The journey passed as nightmares pass. I couldn't keep my mind clean; the thoughts were devouring each other.

  The train didn't stop, or perhaps it stopped a lot... I'm no longer sure.

  All I know is that talk about Jack the Ripper, the source stones, and the idea of me signing those papers... accompanied me throughout the way. What if I had participated in killing the innocents?

  When the wheels finally stopped, I didn't need to ask where we were.

  The imperial capital stretched before us like a painting of ivory and light. A forest of towering buildings of pristine white, built from flawless marble, lined up in order. But what truly takes the breath away is the summits of the massive government buildings; domes and towers not just painted gold, but covered in sheets of pure gold, reflecting the sun's rays with such intensity that looking at them directly is painful.

  We disembarked from the carriage, and as soon as my feet stepped onto the stone platform of the central station, the cold and refreshing air of the capital greeted me. I raised my head, and I couldn't prevent myself from being amazed, for this is the first time I visit this place.

  The gold above screamed wealth and power, while the whiteness of the walls below suggested purity.

  "Beautiful, isn't it?" whispered Baldur as he looked at the imperial palace looming in the distance, "But gold doesn't shine like that unless there's someone who stays up to polish it."

  One of the emperor's assistants was waiting for us in the arrival hall at the station. A man in formal white clothes, bearing the imperial badge on his chest, standing upright in a way that suggests waiting is part of his daily duty.

  "Follow me, please."

  His voice wasn't commanding, but it left no room for choice either.

  We began walking behind him, and with every additional step bringing me closer to the palace, I felt something squeezing my heart, reminding me of every signature I placed on those papers, as if the blood of the innocents was seeping into my lungs. A mild pain at first, then a feeling of suffocation, and the air becoming narrower with every advance. My breathing became heavier, slower... irregular.

  Rona noticed that. She turned to me and asked in a low voice: "Are you okay?"

  "Yes," I answered her quickly, then added: "I'm just tired from the journey."

  I smiled, in a desperate attempt to hide the exhaustion I was experiencing due to thinking about all those matters, while I knew well that this heaviness in my chest had nothing to do with the train... nor with the distance.

  We were walking towards the palace, we didn't take a carriage, as the distance was short. While I was lost in thought, unaware of time, thinking about everything that happened and what would happen later, I noticed some time passing without hearing the footsteps of the guards I was walking behind. I suddenly realized that I was walking alone; I had lost them without noticing.

  Perhaps they entered one of the nearby alleys. I stopped for seconds, wondering: Should I go back to the road and search for them? Or wait for them here? Or continue walking alone? After a moment, I decided to rely on my intuition and continue on the path ahead of me, so as not to lose them completely.

  Among the narrow alleys, I noticed a little girl sitting on a worn cardboard, her big brown eyes looking at me cautiously. She had nothing with her except a torn piece of cloth covering her slender body, and in this cold, she was curling up on herself for some warmth. I approached her, and took out a gold coin from my bag, money enough for a full month of food, and perhaps more.

  "Thank you, sir," said the girl in a faint but clear voice, "I'm grateful for your generosity."

  I smiled at her, feeling comfort and peace perhaps for the first time in a while. Then, from afar, others began to notice the situation. Hungry children from the surrounding alleys, running quickly towards me, some raising their hands in supplication: "Sir, please!"

  "Give me too!"

  "Sir, this child is an orphan of both parents!"

  "Sir, I haven't eaten for days!"

  Then a young woman appeared, accompanied by her children, crying bitterly and telling me: "Sir, my children are hungry!" But her facial expressions were cold in a suspicious way, quickly inspiring in me a feeling of severe danger.

  Everyone pleaded, some children clung to me, and others tried to take the coin from the little girl's hand. I shouted, completely uncomfortable: "Stop!" Everyone turned their gazes to me, waiting for me to give them.

  I wondered internally: Should I give each one of them a gold coin? Or should I leave them? I don't even carry such an amount now...

  The others noticed my absence. And it didn't take long until the emperor's assistant appeared, accompanied by a number of guards. They didn't advance calmly, but rushed towards the crowd with speed and firmness.

  "Get away immediately!" shouted one of the guards. "Get away, you barbarians, or you'll be punished!"

  The beggars retreated all at once, fear suddenly surrounding them. I was standing in my place, in a state of complete shock. What are they doing? I didn't ask for this. I didn't mean for it to turn into a threat.

  Everyone fled. Men, women, children... they scattered in the alleys like frightened flocks. And among them was that little girl; she was running while clutching the gold coin with both hands, holding it to her chest as if clinging to her life. And before the crowd disappeared completely, one of the children shouted as he ran away: "I hope you rot in hell!"

