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Chapter Text

Four years ago, the incumbent leader of the far-right Inferno Party led a siege against the nation.

A siege to overturn a free and fair election of the left-leaning Sea Party.

Chaos ensued, with trials against those involved spanning for years. Some are still ongoing.

He shouted baseless claims of fraud and cheating from the Sea Party, and demanded investigations across the country.

Ultimately, his attempts failed, and the Sea Party took office. 

The nation went on.

And on...

...and on.

The Sea Party President, Oliver Miller, was a wizened man, his mind feeble and his body grey from age. Yet, he led the country well, helping us recover from the mess made by the Inferno Party's leader. Charges were pressed against that tyrant, and there was even talk of barring him from public office. 

However, that has yet to happen, and I doubt it ever will.

Over the summer, President Miller dropped out of the race, and the Sea Party nominated his vice president, Angelica Stewart, to run in his place.

Stewart's campaign ran smoothly, and I held up every ounce of hope for her victory. I could picture the moment, watching her inauguration, where she made her mark in our country's history as the first female president. We would heal and turn the page on the past. Our country would see normalcy for the first time in over a decade.

At least that's what we expected - what was supposed to happen.

I cannot describe the utter shock I felt the night the Inferno Party took over our nation. 

The night that the nation chose hate over progress.

I delved into the media, wondering why the Sea Party remained so surreally... silent on the issue. Had Ms. Stewart seen the same overwhelming victory as the Inferno Party did that night, the media would've been in an uproar. A part of me even feels that my president - and her victory, would be mournfully short-lived. The capitol even prepared weeks in advance in case she prevailed.

I have reason to believe that the election was rigged, and I have solid proof to back it up. However, with the Inferno Party in charge of the government, I doubt; no I know that my voice won't be heard.

So, I've taken to the last resort; leading a resistance. If the government won't keep itself in check, who will ensure it happens?

From election day, I constantly told myself something, in hopes that it would somehow change my way of thinking, and now, I'm starting to believe it's true.

The blue wave is tainted, stained red by the blood of a fragile nation. 

The faithful battle has been lost, lost to the sharp fangs of evil, destroying our hope. 

Despair looms over the fragile nation, bright blood trickling quickly into every plane. 

We have conceded from this faithful battle, a mere dot in the overarching war. 

Let it be a single drop of blood in a giant sea.

My name is Lelia, and this is the story of my fight to reclaim and rebuild a shattered nation. This is our story.

Chapter Text

In Chapter 1, we met Leila, our future Resistance leader. She sums up the events leading up to where she is now, and anyone who hasn't been living under a rock would find what she described to be somewhat familiar.

Chapter 2 is supposed to introduce Jay, our second protagonist. 

I have finished a draft for another chapter of this story. If you are reading this and wondering exactly why I'm posting this update instead of the proper chapter that I just said that I wrote, I have answers.

The thing is... the chapter that I wrote yesterday is not Chapter 2. It's a chapter that's going to come in the later part of the story. 

I have a strange habit of writing stories out of order, opting to write the more interesting parts first, and I guess that the events of that chapter I wrote (I'm not saying what happens because that would be giving it away!) were more exciting. That being said, I have started writing Jay's intro chapter. It will be a while before it's done since I'm booked out all day tomorrow and I still need to work out the details of how the other protagonists join the team.

Right now, I'm fond of Jay's rebellious character, and I'm hoping to write them to be neurodivergent. In the meantime, I'm going to clear a few things up about this character:

1. Jay is a they/them in the chapter notes, summaries, and update logs due to in-universe ambiguity.
2. In-universe, Jay presents and is refered to as male. 
3. Jay doesn't care about gender, and will change their outward identity on a whim to protect themself.

With that out of the way, I hope that I can get some work done on Jay's intro soon!

Bonus

I didn't want to name the political characters after the real-life people they're clearly laid out to represent in Chapter 1. I went on the internet and looked up "boomer names male/female" and scrolled until I found names that I liked. I'm hoping that when the time comes to describe them, I can make sure to establish them as not looking like their real-life counterparts while still keeping some sort of similarity in there. Case in point - Vice President Angelica Stewart is black. 

~

More story is on the way,

Golden <3

Chapter Text

August 5, 2024

Angelica Stewart 

Upbeat music boomed from the speakers as thousands of people swarmed the venue with their energy. Some carried signs, or donned hats and shirts bearing my name. Blue of all shades flooded the crowd around my stage like water around a ship.

I walked towards the podium and gave the sea of supporters in front of me a joyful wave. 

"Thank you, thank you everyone!"

They erupted into cheers, applause and excitement as I spoke. 

This rally - it was my moment to establish who I was as a candidate to the nation. To unify the people of Ardenia. I loved my country deeply and protecting the lives and liberty of its citizens and their descendants was one of my core values.

Oliver Miller said at the start of his term in 2021 that he would serve as a transitional figure, and would not run for re-election. As four years passed, members of the administration began to notice a steady decline of his cognitive state. So, when he decided to run again this year, it came as a surprise. Following his poor debate performance against Arnold Booker, members of the party as well as the public rallied for his resignation. 

He dropped out of the presidential race in mid-July, long following the conclusion of the primary elections. The Sea Party, now left without a nominee, scrambled to find a replacement. Countless proposals floated around; they ranged from congressmen and senators to governors and secretaries. As Miller's vice president, my name came up frequently as an option. After Oliver endorsed me as his replacement, the party nominated me as their candidate. I was left with little time to get my campaign on the road, but I knew that I would give it my all and work tirelessly to ensure its success. History had its eyes on me, and even a single mistake on our part could turn the tide of the race. 

It was up to me now. My party selected me to fill this critical role for a reason. I accepted their nomination with pride.

I began my campaign from there. I selected Governor Matt Wright as my running mate, and we began planning our next moves; ones that would help pave our path towards victory, and Ardenia's road towards the future. 

I spoke with confidence and hope, endearing the crowd, and thanking them once again for their unwavering support.

"Arnold Booker and the Inferno Party's campaign thrives on belittling us with baseless claims and childish nicknames. They build support by tearing us down- unifying through hate and mockery. Is that the kind of behaviour you'd like to see from someone who wants to hold the highest office in the nation? Ardenia is more divided than ever, and what we need a leader who will help heal our country, not burn it."

Cheers and chants erupted from the audience. 

"As your president, I vow to serve you. What Booker promises only benefits himself and his billionaire friends. Let us come together, rise up from the flames, and write the next chapter in history. We're not going back."

~~

"Together, we can pave a path towards progress. We cannot allow the far-right to strip away the freedoms that our devoted ancestors fought so hard to secure."

After a long, empowering speech, I felt a renewed sense of hope for the future. Matt and I praised each other's performances on the campaign bus, and I felt more confident than ever that we were on the right path, and that we would lead Ardenia down the right path as well. It was only the beginning, and while our time was limited, I knew that it was the start of a sweeping movement.

Our families, friends, and strangers we'd never met watched us with pride and admiration, and it warmed my heart to see the impact my hope and joy made on the citizens of my dear country.

Yet, at the same time, I was apprehensive. Three years ago, following me and Oliver's landslide win, Booker inspired his supporters to incite a heinous act against our country's democracy. They stormed our capitol like a raging wildfire in a devise attempt to undermine the certification of our victory. I feared for the worst, for the safety of my administration and the innocent city residents. Regardless, I would give the fight my all. 

Ardenia depended on it.