— Evening - The Sky Above Sector Alpha City —
The sleek black jet bomber soared through the clear blue sky at an altitude of 1524 meters, high above Sector Alpha City. From this height, the target on the ground looked no bigger than a toy model. The command center had a clear view of the target despite the dim sunlight.
In the command room, the target picture from the targeting drone was displayed clearly on the screen. As the plane approached closer to the target, the commanding officer's hand began to shake, feeling the immense pressure weighing on his mind.
"We had no choice. May God forgive us," the commanding officer murmured to himself, knowing that he was about to order a massacre of innocent people.
"Confirm the target, Nest to Eagle, release the payload," the command center's voice crackled through the pilot's headset.
In the cockpit, Homer, the volunteer for the mission, hummed while piloting the plane.
"Long live His Majesty!" Homer shouted with fanatical belief, truly convinced that his actions would bring glory to himself and his family, and protect his king and country as it had been touted in Tessia Kingdom's propaganda. Unlike his commanding officer, he felt no regret or remorse.
With a touch of his finger, the black bomb, capable of destroying the entire condominium, was released toward the target. Unknown to anyone, including the commanding officer, the standard bomb had been swapped with a higher-yield bomb.
This was a secret order from Lucien, who had used the identity of the king to order another team to swap the bomb. The bomb Lucien had ordered to swap was the Magic Artifact created by the dwarf with a mixture of ancient and modern techniques, specifically designed to be used in wars between mages.
Named the "Mana Blast Bomb," it could penetrate and destroy mage mana shields even from mages who specialized in protection spells.
ραndαsnοvεl.cοm The black bomb went straight down to the condominium, its trajectory aimed at the center of the building. The bomb was guided by the system from the command room.
"May God forgive us..." The commanding officer uttered with guilt as he clasped his hands together and prayed to God.
On the ground, life was normal and peaceful for the people living in the condominium and the surrounding area. Many people were going about their daily lives, either indoors or outdoors.
Couples were spending time together, enjoying the beautiful view of the city from the condominium. They whispered sweet nothings to each other, lost in the moment.
Children walked hand in hand with their parents, chatting and laughing as they made their way home.
Some toddlers and babies were already asleep in their cozy homes, tucked in their beds by their parents. They were completely unaware of the chaos that was about to unfold.
Meanwhile, in his workshop, Daniel was putting the finishing touches on his latest artifact. He had spent two days working on it, trying out different ideas to make it just right. Outside, the world was peaceful, the sounds of laughter and chatter filling the air.
It was just another day, like any other, and there was nothing to suggest that anything was amiss. The residents of the condominium had no idea that their lives were about to be shattered by a single, catastrophic event.
Michaela greeted Daniel as he walked out of his workshop, completely unaware that a black bomb was about to fall from the sky and hit the condominium. The object was too high for her to sense any malicious intent, even if there had been any.
Suddenly, a sharp wheezing sound filled the air, and Michaela's instincts kicked in. She quickly transformed into her archangel form, using all her power to rush to Daniel's side and protect her lord.
Booooooooooooooooommmm!!!
The deafening roar of the bomb echoed far and wide, its power unleashing destruction upon the land. The intense heat and force of the explosion annihilated any semblance of human civilization in its vicinity.
Rubble and shards of grass were shattered by the sonic boom before being engulfed in flames and smoke.
All life exposed to the heat was instantly reduced to ashes, leaving behind no trace of existence. Within a radius of 1.5 kilometers, nothing remained standing, all objects obliterated to debris and charred remnants, impossible to differentiate between human remains and objects.
Once-highrise buildings now lay in ruins, and the atmosphere was tainted with despair and sadness as the scene of devastation unfolded before onlookers.
The once-beautiful city was now an unrecognizable wasteland, with nothing left but the remnants of what used to be a thriving community. The scale of the destruction was staggering, and the impact on the survivors was indescribable. It was a tragedy that would forever be etched into the memories of those who witnessed it.
____
Inside the cockpit, Homer hums a tune, his heart racing in excitement as he anticipates the nice bonus he would receive for this mission. He believes that he has eradicated the enemy of the royal family and vanquished evil, even though it came at the cost of many lives. According to what he knows, the terrorist he just eliminated was the mastermind behind many unfortunate events that happened in the kingdom.
