Part 1 — Volume 0 — Chapter 2: Spectators of the Night
The night was black—black and yet bright.
A new moon sat in a clear sky, surrounded by clusters of bright stars. The wind blew in an icy breeze capable of making anyone shiver. From the ground, the beauty of the universe seemed almost palpable – a magical setting that invited you to get lost in it.
That evening… or rather that night, silence reigned as in a cemetery.
A silence so complete that it seemed almost prophetic.
The city was sleeping.
Psira, a bourgeois metropolis of type A-modern, extended its suspended and superimposed roads in all directions, like a nervous network crossing the entire city. Nothing to do with contemporary B-towns - here, the architecture was meant to be bold, vertical, ambitious.
On the roof of a building overlooking the city, two figures were observing.
Luó — Third — and First were waiting.
Immobile.
Patients.
---
The Park
In a park plunged into darkness, only one area was lit.
A bench.
On this bench stood a man in his thirties, dressed in an impeccable suit without a tie. A black mask covered his face. His red eyes, split with a golden cross, shone in the darkness.
His hair was black—as thick as the void.
He was waiting.
Under the bench lay a top hat that had been forgotten… or perhaps placed there on purpose.
Suddenly he stirred.
Something came out.
A small rabbit, about thirty centimeters long, appeared in front of him.
The man smiled, amused.
The rabbit simply sat down on the bench beside him.
The man spoke first:
— What a pleasure to meet such a… singular creature. Could you be the center of this intriguing organization?
The rabbit responded with a mixture of embarrassment and superiority:
— They like to wear rabbit masks. Me, I'm a rabbit. They copy…but I guess that's why fans exist.
He turned his gaze towards him, an icy smile.
- And you ? Are you one of them?
The man leaned in, their faces almost pressed together.
—In a way.
He resumed his position.
— Despite my grumpy appearance, I am young... for a dragon.
I am Void Black, current patriarch. Single, no ties… but tonight, I think I fell in love with a rabbit.
Silence.
The rabbit remained impassive.
—The only truth in this speech is your name, your title... and your race, old man.
Black pretended to be hurt.
- Cruel. So who are you?
The rabbit shrugged his shoulders slightly.
- Person. An insignificant animal with no name...
But near an oasis, I found inspiration.
I am the Wizard of Oz.
A fleeting surprise crossed Black's eyes.
— That's a name that doesn't inspire confidence... but that doesn't matter.
Let's watch the show. We have deployed the Eye of God surveillance program, combined with advanced drones. Nothing will escape us.
---
The Network
Oz was directly connected to First's mask.
Through this channel, First saw everything.
Perched on the roof, she transmitted:
— Oz. Caution. This man is not ordinary.
"Of course," Oz replied. Someone with so many resources is never commonplace.
A group transmission followed:
— Be vigilant, everyone… God is watching you.
Then a private transmission:
— No unnecessary madness this time, 55.
Five mental responses emerged—each tinged with a different form of violent pleasure.
55 replied:
— We are the kings of the road. No path resists us when we drive.
But we accept the request, princess.
We will limit the madness... just enough to eliminate them.
---
The night continued to breathe.
The city was still sleeping.
But the players were in place.
And the show was about to begin.
---