Dictator Christiana's POV
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He called me in the dead of night.
Chris Blackwood—Blackwood 1.
The chamber was dim, lit by silver torches that licked the stone walls in silence. Only two chairs were in the room—his throne, and one across from it. For me. The air was heavy, not with fear, but with power.
> "I need a new law," he said, his voice low, calm, absolute. "From this day on, humans will not answer to names… but by numbers."
I blinked, waiting to see if it was a metaphor. It wasn't.
> "You, Christiana—will be Blackwood 3. Classic is Blackwood 4. Your mother, the queen, Blackwood 2. And me?"
His eyes burned.
"I am Blackwood 1. The God of this Dominion."
He rose and walked slowly toward the massive Blackwood Seal embedded in the floor.
> "Everyone will be categorized by rank. The top five numbers? Reserved for the true Blackwoods. First Class Citizens? Numbers 6 to 66. Survival Citizens… from 30,000 downward. And there will be no exceptions."
He turned sharply, eyes narrowing.
> "To get a number, there will be an auction. No one owns an identity here without paying for it. Number 5 begins at 10 billion Blackwood Currency. Number 6? 9 billion. The lower the number, the higher the prestige. The numbers define them."
He paused.
> "I want your thoughts."
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I stared at him, taking a slow breath.
> "It's ruthless," I said. "It will divide society beyond blood, beyond privilege… into code. It strips people of their names, their histories. That will terrify them. Break them."
He didn't blink. He wanted more.
> "But it will also control them. A number is easier to monitor, easier to program into systems, easier to erase. The auctions will generate trillions. People will kill for smaller numbers. The elites will fight to hold their place. And the poor? They'll fight to rise."
> "You'll have a kingdom not of citizens… but of ranked loyalty. Branded in numbers."
He smiled faintly.
> "Exactly."
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Classic's POV
I overheard it.
I wasn't meant to, but I did. A world without names… only numbers?
My heart sank. Was this the future I'd inherit?
I looked at my palm, imagining it burned with a code. Not Classic, not Blackwood—just 4. A digit. A status.
It was genius. Cruel. I didn't know whether to admire him… or fear him.
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Amara's POV
He told me too.
And I didn't even flinch.
Because I knew what he was doing. This wasn't about names. It was about control. About turning humans into assets—calculable, manageable, disposable.
I didn't agree.
But I would carry out the task.
Like I always do.
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Skylar's POV
He's gone too far this time.
But what can I do?
I'm Blackwood 2 now.
And I'm bound to him more than I'd like to admit.
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BNN BREAKING NEWS
> THE ERA OF NUMBERS BEGINS
The King of the Dominion, Blackwood 1, has declared the Abolishment of Human Names Act. Effective immediately, names are obsolete within the empire. All citizens must bid for identity numbers, or be relegated to the Nameless Class. Protests erupt in Lower Zones, while the elite prepare for the Great Auction.