In a distant realm where magic thrives, ferocious beasts shake mountains and rivers with their mighty roars, and individuals wield superhuman strength capable of reshaping their surroundings. It is a magical world where the strong rules.
But rampant...
Deafening roar surrounds every corner of the entire Austronesia, shaking the very foundation of the nation. Thunderclaps vibrate through the surroundings as the flaps of the wind became strong and frequent with each moment that passes by. The seas became more virulent and much more violent than in a typical average storm. Bright flashes of light illuminated the sky as the loud bashing of thunders fills the ears and assaulted the senses.
The combination of thunder, lightning, the storm, and the monstrous roar was anything but ordinary. This flabbergasted the emperor and his officials.
"Have those North Americans created the Armageddon?" the Emperor wondered to himself, "If so, it might explain these abnormalities happening all around our nation. After all, if they have only created a way to control the weather, it wouldn't be this advance as yet, but it's definitely possible. Still, reports of strange flickers of light, and a thunderous roar seems to be very abnormal. Furthermore, the liberation navy was reporting of having reports of sightings of many shadows below the sea, and the passive sonar seems to say the same. Somehow, everything that seems to have happened points to one thing. It is that the North Americans may have already developed this technology long time ago, and we have only discovered it recently. So they may want to make an example of us, if there are other spies that may have discovered it."
Looking at the clock, the emperor noticed the clock had already struck twelve o' clock, signaling the arrival of the new year and the dawn of a new millennium. The emperor's mouth slanted downward even more and expression grew more somber as he muttered something silently.
"What a way to celebrate the new year,"
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Austronesian Empire, Imperial Tanah Melayu, Melaka, A Military Shelter In Melaka.
2000, 1, 1st Week, January
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A child frantically ran inside the military shelter, his small frame drenched and shaking. Several soldiers immediately let him in, noticing the panic etched across his face. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he clutched the arm of the nearest soldier, his voice trembling.
"Monster..." the child managed to utter.
It utterly confused the soldiers present as they exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what the child could be referring to, so they try to confirm it by asking the child to repeat himself.
"I saw monsters!" the child cried out in fear.
The soldiers had a look of understanding, realizing the child's distress and tried to comfort him.
"Little one, there is nothing to fear. It's just the usual sound of the thunder and the occasional lightning strikes," one of the soldiers said gently.
But the child shook his head in fear.
"Mother..." the child whimpered.
The soldiers had a firm look of concern on their expressions.
"What? What happened to your mother?" one of them asked.
"A monster messed up our street where me and my family were sleeping," the child sobbed, "We didn't leave in time 'cause we were asleep. We only knew what was going on when the thunder and lightning started. I got out of the street, but my family stayed hiding." The child said.
Just then, a man in a higher-ranking uniform appeared, and the soldiers saluted him as he approached. He acknowledged the child and spoke with a calm, authoritative tone.
"Your situation seems to be traumatic for your age," he said, "While we investigate the location where you and your family were staying, can you tell us more about these 'monsters'? Any details you can provide will help us understand the situation better and aid us in helping your family."
Soon after, the man, which was in fact a Brigadier General, ordered the surroundings soldiers to prepare a vehicle for transportation. The soldiers tried to stop the brigadier general as there was a violent storm outside, unfortunately he was adamant on seeing the situation sorted out. To ensure safety, he organized a small convoy of three armored cars to hamper down the concerned soldiers.
The general and the child climbed into one of the armored cars and proceeded on their way to the front so the child may point out the direction from which he came from.
"So, tell me, young man, what are the things that happened leading up to a monster, attacking your neighborhood?" the brigadier general asked gently. "Don't be afraid, we will do everything we can to bring your parents back safely."
The child explained his harrowing experience, his voice trembling as he spoke, "We were just putting away our wet clothes when we heard a loud roar. We looked out the window and saw a huge monster with wings and red fire coming from its mouth, like something from a fairy tale, attacking our neighbor's house. My mom screamed super loud because she was so scared, and the monster noticed us. My dad grabbed me and my mom, and we had to run to the other part of the house for safety. But we had to go outside to get there. I ran fast through the rain and fog, escaping the monster, but I couldn't see my parents anywhere. So, I came here to ask for help."
"Damn, he ran more like kilometers without stopping, while in the middle of a violent storm? I'm quite impressed." One of the soldiers spoke in awe.
Meanwhile, the brigadier general had a visible look of confusion and, at the same time, of understanding. While he was at it, he grabbed the telephone at his side and muttered a few words.
"We have a situation. Sound the alarms and follow the route where we entered."
The soldiers next to the brigadier general were utterly dumbfounded after hearing the story of the child. It sounded like from a fantasy fairy tale, but unfortunately because of the present circumstances where everything seems abnormal, they couldn't dismiss the child's words. And the fact that they heard a deafening roar earlier proves otherwise, so they had to see it through.
As the message spread, alarms blared across the entire nation of Austronesia, alerting citizens to the emergency and mobilizing military forces as unidentified creatures seemed to have landed and appeared to be occupying several locations throughout the nation.
Armored vehicles and caravans could be seen rumbling through the streets, their headlights cutting through the darkness and rain as they navigated the storm. The convoy carrying about 15 armed soldiers, including the brigadier general and the child raced towards the area described by the child, ready to confront whatever otherworldly threat had descended upon their nation.
