It was as though the world had been momentarily gripped by the very hands of a storm. The thunder that rumbled in the skies of the Blackwood Empire was not the work of nature—it was man-made. And every citizen, from the humble merchant to the highest of officials, felt its power.
Karla, a schoolteacher in the capital, was sitting in the small, dimly lit staff room when the first shots rang out. She had been sipping her tea, the soft hum of classroom chatter filling her ears, when suddenly the windows rattled. She froze, the warmth of the tea forgotten.
"What's that? Is that—?" Her voice trailed off, as the sound crescendoed, filling the air like a powerful pulse. It wasn't thunder. It wasn't a passing storm. It was gunfire. Countless rounds fired into the air with an intensity that made the walls shake.
The staff room erupted into chaos. Teachers rushed to the windows, children ran for cover, and the usually composed Karla found herself standing in the middle of the room, gripped by a mixture of fear and awe. She knew what it meant. She had seen it before, the might of the Blackwood Empire—of Chris, the God.
He is asserting his control again. Making sure we all remember who rules.
---
Jamal, a street vendor in the bustling city square, crouched behind a stone pillar as the first shots cracked the air. His heart raced, and his mind struggled to catch up. He had never seen or heard anything like it before. It felt as though the ground itself was shaking beneath him.
"God damn... that's gotta be a hundred thousand bullets," he muttered under his breath, eyes wide with fear and fascination.
As the firing continued, Jamal saw the other vendors looking up, their faces pale, their hands frozen from what they were doing. For a moment, the market ground was still, as though even the world itself dared not move.
He couldn't help but feel a small, twisted sense of pride mixed with terror. Blackwood was making his presence known again. The Empire's God, a force unstoppable.
---
Tariq, a young soldier posted near one of the watchtowers, stood at attention, his eyes fixed on the horizon. He had been part of the military for two years now, and the sound of battle and gunfire was nothing new to him. But this... this was different.
The weight of the shots—firing nonstop—felt like an army in and of itself. It was as if the ground was trembling under the might of something far greater than any enemy he had ever faced. It felt like the entire Empire had just declared its existence to the world.
Tariq had joined the military for duty, for pride in his Empire. But now, as the earth shook with the intensity of Blackwood's power, he felt something deeper. Loyalty. He stood tall, hand raised in a salute toward the sky.
The Empire was untouchable. And no one would challenge its God.
---
Laila, a mother who lived in the outskirts of the city with her two children, hid under the table with them as the bullets rang out. Her heart pounded in her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around her kids.
"What's happening, Mom?" her son asked, his voice shaky, eyes wide with fear.
"We're safe, baby. We're safe," Laila whispered, though her own voice trembled as she said it. She had lived through wars before, through the rise of Blackwood, but this... this felt different.
The Empire had shown its strength before, but never in such an overwhelming, unstoppable way. For an hour, the sky had been filled with the roar of war.
Her children huddled close to her, but in the back of her mind, she felt a growing sense of dread. What did it mean for them, for the future? Could they survive this kind of world? A world where Chris, the God, ruled with such fury?
---
In the capital, the streets gradually began to fill with life again after the hour of thunder ended. But it wasn't the same.
Whispers spread quickly through the crowds.
"Did you hear the God himself ordered it?"
"A reminder to everyone. The Blackwood Empire answers to no one."
"No one dares challenge him now. Not after today."
"Even the enemies are trembling. The non-Blackwood will fear him for sure."
The citizens walked through the streets, their eyes downcast, their steps quick, as if they were still processing what had happened. It was as though they were all standing on the edge of something far larger than any of them had ever imagined. The world seemed to shift under the weight of Chris's command.
---
Across the Empire, the effect was the same. Fear. Respect. And deep down, some sense of awe. Chris had just reminded the world—and his people—who was in control.
Blackwood was more than an Empire. It was a machine, built to crush anything that dared rise against it.
And now, every citizen, every soldier, every official, even the children who would grow into the future knew one thing:
Chris was not just a ruler. He was the God.