Chris POV
I sat.
Still.
Motionless on my obsidian throne.
The empire burned at the edges of silence.
Every second passed like the tick of a loaded detonator.
But I didn't move.
Let them bleed loyalty.
---
Christiana – The Dictator
"You think I won't?" I whispered to the mirror in my office, the reflection of a thousand legions burning behind my eyes.
Then I did it.
With a single keystroke, I issued Directive Alpha-17.
Total Budgetary Lockdown.
All Military Accounts Frozen.
All logistics halts engaged.
No arms. No rations. No funds. No movement.
The Caniner wanted war?
Let's see how far his teeth carry him without meat to chew on.
---
Xavier – The Caniner
I was pissed.
My veins vibrated with fury as the command screen blinked red.
"Access Denied."
"Funds Frozen by Order of the Dictator."
"Operation Nullified."
I slammed my fist into the reinforced steel desk.
"She locked the treasury," I hissed, turning to my officers.
"She locked the goddamn Empire's war budget."
"She has the authority," my tech chief said cautiously.
"No," I growled. "She has nerve."
I turned to the soldiers. "Contact the Sector 9 Arms Vault. Override all authorizations. This war doesn't stop because she unplugged the banks."
---
Military Base – Sector 9
Soldiers stood at a halt.
"No clearance. No weapons move. Not a bullet leaves this site unless the Dictator lifts the block."
Xavier's men began to force the override, tensions snapping like wires in a storm.
---
Empire-Wide Reaction
Broadcasts ran hot.
BNN:
> "In an unprecedented clash of high command, the Empire's two most powerful figures beneath the Supreme Ruler have initiated a fiscal and operational face-off. Citizens report unease, as armored convoys stall and internal checkpoints freeze under strict code protocols…"
---
The Streets of Blackwood Central
Citizens gathered at terminals, watching the headlines scroll:
> "Budget Seized. Military Idle. Empire in Standoff."
Shops shuttered again. Streets quieted.
The air grew tense—thick with fear and the weight of approaching chaos.
Some whispered in hushed tones:
> "Why hasn't He spoken?"
> "Why does the Supreme Ruler let it happen?"
But I heard them.
I watched it all.
Still, I remained silent.
Let the fire show me the strongest metal.
---