  The words were like an arrow piercing my heart. I knew well their condition, their poverty, their hunger, their despair... but in that moment, I didn't know what to do. I had never faced a situation like this before.

  The imperial assistant turned to me, his face devoid of any expression. "Sir Isimud, please hurry. The emperor doesn't like delays." He said it coldly, as if those beggars were worthless things not deserving comment. I followed him with heavy steps, as if dragging myself and forcing it to continue, my mind was far away, wandering in a maze of thoughts drowning me with every second. How can this capital, with its shining gold and pristine domes, be a place where this poverty hides in its alleys?

  We walked through wide corridors leading to the inner square, where Rona and Baldur were waiting for us near a massive stone fountain, its waters crystal clear in an artificial way, changed every hour to remain sparkling without flaw. A heavy silence enveloped the atmosphere, reflecting the tension raging in all of us. Rona approached a step, she had opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it and remained silent, changing the direction of her gaze away from me; something disturbed her deeply.

  Baldur approached me, his strong hand patting my shoulder firmly. "Isimud! Where did you disappear?" he asked in a tone mixing concern with annoyance, "We searched for you everywhere around the station, we thought the earth had swallowed you!"

  Before I could formulate a suitable excuse, the emperor's assistant interrupted us: "Gentlemen, your side interactions can wait. The emperor doesn't grant his time twice, and only a few minutes remain until the meeting starts. We must hurry."

  He pulled us behind him in a long corridor paved with marble stone, and as we advanced, the noise of the city faded. As we approached the palace, I noticed the streets and buildings becoming more luxurious: polished walls, ornate columns, twinkling lights. But in truth, there weren't many people in the street, just a handful of guards and a few passersby, as if the city was empty of its real inhabitants.

  We finally arrived at a massive gate engraved with the imperial emblem, plated in pure gold. But what truly took my breath away were the eagle’s eyes; they were crafted from two solid diamonds, each the size of a clenched fist, reflecting the light so sharply they seemed to be watching everyone who dared to approach, but what lay beyond it was even more astonishing. The palace stretched before me, surrounded by high walls of dark yellow stone, carved skillfully, interlocking with protruding towers rising towards the sky, threatening to catch any intruder. In the center was the main building, a large hall with sloping roofs surrounded by two wings forming its inner courtyard.

  The ground around it sloped gently, covered with green grass extending like a natural carpet, ending at the edge of the slope overlooking fertile land or perhaps a distant sea, giving the place a sense of isolation. There were scattered subsidiary buildings, perhaps stables or food stores, but their size suggested that this place was not just a palace, but a fortress for guarding the emperor.

  We headed towards the main building and entered through its door, which opened onto a spacious hall with a staircase in the middle leading to the only hall in the building, surrounded by guards on every side of the door. We stepped into a hall where representatives of the seven states sat around a massive round table, I felt the weight of their clear disdainful gazes as we advanced further towards the table.

  Behind Emperor Julius sitting at the head of the hall, stood the official speaker with his straight back and monotonous voice that announced: "Since the quorum is complete with the attendees, we will start the meeting now."

  Queen Aria sat to the right of Emperor Julius and very close to him, as if she intended with her sitting position to confirm the rumors saying there is a relationship between them. She was wearing a robe of white silk flowing with abundant gold threads, and appeared with her sharp black haircut cascading to cover her forehead precisely, and her black eyes outlined by deep black kohl staring at us with complete coldness.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  On the other side, to the left of the king, I saw a familiar face who was the emperor of the Porcelain Empire, also known as the Cobra King, sitting with a malicious smile revealing his sharp teeth. He was a slender, tall man, with long ears pulled back resembling a cobra's head, and small eyes shining with cunning. He is known for his malice that enables him to obtain any information, as his spies are spread throughout the lands.

  The speaker pointed to the assistant standing beside him. "We request that whoever brought the documents give them to the assistant."

  The assistant moved carrying a wide leather bowl. I opened my bag and took out the papers bearing my signature. I felt hesitation running through my fingers, but I placed them in the bowl anyway. Some of the other delegations did the same.

  When the assistant reached the table of the "Marsa" Empire, the ruler of Marsa placed his massive hands on the table. He was a man of huge build, his long brown hair cascading over his shoulder, and his brown eyes watching the assistant with rigidity. His assistants behind him matched him in size and features: "I won't hand over anything before knowing the reason, why are you asking us to bring documents from our mines?" asked the ruler of Marsa in a thick voice that shook the hall, as he struck the table with his fist to emphasize his anger.

  The emperor's speaker tried to respond, but the emperor raised his right hand up, so the speaker silenced and retreated immediately. Julius was sitting calmly and confidently, wearing a robe of luxurious white silk with long sleeves, their edges ending at his wrists with shining silk threads as light fell on them. And unlike the other leaders, his silver belt wrapped around his waist loosely, suggesting comfort and superiority at once, while a deep red sash draped over his shoulder, breaking the whiteness of his clothes.

