POV: Senior Historian Instructor Gregor Blackwood – Imperial Academy Sector 12
"Sit," Gregor said. The students dropped into their seats in perfect unison. The classroom of Sector 12's elite history scholars wasn't just filled with discipline—it was charged with reverence. Today was no ordinary lesson. Today, they would peel back the curtain on the sacred foundation of the Blackwood Empire.
Gregor tapped the obsidian wall.
The classroom dimmed.
A golden projection lit the room—a living timeline that began with a flicker: Chris Blackwood: The Shadowed Heir.
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"The Beginning: Chris the Masked"
"Your Emperor," Gregor began, "did not begin his journey in power. He began in shadows. A university student, disguised in rags, hidden behind a quiet demeanor. But beneath the hood lay the mind of a conqueror."
The hologram shifted, showing a young Chris seated in the third row of a lecture hall, taking notes while observing the daughter of a fallen elite—Skylar.
"He studied the privileged. He observed power structures, and he waited. He did not reveal his name. Not even when provoked. Because true emperors don't brag. They build."
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"Rise from the Ashes: The Mask Falls"
"When he finally revealed himself, it was to punish. To dismantle."
Images flickered: Chris being slapped by a royal, seized by guards, mocked before the council. Then—silence. Followed by an explosion of power.
"He stripped them of lands, wealth, titles. Over a hundred royals were publicly humiliated. Families erased. This wasn't vengeance. It was cleansing."
Gregor turned to the students. "He didn't take power. He demonstrated why it was already his."
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"The Rise of the Dictator"
A new name etched itself across the screen.
Christiana Blackwood.
"The daughter. A force forged by the Emperor's will. Appointed as The Dictator — not a ruler in her own right, but the sword of the Empire."
Images showed Christiana imposing laws, personally executing disobedient officials, and establishing global control.
"No decision passed without her oversight. She rebuilt cities, destroyed corruption, and created the Dictatorian Seal. All who governed did so under her permission. She was the gatekeeper. But the keys always belonged to Emperor Chris."
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"The Blackwood Name Decree"
"When the Law of Naming was passed, every citizen became Blackwood. Every child born after bore the Emperor's name. Noncompliance meant exile or death."
Another projection: schools, hospitals, banks, and markets all bearing the Blackwood brand. A culture rebuilt from the dust of disobedience.
"You are not Blackwoods because of blood," Gregor said. "You are Blackwoods because of oath."
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"The Lockdown and the Year of Silence"
"After betrayal was detected within the walls, the Emperor enforced the Great Lockdown. Schools closed. Markets shut. Streets fell silent."
Footage showed tanks rolling, Black Axe Men parading, and curfews enforced with brutality.
"Ten months passed. Then a year. The Empire didn't crumble. It grew stronger. It proved that only those loyal to the Emperor were worthy of life within his walls."
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"The Black Axe Men (B.A.M): The Enforcers"
"Created by the Emperor himself. Millions strong. Operating outside law. Answering to no one but him."
Weapons. Tanks. Biometric armor. 200 million soldiers sent to seize lands, destroy infiltrators, and erase non-Blackwood entities.
"The Black Axe Men were not soldiers. They were judgment."
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"The Rewriting of Legacy"
Gregor showed official documents.
"Every citizen's name re-registered. All documents amended. Birth certificates, school records, death scrolls—all now signed under Blackwood."
A moment of silence.
"This wasn't ego. This was legacy. Our Emperor unified not just lands, but identities."
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Gregor turned the projector off. The room remained dark.
"Next class," he said, "we discuss the Reclamation Wars and the annexation of non-Blackwood regions. You will prepare by studying the speech Emperor Chris gave before leading the front line himself."
He paused.
"And remember... history is not a story. It's a warning."
Class dismissed.
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