The Royal yacht of Eleftheria glided silently across the great river of Nist, its hull cutting through the inky waters like a blade through silk. The Nist, a marvel of nature that carved the continent of Bastion into six distinct realms, stretched before them, its banks shrouded in mist. Some natives whispered that it was the longest river in the world, its serpentine body extending over 7000 km, a liquid border between nations and ideologies.Despite the technological marvels that dotted the Bastion continent - nuclear arsenals that could turn cities to ash and battleships that could level coastlines - the people still hadn't conquered the skies. The absence of air travel made the waterways the lifeblood of the continent, and ships its beating heart.In the opulent sitting room of the royal yacht, a figure sat hunched over a mahogany desk, the soft glow of a lamp casting long shadows across his face. Crown Prince Orion Darkwood, a man of twenty-five with hair as dark as a raven's wing

14 DAYS AgoIn the football stadium of the great institution of learning in the capital of Victoris. There stood a man behind the pulpit. A handsome, tall, and imposing young man with an extraordinary temperament and bearing as he spoke in an eloquent tone to his audience composed of elderly men and ladies, middle-aged men and women, and thousands of young men and women some of which were dressed in graduation attires.“I have to say that I'm honored to be invited to the 150th graduation ceremony of the University of Petra, one of our oldest institutions on the continent, to give a speech to the younger generations as they complete their journey of acquiring knowledge in their various fields of expertise. But make no mistake, learning doesn't end within the four walls of an institution.“Life continues to teach us various things through our experiences. Things I have also personally experienced. Over the past couple of months, I have traveled the continent, visiting the various nation

Making his way back towards his waiting limo where his elderly manservant, Weber was holding the door open for him. After Orion got into the car, “Where to next sir? Straight to the Victorian hotel or off to another appointment.”“Back to the hotel. I'm tired and would like to rest. It's been a long day.”As Weber started driving, he struck up a conversation with Orion as that had always been the norm with them. Weber wasn't just a manservant to Orion but was his confidante and advisor to him besides his family. The Royal family of Eleftheria had great trust in him for his loyalty and besides that, he had been at Orion's father's side since his youth. Moreover, he had been present for most of Orion's childhood so it is not an exaggeration to say that he had practically raised Orion like an uncle alongside his father as well. So he was family to Orion as well despite that he never fails to address Orion with the proper method of address for a Prince even when they are alone like now.

In a secret lab with rows of men in containment tubes numbered from one to fifty filled with water as a respirator covers their mouths and noses. A short and plump old man in his fifties could be seen looking at some charts on the computer as the lights from the screen reflected from the spectacles covering his small beady eyes.“Good morning, Doctor Octigenti. I hope you are putting to good use the huge funds that have been given for your pet project.” the beautiful woman with an intense gaze, olive skin, and dark eyes teased as she walked out from the elevator door that led to the lab. It was the only exit in and out of that secret facility and can only be accessed by an authorized personality with the highest level of clearance in Krypteia of which the beautiful woman was amongst.“Good morning, Vice-captain Deveraux. Yes! Indeed. On the contrary, I have.” the doctor replied perfunctorily.“Excellent! The top brass wants to see what your creation is capable of. Think of it like a

Still, in his Near Death state, Orion was experiencing another memory from his past. This time as a teenager. A thirteen-year-old Orion sat glued in front of the television at this moment, his eyes transfixed on the large screen as he watched a spectacular boxing match between two men, one in red trunks wearing black gloves and the other in blue trunks with white gloves.The voice of one of the four commentators who was sitting close to the boxing ring could be heard clearly from the large speakers on the television.“So far, both Forster and Cruiser have been evenly matched from the early rounds.”The names of the boxers in red and white boxing trunks were Forster and Cruiser respectively. He continued saying, “It's quite impressive that Forster has been able to go the distance with the much younger Cruiser. His stamina has been quite impressive due to his age. Being 36 years old, and still being able to move and trade shots like that with a 24-year-old takes a lot of heart.”The se