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n?The ceremony started shortly after Sam and his cohort arrived. After everyone took their seats, General Nathaniel Carter took the stage preparing to deliver the opening speech. He wasn’t particularly thrilled with how things were proceeding; once the first part of the ceremony was over, his time as the head of the Resistance council would be over.

nThere was nothing he could do about it, unfortunately. As much as he hated it, the truth was that normal humans like him had no place in the new age they had long since entered. It should’ve been obvious from the start; an enemy from a world different than theirs appeared out of nowhere and erased billions of people, and those lucky enough to survive could only cower in fear and wait for when their turn arrived.

n‘The Resistance, huh?’ He thought to himself as he looked over the spectators. ‘What a joke. In the end we were nothing without those damned robots…’

n“Ladies and gentlemen, comrades in arms, today marks a momentous occasion in the annals of our shared history.” He spoke into the mic and his voice boomed through the venue. “As the echoes of conflict dissipate and the dust settles upon the battlegrounds of our once-broken world, I stand before you with a heart heavy with the weight of both sorrow and triumph. The apocalyptic storm that engulfed us has subsided, and in its wake, we find ourselves standing on the precipice of a new era—a chapter forged by the resilience and unwavering spirit of our Resistance.”

nNo matter how one looks at it, the organization known as the Resistance only existed to provide support for the Valkyries. Whether it’s by tracking the movements of Calamities, gathering and processing their remains or manufacturing the equipment used to fight them, in the end all of it would’ve been meaningless if not for the humanoid weapons and their creator, the man who turned out to be the real villain behind the entire war.

nAnd that should’ve been fine. For a long time no one saw a problem with humanity’s last standing military being built around a single type of weapon. No matter how advanced or intelligent a drone might be, in the end it was just another tool for humans to use. But once again, humans found themselves having the rug pulled from under their feet.

nTurns out what they believed were a bunch of walking computers were in fact sentient beings from another dimension, brainwashed into fighting against their own kind. The entire dynamic they had was flipped on its head and now humans were back to being the powerless insects they were before.

n‘That’s right…’ the old man thought. ‘We were always nothing more than insects…’

n“In the crucible of adversity, we faced the relentless onslaught of forces that sought to snuff out our very existence. Yet, through the darkest nights and the fiercest battles, we stood united, a formidable bastion against the tide of despair. Today, as your head general, I extend my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who lent their strength to this arduous struggle. Together, we weathered the storm, and it is with immense pride that I declare the decade long war is finally at an end!”

nA moment of silence followed, and then, as if the General’s last few words took time to process, the world suddenly erupted with cheers and applause.

nThe Somber mood that Enveloped the venue was lifted in an instant. Of course, most people were well aware of the possibility. Talks of a peace treaty have been floating around for months since the last battle, and the enemy leader being invited to such a big event only helped to give more validity to the rumors.

nStill, many were skeptical, arguing that rumors were just that, rumors. Even if they turned out to be true and a peace deal really was achieved, they had no idea what the terms of said deal entailed. For all they know the enemy’s demands might be more than what they’re willing to give, but even with that in mind, not a single person found it in themself to question the announcement, and for the first time in a decade humanity was finally able to rejoice as its nightmare was finally over.

n‘Idiots…’ Carter thought, watching as the attendees stood up from their seats, clapping their hands with tears in their eyes. ‘Where did all your anger go?’

nIt was as if they had completely forgotten about the enemy being right in their midst. Just a moment ago most of them were either frightened or furious, gazing at the otherworldly beings with suspicion and contempt. Now, however, it was as if they had forgotten that the Nephilim were there. Even those who were aware of the sudden disappearances that happened only a few minutes ago chose to turn a blind eye and joined the others in applauding him.

nOne couldn’t blame them, though. This was the moment every living human awaited; no longer would they have to live in fear of logic defying monstrosities raining fire on their heads. No longer would they live each day wondering if it would be their last. There was no need to think too much about it; all they needed to know was that the enemy who almost drove them to extinction had agreed to stop massacring them.

nThe celebratory cheers went on for a while, but eventually everyone went back to their seat, having noticed that the speech was far from over.