  The emperor looked directly at the ruler of Marsa and said in a calm tone: "Emperor of Marsa, please hand over your documents. They are of importance to this meeting." He was looking at the ruler of Marsa out of the corner of his eye as if he didn't give him any attention.

  The emperor of Marsa extended his massive hand and handed the papers to the assistant, growling with suppressed anger: "Fine, this is only because we have a friendly relationship together," he said while trying to maintain the steadiness of his voice, but the tense movement of his fingers on the table said something else, as if he was trying to hide his increasing anger.

  The assistant took the documents silently and placed them with the rest of the papers. The emperor tilted his head slightly, and looked at the huge ruler with cold eyes. "Thank you for your understanding," replied the emperor in a calm tone, but with a slight sarcastic smile that made the ruler of Marsa clench his fist more.

  I watched the scene from my place. His thanks didn't carry any appreciation; I felt that what happened was not an agreement between allies at all. Rona whispered to me: "This tension between them... it seems the alliances are more fragile than we thought," while Baldur nodded in agreement.

  The assistant returned the leather bowl to the official speaker, who placed it in front of the emperor.

  The emperor's speaker stepped forward: "Now let's start the meeting officially. What we will tell you today is the summary of what we have discovered regarding the phenomenon that threatens our stability all."

  The speaker paused for a moment, and scanned the faces of those present before continuing: "First, what is the storm? In fact, we don't know that yet. But what we know for certain is that it... rewards killers."

  The hall fell silent for a brief moment in an attempt to absorb what was said.

  "What do you mean by that?" came the voice from the right side of the table. It was the Empress of the Amazons who had straightened in her seat, her short red hair glowing under the hall's lights, wearing armor covering her entire body.

  The speaker continued: "Thirteen years ago, an old man came to us with a strange claim. He told us that killing his wife is what saved him from the storm. At that time, he was seen as mad and thrown into prison. But he persisted for years insisting that his words be verified, until the emperor, with his wisdom and knowledge, assigned me to this position to investigate the matter."

  The speaker paused to catch his breath, while the eyes of those present were fixed on him. "We faced difficulty at first; most of your empires and even ours executed killers immediately. Therefore, we had to abolish the death penalty for a short period to conduct our study. We classified the killers into categories and groups, and the results were as follows: Those who killed one woman had a survival rate from the storm of 65%. Those who killed two, the rate rose to 76%. As for those who killed three women, their survival rate reached 88%."

  A complete stupor hung over the hall, before the speaker added the sentence that turned the hall into chaos: "What we have clearly concluded is that the more victims a man has from the opposite sex, the higher his survival rate from the storm."

  Voices rose in the hall. Silence was no longer the master of the situation, but was replaced by shouts that tore the royal decorum. "This is madness! Are you calling us to turn our lands into slaughterhouses?" screamed the representative of one of the states, while the Cobra King shook his head with a wider smile, as if he found the matter amusing.

  The Empress of the Amazons stood suddenly, and her chair collided with the marble making a sharp screech. The ruby on her armor glowed with her accelerating breaths. "What you're saying isn't scientific research, but a declaration of war on us! If you're saying that survival requires our blood, know that our spears won't wait for you to move." She shouted angrily, looking directly at the emperor. While the emperor of Marsa was trying to calm her.

  Amid this chaos, Emperor Julius remained seated in a strange calm, watching the reactions as if it were a scientific experiment, but he raised his eyebrow slightly upon hearing the Amazons' threat, as if appreciating her strength. As for Queen Aria beside him, not a muscle moved in her face, her coldness suggesting that she knew this information beforehand, perhaps through her relationship with the emperor, but later she whispered something in the emperor's ear, making him smile confidently. And in the corner, the Cobra King smiled a malicious smile, surely he would do it, as he is the type of person who knows more than he shows, perhaps his spies had already informed him of all the meeting details before it even happened.

  "I was trying to comprehend what was said, but my mind refused to accept the idea; is it possible that survival is truly linked to sacrificing the lives of others?

  Baldur turned to Rona and asked her in a tone dominated by doubt: "Do you really believe this talk?"

  Rona replied while watching the hall calmly, without showing any affect: 'I don't have enough information to decide anything now. I won't believe something this dangerous just by hearing it; we'll need to see concrete evidence first, and even then, we can't be absolutely certain of the assumption's validity."

  Baldur replied: "You're right, this talk is dangerous to be believed without something to base it on. They're turning crime into a means of survival; we shouldn't trust them... this matter is more like a conspiracy."

