Breaking The Simulation

Night Constellations

Up above in hidden corners and hard-to-reach places surrounding the square, several figures gathered together, overlooking the central square where a crowd of potential awakeners gathered like ants to a feast.

These people, their presence unknown to those below, watched the situation unfold with critical eyes, making no effort to join in the commotion since for them, their blessings had long since arrived. Now, they were mere spectators of the festivities, and later, would be judges to guide the direction of the blessed.

With mutual understanding, silence reigned among the spectators until a massive column of clouds appeared in the dark sky, preparing to descend.

Gasp!

Haa!

Collective gasps and sighs of astonishment echoed through the group, each person a picture of bewilderment and contemplation.

“That's huge!” someone exclaimed.

“Has there ever been such a massive mana formation on previous blessing days? This should be the first in recorded history, right? What is happening?”

Nobody knew what they were witnessing. According to records from past blessing days, a mana storm like this, which served as a precursor to the beginning of awakening, had never been recorded before. The appearance of such a storm raised several implications that no one was yet aware of.

Regardless of the confusion among the observers, the cloud storm descended onto the earth with a vengeance.

The sheer size of the cumulonimbus mana clouds was so intimidating that people froze in place, like deer caught in headlights. Then just as the clouds were about to strike, intensifying into a cyclone of gushing wind, panic finally ensued.

The force of the descending storm clouds was powerful, possessing a cyclic wind speed so strong it was enough to knock a person off their feet. Like a punch thrown from the heavens, the storm clouds descended, exerting pressure that felt like several kilograms, chilling the air several degrees and making movement difficult.

Those standing in elevated areas were affected the most, with some losing their footing and plummeting to the ground. Others, in a panic, pushed and shoved their way through the crowd in a desperate bid to escape, causing an avalanche of chaos sweeping through the square.

In the turmoil, people fell and were trampled underfoot as screams and cries of agony echoed through the noisy din of the crowd. But amidst this chaos, a few blinding lights suddenly burst forth from the crowd, rising straight toward the heavens like beacons signaling the start of the awakening.

The lights—like a kaleidoscope of different colored brilliance—was a beam of hope, radiating through the dark storm, causing the initial panic to settle and reminding everybody of why they were here.

As more and more lights shot into the sky, the panic gradually subsided, replaced by a new kind of fervor born from the storm.

This was awakening!

This is why they were here… to seek a shred of hope amidst a storm of fate’s whimsy.

Despite its power, the storm posed no severe harm to the majority in the crowd, serving only as a tool to sift the wheat from the shaft, the blessed from the plebeians, making everyone realize what was most important in this moment.

The awakening had begun… and the chosen were about to rise from among the masses.

One by one, more lights emerged from the central square and even from every corner of the fortress.

Beyond the square, it was more peaceful. Apart from the sporadic bursts of light shooting into the sky—bringing waves of cheers and applause from those nearby—it was significantly quieter than in the square. This was not only because of the number of people gathered but also because most of the awakening mana was concentrated around the square in the form of a cumulonimbus storm.

This was an anomaly, and where there are anomalies, mischief is bound to follow, all this stemming from a single individual.

Cale, sitting atop his perch on the wall, was at the very center of the storm's eye. All around him, dark clouds obscured his view, making it impossible to see beyond the thick blanket of rushing wind. Above his head was a narrow funnel of space that allowed a glimpse of the night sky, where stars appeared in an array of interlinking constellations, reminiscent of a program written in code.

It was a spectacular sight, one to which Cale was completely blind to, as he was trapped in his psyche, enduring the murmurs of some unknown entity whispering secrets in his ears.

The night constellation only appeared briefly but like a bonfire lit in the dark of a stormy night, it occupied the entire night sky, managing to catch the attention of a few powerful entities, not only within the fortress but across the entire Cerulean Realm. These entities observed the constellations in an attempt to decipher their secrets; however, before they could glean anything beyond the sparkling surface, the constellations vanished.