n“As we stand on this precipice of renewal, it is crucial to reflect upon the origins of the cataclysmic storm that swept us into the abyss. A man, driven by misguided ambitions and a hunger for power, unleashed chaos upon not just his world, but on our own as well. His intellect was thought to be our salvation, but the truth was that we were all nothing more than pawns in his schemes, our lives mere sacrifices for him to use.

nHis name, once upheld in the greatest regard, now echoes as a cautionary tale of the dangers that lurk within the hearts of those blinded by malevolence. We remember him not to glorify his deeds, no matter how beneficial to us they might have appeared, but to fortify ourselves against the shadows that might still linger as we ascend to a new realm.”

n‘What a load of bull **…’

nAs someone who always stood at the summit of governments, whether before the war or after it, Carter had no trouble sniffing the propaganda in everything they were told.

nOdin had always been an enigma. Despite his technological achievements being what kept humanity going, the man has never shown himself in public and no one could claim that they had the luck of meeting him in person. Only the old Council knew how to contact him, but that line of communication was cut as soon as the headquarters were attacked, and ever since no one heard from him again.

nThough the story about him being a mad scientist on the run was too easy to swallow, it didn’t sit well with the Head General from the start. He didn’t doubt the part about a mastermind manipulating both worlds from behind the scenes, leading them to the long treacherous war, but the man named Odin sounded like a fictional character created for the simple goal of having someone to pin the blame on.

nWhat he didn’t understand was why the Nephilim chose to play along with such a lie. In the first place, the Nephilim themselves were quite suspicious, starting from their names to the fact that all of them seemed to be female. It was clear that a lot of things were being kept hidden, not just from the public but from the supposed upper echelon of their current world, and at the center of it all was that one man.

n“Months ago, the tempest of despair struck at the very heart of our Resistance. In those dark hours, hope, so painstakingly reclaimed, was once again ripped away from our grasp. The specter of defeat loomed larger than ever before, threatening to extinguish the flickering flame that sustained our fight.” Coming to a stop, Carter closed his eyes. Though it might’ve been mistaken as a show of solidarity, the truth was that he struggled with what he was about to say next. Once the last word comes out of his mouth, he would have no choice but to step down and relinquish the authority he fought so hard to have. Alas, he was nothing but a human; he had no power to defy that man.

n‘That’s right…’ he thought, his expression almost switching to that of utter shock as he came to a sudden realization. ‘That man, he… he isn’t human!’

n“But as darkness cast its long shadow, another figure emerged from the chaos—a beacon of hope amid the tempest. A man whose determination and sacrifice became the catalyst for our resurgence.” As he spoke, a smile slowly formed on the old man’s face. “It was his leadership, his vision, that turned the tide and brought us to the doorstep of this hard-fought peace. Let us also remember him today, not as a savior, but as a symbol of what humanity can achieve when faced with the greatest adversity.”

nThe idea that the peace deal was orchestrated by the enemy was prevalent, and quite a few believed that ‘he’ was in their grasp all along. But what if it turned out he was one of their kind all along?

nThe Valkyries answered to his command and they were the same as those aliens. They had no reason to continue obeying a human now that the brainwashing was supposedly undone, unless none of it was true to begin with and the entire story was nothing more than a hoax.

n‘Doesn’t matter…’ He thought. ‘As long as it plants a seed of doubt…’

n“As I step away from this podium, I pass the torch to a leader whose dedication and strategic brilliance were instrumental in securing our victory. He stands before you not just as a commander, but as a symbol of our collective strength and determination. Let us welcome him with the same unwavering support that fueled our Resistance, for in unity lies the foundation of our enduring triumph. May this new chapter be etched with tales of reconstruction, growth, and a future unmarred by the scars of war.”

nAs he spoke the last words and moved aside to welcome his new superior, Carter allowed the smile he wore to widen ever so slightly. His eyes met those of the man in question, and as the two of them shook each other in a gesture symbolic of the passing of the torch, a dark glee filled his heart reigniting the desire he recently almost gave up on.

n‘We are the resistance.’ He told himself. ‘We shall prevail.’

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