'No matter how dark and everlasting the melancholy of night may be, in the end it will inevitably get devoured by the delighting and warm rays of daybreak', a folly we all believe in to persist in hard times, to not let ourselves get shattered when all aspects seem to be turned against us, and to remind ourselves that a bright future awaits beyond all the hardships and struggles.
As reassuring as it sounds, but when one really thinks about it with a serene mind, he will eventually realize that it's just one side of the coin and not the entire picture.
There also exists another side to it, a gloomy and ominous one which says, 'No matter how blissful and prevailing the sensation of light may be, eventually, the cruel and merciless night will take over and the deep abyss will engulf everything'.
This is the side that no one ever wishes to come across, but just because it is neglected and deprived, doesn't mean it does not exist. Its existence is as much true and the weight it carries is no less than another. As for every light, there are always lurking shadows as well.
When all roads seem to be blocked and one can’t find any thread of hope to hold on to, when all the paths are leading to nothing but despair and anguish, that’s when this creed slowly sneaks in and firmly settles inside us.
This is a tale about one of the majestic and greatest Kingdom to ever exist on the land, Vynianzo. An ancient kingdom, spread out over thousands of miles, extremely vast and enormous. Though ancient it may be, it would simply be a false judgment to call it underdeveloped, considering the time period it hailed in.
This Kingdom had everything a prosperous and dignified kingdom demands; may it be fertile lands and vast fields to support farming and agriculture for producing variety of crops, or rivers and lakes for ample supply of fresh water. Even the weather and climatic conditions of Vynianzo were soothing and comforting which possessed no harsh challenges for survival and to sustain livelihood.
As for civilization, it was advanced enough to build and establish magnificent and complex infrastructure which could easily throw even the best engineers and architects of the world in awe. The beautifully and elegantly laid edifices and accommodations over the ground were enough to estimate the growth and development, kingdom had achieved over decades.
Among all the edifices and buildings in Vynianzo, there was one that completely stood out from the others, not because of some oddity or peculiarity but rather, due to its unreal gigantic structure and divine appearance. The foundation of this establishment was something that couldn't be found anywhere else in the world and it was deemed that even if tried, it was less to impossible to build something so magnificent ever again even by the architects of Vynianzo.
This establishment was none other than the 'Monarch's Palace'; where only the ruler of Vynianzo could reside.
The Monarch's palace was huge, insanely gigantic, enough to accommodate several hundreds of normal palaces that stood in Vynianzo. And not just areawise, but this soaring entity was something that could easily be recognized as the tallest creation under the sky by mankind.
Not only in terms of size, but even the exterior as well as the interior design of the palace was completely out of the world. From each pillar to giant walls and tall ceilings, everything was forged and engraved with utmost delicacy and elegance. It was as if some deity himself molded this palace in the past by using divine powers and used it as abode.
Such was the place from where the king looked after and ruled over the kingdom.
But aside from the population of Vynianzo, the existence of this Kingdom was more entwined to some mere fantasy and illusion for the rest of the world.
Even with its deep knowledge, wondering discoveries and advanced inventions, Vynianzo always remained an isolated kingdom, parted out from rest of the world and only existed as some 'made-up-kingdom' in texts and stories for the outer world which one would usually intake as a material for amusement and delusion.
The reason behind the isolated nature of Vynianzo was the fact that it was shrouded by immensely long desserts from every direction. These vast deserts and dunes stood as an impassable bridge between Vynianzo and other kingdoms, limiting the awareness of the existence of the entire kingdom from the rest of the world.
In the entire history, the number of people or identities who somehow managed to migrate across these desserts, one way or another, were so rare that it could be counted on the fingers of a single hand but at the same time, these resilient figures were the reason that even as some fantasy, at least the outside world was aware of Vynianzo and it's civilization.
Whoever heard or read the description about Vynianzo in the outside kingdoms, always imagined it as some sort of paradise with unimaginable creations and immense luxuries. But little did anyone know that the Vynianzo they deem akin to some land of ecstasy was nothing but in reality, the second name of Hell.
The population of Vynianzo could be classified into two categories; firstly, the Royals who occupied a total of six percent of the total population and secondly, the Commoners, which stood as majority by occupying the large figure of ninety four percent of the total population.
As simple and usual as these titles imply, but the significance and gravity behind these titles was far more than what one would perceive. The Commoners were even worse than insects in the eyes of the Royals and domineering authorities that ruled the kingdom from Monarch's palace.
For them, the commoners only existed to serve them as slaves and lesser beings. The discrimination and ordeal they faced on a daily basis was to the extent where one may prefer death over being born as a commoner.
Throughout Vynianzo, it was very common for royal guards and soldiers to harass and bully anyone just to seek pleasure which they gained by witnessing the torment and agony of the weak.
Setting someone’s abode on fire until what only remained of it was coal ash, beating someone until he’s on his last breath for the slightest unease and nuisance were some of the everyday things. It didn’t matter if the subject was a young feeble child, old and senile figure, or any female, the brutality they faced was no less and sometimes even more frightening.
Suffering such cruelty every day over a long period of time made them akin to living corpses. Their hearts were instilled with nothing but fear and hopelessness. Forget about amelioration, just getting to be treated as humans would be a dream come true but long did they forsaken or carried any hope that this hallucination would ever come true.
Their eyes had no more tears left to weep and all they could do was to suffer behind these desert walls while carrying the heavy shackles of emptiness and void. This Kingdom was their prison to which they were eternal slaves.
It was their endless night that had no delighting rays to devour the cruel darkness.
The ruthlessness and inhumanity in the kingdom were to the extent where one will find it arduous to believe that there was a time when this same Kingdom was regarded as a land of peace and prosperity.
A period laid in the past, when there was no harassment and forced acts of affliction on the poor and innocent but bestowed rewards for all the hard work and dedication.
It was 23 years ago, when everything turned upside down. The formal king and queen were taken down through betrayal by their old and most trusted wazir, Kazral. It was the beginning of the nightmare, which no one could have foreseen.
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