Nano sat inside a car. This car was headed out of the borders of the Empire. The car itself had a flag of the Empire flying on it. No one stopped the car in the great silence.

“Crocker, how far we?”

“Far nuff’ miss.”

“I see.”

She took a letter. Inside the letter, it read, “The bell has been tolled. You’ve done well in the service of the Magi, and though it is unfortunate that we must crush the Null living inside the Empire. It is our right to do so. For they have violated the old ancient pact. A pact that had been held for years without fail. Truthfully, the work of our new associate would mean that she would be hunted down by the Huntsmen of the Empire. No, I believe that no one could find her unless it would be him. Her work is exemplary. If she survives and still dares to contact the Magi, then we shall allow it. She possesses a great brand on her hand. Nonetheless, we must not be bound by old marks. Once you have read this letter, you shall take the car outside of the hideout, bring Crocker with you and cross the border. The Imperial Majesty will bring forth his wrath to those who have violated the pact of the time of wrath and bring them to their knees. The headmaster and grandmaster of the Null will surely be angered. However, though this task requires great care, I trust that you shall be able to take care of this dilemma.”

Nano looked out. There was no car and a curfew was implemented throughout the city. She had been able to get an early warning and was able to leave the central city because of this letter. The Nullers were not foolish, she truly believed that, and yet their ‘fear’ of this technology blinded them. There was merit to their fear and she heard of men who were close to finding a way to drop the sun. However, the men who had started to build this device had been targeted by Null, and they fear that the ‘demon core’ that had been killing their crew. Man could be superficial when it comes to things that they do not understand.

However, before she got into the car, a little bird told her that a Ghost would visit the Null and the Magi of the City. It was nothing more than indiscriminate judgement led by a Constable of the Empire. There were many reasons to fear the current Emperor and this was many of them. The war had hardened his soldiers and there were many who did not understand that if you want to scheme in the city, then it means you are attracting the rats and birds of the city. However, as they were wary of rats and birds that they did take into account the snakes and spiders crawling up to them.

Nano hated the Imperial City of Arkadia. The bright and hopeful exterior had successfully hidden all the filth and grime that the city had to offer. Those who did not understand the political weather in the city, could not possibly win against the disgusting filth that plays in the quagmire.

If you ignore the interior of shit that the city was made from. Nano could feel that she could blissfully live in ignorance, succumb to the debauchery and filth if she had not seen the city’s true color. She was able to cope with the city because she had the power and the backing of the Lady. If it was not for the Lady, then she would not have taken a step inside the city.

Still, there were only a few who she liked in the city. The one who sold her undiluted whiskey and the woman who would not throw her pride as a freer of tyrant and succumb to that temptation of power.

Nano felt that it was unfortunate that she didn’t want to become the Imperator. However, her refusal only made Nano approve of her as the holder of the Imperator’s Mark. Those who could not stick up their beliefs are nothing more than pretenders.

And it also helped that she admired the Lady Bellatrix who fought in the war with Lady Angelus. She was a model figure, an angel with a scoped rifle that brought courage to women who could only scheme and bring forth their charm. She had proven that she could be a killer and she was unashamed of her achievements in the war. Whatever had happened to the owner of the Imperator’s Mark had made her humble and focus on what she wanted to have. Nano did not lie that if she had wished for it, then the Lady would have made it possible through her connections that she could be groomed into becoming an Imperator that would have ruled the Magi and the Null into submission.

It was truly a divine right that was given to her solely. A kismet that was meant for Natalya Wilde. She had the blood of the Whitefalls. She had the merit to back her status and was hardened and humbled by five-year war against the alliance. She would have been the perfect candidate. If that was not the kismet giving her every right to be the Imperator of the Land.

Truthfully, there were only a few who knew that she had the brand of power. The Imperator’s Mark was a blessing and a curse to those who hold it. 

Blessing that they said that God itself had descended from Heaven, giving the mark of mankind in hopes that they could fend off the evil that comes after the realm of man. Curse that is said to bring forth sorrow to those who hold them until they are broken by their own power. Nano had seen how there was something that weighted the holder of the Imperator’s Mark.

Nano was curious, but in this Great Silence after the bell was tolled. She could not bring herself to ask Natalya about it.

She folded the letter and pocketed it. She leaned on the window of the car and watched the buildings pass by. It didn’t take long before the buildings became rolling hills. Nano saw the train tracks and the passenger trains moving slowly as it began to stop at the station. Crocker tried to play songs on the radio, however, Nano made Crocker stop the radio so she could listen to the sound of nature.

