appreciate even the crumbs.
But it also made him go insane.
The woman stared. Her eyes wide open.
Her heart raced in fear.
Her thoughts clashed, trying to come up with a solution.
Silently, the corners of her lips went up.
"W-What have you done?!"
She shouted, backing away.
Her voice shook, breaking in fear.
Swoosh!
Rone abruptly turned his head, looking at her.
His gaze met with her alluring body.
Plum chest. The outline of her tanga underwear visible through the clothes.
"Hehe…"
Rone laughed.
His eyes flashed with pink light.
An intense lust filled his heart.
"To think the collage beauty would fall in my hands!"
He approached her, licking his dry lips.
"W-What do you want to do?"
She shouted, trying to back away, but the wall behind her blocked her.
A twisted grin spread on his face.
He pounced on her like a beast.
"NO! Let me go."
She struggled.
But starvation had drained her strength.
The sound of fabric tearing echoed through the ruined room.
Moonlight flickered, revealing only shadows and desperate movement.
He defiled her.
But slowly, she reached with her left hand to the side and tightly clenched something in her palm.
Swoosh!
"Bitch!"
Rone roared.
He stopped moving.
He grabbed her hand with both arms.
"Are you trying to kill me…"
But to his pleasant surprise, instead of a rock meant to kill him, he found another cookie in her palm.
"Hahahah…" He laughed. "It seems you are trying to hide food from me as well. You need to be punished!"
He resumed.
Unaware of the movement of her right hand.
Thud!
A dull hit echoed.
Rone froze.
His head split open.
Splash!
Blood splashed.
"Y-You…"
His eyes widened.
Rone collapsed on her.
Blood covered Anne's tender and fit abdomen.
"Get off me, pig,"
She pushed him, disgusted.
She stood up.
Thud! Thud!
Her feet swung.
Stomping his private part.
Thud! Splash!
With two quick movements, she hit his head twice more.
His life ended.
She panted.
Arms trembled. But her eyes didn't.
"Getting you to use my body? I don't mind!"
She threw the stone shard.
It landed near his ruined skull.
Anne gazed at him. Mockery and disgust filled her.
"What if you do me? I'll gladly accept even a hundred men. I'll survive. I care about nothing more. I'll do anything to survive."
She looked at Rone's corpse and her boyfriend's, Harry.
"You couldn't protect me. Couldn't feed me,"
Her face twitched in fury.
"Useless men... terrified to even go outside."
She scoffed.
The moonlight bathed her naked, blood-covered body.
"But you were easy to manipulate."
Her smile widened.
The pink hue faded from her eyes.
"You fell to your lust,"