At that moment, back in the fortress, Cale opened his eyes, and a blinding burst of light more brilliant than any ever seen before in the entire realm shot from his body into the sky.

Cale's light was so dazzling that it could be seen from every corner of the Cerulean Realm, signaling the arrival of a peerless entity drawing the attention of many and attracting unknown consequences to himself.

…

Suddenly, shadows appeared at the highest point of the central square, where people were observing the events unfolding below. These shadows were cloaked in a seemingly pitch-black blanket—capable of engulfing all light—exuding a powerful presence that created an overbearing pressure all around.

Just as quickly as they had arrived, the darkness swiftly receded, revealing the entities hidden within.

Upon witnessing the identities of the new arrivals, a wave of recognition washed over everyone gathered. They immediately dropped to their knees.

“We welcome the Eminent Overseers!”

Greetings echoed uniformly throughout the square, while shock and surprise marred the faces of those present. With their heads bowed, no one dared to meet the gazes of the newcomers.

Three women appeared unannounced, each possessing wildly distinct styles and appearances. Though their clothing was simple and conservative, the differences in their outfits were highly expressive.

One of them was a plump, dark-skinned lady with a tall and round figure, dressed in a simple freeform robe that shimmered like raindrops in the light and billowed softly like clouds in the wind. Her soft, gentle features were complemented by full cheeks, and her small, beady eyes that glinted with needle-like intensity whenever she looked around.

Next to her stood a woman of lighter complexion, dressed in a form-fitting suede top with long sleeves and a skort that reached just above her knees. A large utility belt possessing numerous pockets sat wrapped around her waist in an androgynous fashion.

Lastly, there was a bulky, muscular woman with a strong marbled physique that seemed carved from finely polished ancient bronze. She wore a large cargo vest over an elbow-length fishnet shirt, paired with long, tight pants made of an unknown material that ended inside sturdy, metallic-looking boots.

Despite their vastly different styles, all three women appeared ordinary, which was incongruous given the formidable pressure their mere presence exerted on those around them.

Ignoring those kneeling before them, the three women looked at each other, observing in their countenance a subtle disenchantment.

They each greeted the other, “Provost Yumi,” the light skinned woman said, a simple greeting acknowledging the dark skinned rotund woman.

“Magistrate Yelena,” Provost Yumi returned the greeting. She added, “Have you been well?”

“I have,” Magistrate Yelena replied. “And you?”

“I have been doing well in my little tower.”

“Hmm.”

That ended the interaction between the two women. Then in unison, both turned to the last woman who had remained silent all along.

Like a wall, her bearing was passive but immensely imposing as just by standing there, she mere presence seemed to occupy every available space with her disposition bearing down heavily on everybody.

Unaffected, the two women acknowledged her too with a simple greeting, “Admiral.”

Not one for unimportant pleasantries, the admiral simply nodded before turning ahead to focus on the square below them.

Following suit, the other two did the same with Provost Yumi saying, “I take it you two are also here for the anomaly which appeared in the sky?”

These three women from their names and titles were incredibly powerful individuals at the very top of the hierarchy within the fortress with many below them and only a few being above them.

They were in charge of overseeing highly important areas pertaining to the continual operation of the fortress requiring only to pay attention to few things within the fortress while the rest could be delegated to their subordinates to handle.

Normally, the events of blessing day was beneath their notice yet here they were gathered together on this day due to the anomaly that had appeared in the sky.

Magistrate Yelena answered, “Indeed. I had first noticed the commotion in the square but not until the constellations appeared in the sky did I know something was wrong forcing me to appear.”

Provost Yumi nodded for it was the same with her. She had been minding her business and while attending to her duties was drawn by what was happening outside and forced to appear to investigate.

This without waiting for the admiral to speak, Provost Yumi said, “Since we are all here why don’t we use our methods to investigate the cause of all this commotion.”

“Agreed,” Magistrate Yelena responded while the admiral remained noncommittal