“Crocker, you think that she survives the hunt?”

“Hard to say, ma’am. Saw the ghost back, I know my strength but he can easily break my arm. Doesn’t even look like a mark or a bloom, seems to be the boon that had naturally developed in his physical body. Almost like a naturally borne monster ma'am.” 

Nano widened her eyes. “You have quite the opinion about this Ghost.”

“Cuz he was dangerous before the war, ma’am. Everyone knows what he did in the city during the time he was a student. He took care of the Falcone and the associates within a few days. He’d been crazy about purging the demifiends and we saw the butchery in that place. Big animals turned into only bones and skulls ma’am. Some of them were as big as boulders, and their heads could be seen as one, and yet they seem to think that it was natural. They melted the bones, turned them into furniture and even made them structure. I was part of the group who was invited in the testing of the demifiends, and let me tell you ma’am. It was awful how they treat those fiends. Fiends were supposed to be monsters, but under the young lord was done, they became like pigs ready to be butchered.”

“And so the son became even more of a monster.”

“Yeah, I told that ma'am shouldn’t be involved with him. If we had contacted him, it would have been far bloodier. It was good that we killed Lugi and Devi ourselves, since if he got involved early, then we would have been judged by him early. He has a fast draw, and I don’t think it’d be easy to take him out.”

“You did your research on him.”

“Aye, Ma’am. I was one of the many who in-charge of making tallies for the Lady, Ma’am. Had to count how many killed, and the amount the Ghost had killed with a rifle is already terrifying ma’am. You don’t want to hear the people he killed in close-quarters and with a submachine gun, Ma’am.”

“You’re not afraid, are you?”

“I could say that I am if faced with the Ghost, Ma’am. He moved between lines. Take out enemies without them noticing. What made him dangerous is how he sabotaged the artillery, turning shells into bombs that create craters on the trenches. They already know that he does have a lot of kills under the name he knew. He isn’t called the Butcher of Dinia for no reason, Ma’am.”

“Odd, many would have brought him to a court.”

“No one believe that the Ghost is only one man, Ma’am. Even if they do reveal that he is the Ghost, I doubt many would believe that he is. There has been no evidence, no sightings, and it was outright impossible to point someone that he’s Ghost. The Emperor also thinks that the Ghost can be used as his weapon as well.”

“Do you think that he’s butchering our brothers and sisters now?”

“My heart aches for them, Ma’am. We left them behind and I was starting to like them.”

“Some of them will make it out. However, those who stay will have to unfortunately perish against the Ghost. Once that bell tolls, the Great Silence of the Empire would remain. No one would be allowed and those who are caught will have to be imprisoned. There might be people who could evade the authorities, and some may use it as a chance to rid their enemies. But the Great Silence after the toll of the bell will place the City into a state of fear. I pity the nobles and the statesmen who have to clean the corpses and bodies that will gather on the side of the street after the Huntsmen and the Ghost is done.”

“Pardon me, Ma’am. But was it right to leave her Imperator behind?”

“She’s not the Imperator, and if she doesn’t survive this. Then the Kismet does not ally with her, Crocker. She had plucked the foundations of peace between the two factions. Our Lady is pleased with our results and now requires us to travel to Holmia for a while.”

Crocker quieted. His eyes on the road and his large hands on the steering while. The light flashed on his face and there was a great change on his face.

“The energy is weaker here, Ma’am.”

“I noticed Crocker.”

Nano frowned at the presence of the energy dwindling. It had been fine days ago, and now the energy became so little that the Magi found no reason to be in this place.

One of the reasons that they wanted to keep the rest in the city was that they couldn’t even detect the changes. Nano had started to theorize that there was a singular point where the energy was heading to.

All that energy being stored in a singular point meant that there was someone gathering it. It couldn’t possibly be anyone other than the elders.

“No way that the Imperator’s Mark can be used this early. I know that there is a secret that breaks the one who holds the owner, but it cannot be this. However, it seems that the Lady knows that there was a storm coming to the Capital. I have to thank the Lady for giving us a warning. The bell doesn’t toll easily, and I doubt that they would toll it for the sake of a few fools who do not know their places.”

Nano was sure that there was more to it. But all the instinct that she had refined in her life warned her that she must stay away from this place. 

“Let it burn then,” Nano thought sincerely towards the city she hated.