"Rest in peace. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten by the kingdom," said Homer, smiling as he turned back towards his base.
"Mission accomplished. Return to base," the command center crackled through Homer's pilot headset, instructing him to return.
— Tessia Kingdom Air Force Base —
The commanding officer's mind was in turmoil. He had followed orders, as he had always done, but this time the consequences were too great to ignore. He couldn't help but feel guilty for what had happened, for the lives lost and the families shattered.
He was responsible for trading thousands of innocent lives for the elimination of a powerful mage who was deemed an enemy of the royal family.
As he sat there in the command center, his hands shaking uncontrollably, a single tear rolled down his cheek. He couldn't believe that he had been a part of something so horrific, so devastating.
He believed that what he did was for the kingdom and for the country, but was it worth it? Was it worth sacrificing so many lives for the sake of eliminating one person?
For the first time, he began to doubt the commands from the royal family. Were they really worth this much? The weight of his actions was beginning to bear down on him, and he knew that he would carry this guilt with him for the rest of his life.
Elina's heart was heavy with guilt and regret as she sat in the air force-base jail cell. She bit her lip hard, causing blood to trickle down her chin, as she punished herself for not being strong enough to stop the madness that had led to the deaths of so many innocent people.
She tried her best to hide her pain, but she could hear the cries and curses of the other prisoners around her who felt the same as her. Some were young, some were old, and all were filled with a deep sense of anger and betrayal.
Despite the law prohibiting them from speaking out against or opposing the royal family, some of the prisoners roared like madmen, cursing not only the higher-ups but also the royal family itself.
Ten minutes later, a familiar figure strode into the jail area. It was none other than Homer, Elina's rival, dressed in his pilot suit, coming to gloat at her.
"You damn murderer!" one of the soldiers who opposed the command yelled at Homer, his eyes blazing with fury.
Homer sneered in response. "We are the soldiers of His Majesty The King. We follow his orders to eliminate his enemies! And those lives lost will be remembered as martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the king and country! They should be honored." His fanatic beliefs made it clear to everyone present how loyal he was to the royal family.
"Soldiers of the king? Hah!" Elina scoffed. "Don't forget that your salary is paid by the very people you just killed in the name of the royal family. The taxes come from their money, and their money comes from their sweat, blood, and tears. They are the ones who truly feed you."
Full of fanaticism Homer exclaimed, "It is their honor to work and die for the royal family."
He then tried to call his pregnant wife on his smartphone, eager to boast about how heroic he was. However, the call didn't connect as if there was no phone on the other side.
He dialed again, but there was still no answer. His heart sank momentarily, but he remembered that his home was at the border of Sector Alpha City, so there was no way she would be in the blast. His smile returned, never ceasing to annoy the rebel within the jail cell.
Homer sat in the jail area for half an hour, watching the news about the incident he had caused when a high-ranking soldier entered. The soldier's rank was much higher than Homer's, as indicated by his badges and honor decorations, revealing that he was an Air Force general.
"Congratulations, Captain Homer! You're being promoted! The High Command appreciates your sacrifice!" The General saluted Homer.
Homer's smile widened as he saluted back. "Of course, General! I am a loyal subject and soldier of the king, after all," he said, attempting to flatter the general in front of him.
The General smiled kindly and nodded in appreciation. "You are truly loyal to the royal family. The family will remember your family's sacrifice!"
Homer's face grew solemn. "What did you say, sir?" he asked.
The General smiled at Homer and patted his shoulder.
"Your wife was caught in the blast. She was shopping there, about to give birth, and the hospital nearest to the mall was the target. You should be honored. Your wife was a hero, sacrificing her life for the royal family," he said without any remorse.
Homer forced a smile, thinking that the General must be joking. However, the TV in the jail cell confirmed the faces of the people caught in the blast, and one of them was his pregnant wife.
"Now, do you feel overwhelmed with honor, Homer?" Elina asked with a mix of sarcasm and pity in her voice.
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