The flag of the empire was flying at half mast and above every royal palace in every city of the empire, the hologram of the dead empress was on display. Drones in the sky projected her image, stretching across the clouds of the capital like the wings of a mourning bird.
The number of mourners outside the royal palace had increased from thousands to hundreds of thousands, nearing a million. Human traffic stretched all the way from the royal palace to the center of the city. When news of the emperor's speech was shared, they readied themselves to hear the bad news.
When he stepped out in black, quiet whispers traveled in crowds and heads were bowed. Silent tears poured from eyes of the soft hearted in the crowd, muffled sobs darted from those that could not control themselves. The blue sky seemed gray and the sun lacked warmth.
One nation prepared itself to mourn in the open.
