Steel City.
The rioting citizens stopped what they were doing and looked up at the enormous screen in the center of the square.
Steam Fortress.
The workers in the factory set down their wrenches and stared at the old television mounted on the wall.
Gear Town.
The crowd confronting the guards fell silent and turned toward the television in a nearby shop window.
Furnace City.
In the darkness, a holographic projection lit up in the sky, illuminating weary, despairing faces.
Energy Hub.
The crowds on the outskirts stopped charging forward and looked up at the giant projection on the government building's outer wall.
And countless small cities, towns, and villages.
Everyone was watching the same scene.
On the screen, the old goblin in golden robes stood on a balcony, the magnificent imperial palace behind him and a sea of people before him.
The emperor spoke.
His voice spread across the square through loudspeakers, and across the entire world through countless screens.
"I know about that meteor."
The crowd stirred again.
But this time, no one shouted or cursed. Everyone listened intently.
"I have always known." The emperor's voice was low, carrying a trace of exhaustion.
"I knew from the moment it was first observed three years ago."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces below.
"Why didn't I tell you?"
Someone opened their mouth, wanting to shout something, but no words came out.
"What would have been the point of telling you?" The emperor's voice suddenly rose.
"To make you panic five years early? To make you spend eighteen hundred days and nights in fear? To make the entire empire fall apart before the meteor even arrived?"
"Have you ever thought about that?!"
He slammed a hand against the railing, his voice filled with the anger and exhaustion he