  Rona stood from her chair and directed her question to the speaker: "This information you've brought... do you have real evidence for it? Or is it just guesses from a madman?"

  The emperor didn't speak, but remained watching Rona calmly while the hall burned with questions. At that moment, the speaker moved on his behalf, and pointed to the assistants. The assistants brought out massive bundles of documents and files from leather bags they were carrying beforehand. And they began spreading them on the table quickly and organized, until they covered its entire surface, and nothing of the table's wood showed anymore.

  The papers contained long lists: names of prisoners, dates of their entry into prison, the number of victims they killed, and the names of the killed in detail. The official seals of each prison were clear at the bottom of each paper.

  "This is the evidence," said the speaker after placing the last paper on the pile. "Names, numbers, and documented results from years of research."

  The voices stopped gradually, and the leaders leaned over the table to examine the scattered papers. Now it was no longer just a hypothesis, but a documented fact. "Rona didn't suffice with watching; she extended her hand and picked up a bundle of the scattered papers in front of us and began examining them with focus. She turned to me and Baldur and said in an annoyed voice: 'Don't stand like that, take some papers and search with me in these files." We did what she asked immediately, and began flipping through the files and tables covering the table, trying to absorb those names and data lined up before us."

  Amid the scattered papers and shouts of protest, the Empress of "New Pangaea" tapped on the table, drawing everyone's attention. She was a woman with stern features, short black hair surrounding her pale face, and perfectly oval eyes with no trace of light in them. And despite what is said about her blindness, her movement was precise in a suspicious way, as if she feels and sees everything in front of her.

  She placed her palms slowly over a pile of documents covering the table, and said in a calm voice but piercing like a blade amid the noise: "If you're convinced of these results... will you risk the lives of your peoples for them? Or are you ready to turn us into victims in your experiments?" Then she added in a louder voice: "This isn't a path to survival, but a justification for extermination!"

  The movement completely stilled. She turned her head slowly towards the emperor's direction, and continued with her alert senses: "You're not presenting us with numbers and facts, but asking us for a license to tear the moral fabric of our empires. Do you think the peoples will accept living in a world where men feed on women's blood to survive the storm?"

  The emperor replied to her in a tone different from before, a tone of respect and appreciation: "Empress, we are not imposing or dictating anything on you. In fact, we want you not to disclose the information we will present in this session outside this hall." Then he added in a stronger voice: "Secrecy is the key to survival for all of us."

  The Empress of the Amazons looked at Emperor Julius with eyes gleaming with doubt: "Are you telling us there's more?"

  The speaker continued: "Yes, there is more.. the source stones. As you know, these stones didn't exist before 446 years ago. They appeared suddenly, just as the storm appeared nearly 120 years ago. And they are a tremendous source of energy and power, but they also carry severe damages."

  The speaker passed his gaze over the expectant faces and added: "We sincerely believe they are related to the storm in one way or another. And what's puzzling is that the power of these stones suddenly doubled about 20 years ago. We don't have conclusive evidence yet, but the matter doesn't seem like a coincidence at all."

  The speaker extracted a new bundle of papers, bearing mining seals and my signature. Then he raised it high, and said in a stern tone: "The mine with the highest production capacity is Sir Isimud's mine, which is believed to be the first place where the stones appeared at all. And according to the documents I hold now, we can confirm some of our suspicions."

  The speaker continued his speech: "According to the documents brought by Sir Isimud, the mine dates back to five hundred years ago. At that time, the place was nothing but an ordinary coal mine, providing fuel to heat the neighboring villages."

  The speaker paused and raised his eyes to those present, then continued sharply: "But, suddenly and four hundred and forty-six years ago, the first shard of source stones was found. That year specifically was the moment that changed human history as we know it."

  The speaker tapped his finger on the paper and said in a rhetorical question: "Do you really think it was a coincidence? The mine continued extracting coal for fifty-four years without any trace of this material, then suddenly... the source stones appeared out of nowhere in the depths of that mine?"

  "The emperors' gazes were fixed on me, and everyone was waiting for a response from me. Rona whispered to me saying: 'Did you know about this?'

  I looked at her, and I wanted to tell her the truth: I don't remember anything like this. Perhaps I remembered it before, but it left with the memories of the three years, but at that moment, the information was a shock to me just as it was to them. It seems Rona noticed that immediately, as she saw the features of astonishment on my face and realized that I was hearing this talk for the first time.

  The Empress of 'New Pangaea' interrupted the speech and directed a question to the speaker: 'What exactly are you trying to say? Are you claiming that the stones and the storm came from the same source?' She said it in a sharp voice.

  The speaker didn't flinch, but answered her confidently: "This is one of the interpretations in fact.. We have evidence that makes us suspect that perhaps we as peoples are the cause of the storm and the stones..."