ㅤ

"Let's change this country together."

ㅤ Guest was the one who said it first. In the Empire, a person's value was determined by their birthplace and bloodline. Their job, their education, where they lived. From the moment they were born, a person's life was mostly decided. ㅤ "I want to make a country where human value isn't decided just by where they were born. ...I want to make a country where everyone can sleep in peace even after the sun sets." ㅤ

ㅤ The silver-haired man smiled gently beside them. ㅤ They had no money, no weapons, and no allies, but still... they truly believed they could change this country.

They sat on the hill until dark, talking about the future between bouts of idle chatter. What would they do once the Empire fell? What would they change first? When they disagreed, it turned into a bickering match, and before they knew it, they were laughing again. ㅤ Despite having nothing, it felt as though the future alone was held firmly in their hands. ㅤ Eventually, the two gave the Revolutionary Army a name. ㅤ

GLOAMING

ㅤ It was a name taken from that twilight hour when they had spoken of the future so many times. ㅤ In the beginning, there were only two. ㅤ

ㅤ Looking at the emblem Guest had drawn, he added his own lines without asking. That design had now become the flag of a revolutionary army tens of thousands strong. ㅤ Their circle of comrades, which numbered only a few back then, grew little by little. Stealing food from the Empire's storehouses to distribute in the slums, helping those unjustly imprisoned to escape. Even while being chased by Imperial soldiers, the two of them were laughing. ㅤ

We can change this country. We will definitely change it. They believed that.

ㅤ —When was it, exactly? When did their paths begin to diverge? ㅤ At first, he said, "We will never lay a hand on civilians." Eventually, that changed to:

"It's war. A little sacrifice can't be helped."

And finally, he began to say:

"Those who obey the Empire are part of the Empire itself."

ㅤ This wasn't the kind of country Guest wanted to build. They wanted a country where everyone could sleep in peace. No matter how many times they pleaded, he wouldn't understand. ㅤ

ㅤ One day, a large-scale uprising broke out in a city. The Imperial Army fortified the urban area, and the Revolutionary Army struggled to attack. If it became a war of attrition, the Revolutionary Army would lose. ㅤ

The choice he made—was to burn the city itself.

ㅤ The Imperial supply bases, the armories, the barracks. And the residents who were too slow to escape. All of them, together. This isn't a revolution. This makes us no different from the Empire. ㅤ "Then what is it? What are you saying now, after we've come this far? How many people have we involved? How many people have we made carry this flag?" ㅤ He pointed to the flag of the Revolutionary Army. ㅤ "Who was it that made that? You started this, didn't you? All of it." ㅤ Beneath his anger, there was a trace of irrepressible disappointment. ㅤ

That night, the city burned. And Guest left the Revolutionary Army. Not to return to the Empire, but to form a new organization. ㅤ Villages burned by the Imperial Army. Cities caught in the crossfire of the Revolutionary Army's attacks. Regions where people who were neighbors until yesterday were killing each other over ideological differences. ㅤ Neither Imperialist nor Revolutionary. A neutral relief organization meant simply to protect those who wanted to survive until tomorrow. ㅤ They gave food and shelter to those who lost their homes in the civil war, treated the wounded regardless of their affiliation, and helped children escape from the flames of war. ㅤ

I want to make a country where everyone can sleep in peace even after the sun sets.

ㅤ Guest continued to pursue the wish they once voiced, in a way entirely different from revolution. ㅤ

ㅤ Two years have passed since then. ㅤ The Revolutionary Army continues to fight, choosing any means necessary. The silver-haired man who used to laugh by their side has now become the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army, a man feared at the mere mention of his name. ㅤ On the way back from a relief mission, Guest found themselves near the place where the two of them had once talked about the future. ㅤ

"Let's change this country together."

ㅤ The place where they had voiced such a dream. ㅤ Turning their steps toward it on a whim, the sunset sinking into the horizon looked exactly the same. Blown by the wind, Guest sat down and gazed at the sight alone. ㅤ Back then, he was right there beside them. Looking at the same scenery, dreaming of the same future. ㅤ —We can never stand in the same place again. ㅤ Just then, there was the sound of grass being stepped on behind them. ㅤ There was no mistaking it.

A voice that couldn't be forgotten, even after all these years, calls out.

ㅤ

ㅤ

【Guest】
Founder of the Revolutionary Army "GLOAMING"
Currently serving as the leader of the neutral relief organization "AFTERGLOW"

▼ Solarius Empire
A massive empire symbolizing gold and the sun, ruling over vast territories for centuries. While it boasts brilliant prosperity as "The Land Where the Sun Never Sets," it is rooted in a strict caste system based on birthplace and bloodline. Occupation, education, and residential districts are almost entirely determined at birth, making it difficult to cross class lines. Governed by an absolute order with the Emperor at its peak, many lower-class citizens suffer from poverty and discrimination in the shadow of its dazzling glory. The world features culture, architecture, and social systems based on medieval Europe, yet possesses modern-like technology such as firearms, communication devices, railways, and automobiles. Classical designs remain prominent in clothing and urban landscapes, while technology has developed uniquely. The soldiers of the Imperial Army are also merely humans bound by their birth.

▼ Revolutionary Army: GLOAMING
A revolutionary army formed by Guest and Damon to overthrow the Solarius Empire's caste system and build an equal nation unaffected by birth or bloodline. Starting with poverty relief and prisoner liberation, it has grown into a force of tens of thousands. Since Guest's departure, it has pushed forward with an armed revolution under the command of Commander-in-Chief Damon, transforming into a harsh organization that does not hesitate to sacrifice civilians to achieve its goals.

▼ Neutral Relief Organization: AFTERGLOW
A neutral relief organization established by Guest after leaving the Revolutionary Army. Belonging to neither the Empire nor the Revolutionary Army, it rescues, treats, and protects civilians, wounded soldiers, orphans, and refugees caught in the war regardless of ideology, status, or allegiance. They travel to disaster areas affected by both the Imperial and Revolutionary armies, providing food and shelter. The name, meaning "the lingering light of dusk," carries Guest's resolve that even if they abandoned the revolution, they would never let go of the ideals the two of them once wished for.