text: Luca Guez Jin and Gerlath 
   
   
   Jin 
   Act I 
   Scene I 
   
   
   Sen (behind the audience)  
   
   
   
   Spectral world. 
   
   
   Sen 
   
   The name is Sen. I have been chosen by the Eye, and therefore I stand here. To enforce equilibrium. To keep the balance between the human realm and the spirit realm. Those two worlds, seemingly in a constant war, do need one another. And so it is I who serves this noble purpose: keep both worlds in peace. 
   Scene II 
   
   
   Spirits 1,2 and 3, Sen 
   
   
   
   The spirits sit in a circle and argue.  
   
   Enter Sen 
   
   The spirits regain composure and look obediently at Sen  
   
   
   Sen 
   
   I have been called upon and so I have come. What is it that you ask of me, my dear spirits? 
   
   SPIRIT 1 
   
   O kind Sen, we express our deepest gratitude for your will to help. 
   
   SPIRIT 2 
   
   Our land is troubled and in dire need of a wise man. A conflict has arisen with no resolution in sight. 
   Sen  (hisses)  
   Cut the formalities, I have no desire to overstay my welcome.  
   
   Spirits guide Sen to the place of the problem 
   
   
   SPIRIT 3 
   
   Here a child has arrived at our realm and we have been arguing in vain for its ownership. 
   
   Sen 
   
   Whose is this kid. 
   SPIRITS  (in unison)  
   Mine. 
   
   Sen 
   
   The spirits have been known for their stubbornness.  
   
   SPIRIT 2 
   
   Tis mine and only mine. 
   
   SPIRIT 3 
   
   There will be no way to check.  
   
   SPIRIT 2 
   
   Let the wise man decide. 
   
   Sen 
   
   And so I shall ask one final time. Who is the mother of the child?  
   SPIRITS  (in unison)  
   I am.  
   
   Sen 
   
   Then we shall make this one suffice for all four. 
   
   Sen takes a saw and comes up to the kid 
   
   SPIRITS  (in unison)  
   So it shall be. 
   
   Sen slices the kid in two parts, to the approval of the spirits. The spirits walk away with their own parts of the child.  
   
   
   
     
   
   
   Scene III 
   
   
   Spirits 1,2 and 3, Sen 
   
   
   Exit Sen 
   
   SPIRIT 1 
   
   The mortal has solved our problems once again. 
   
   SPIRIT 2 
   
   Yet to some extent his problems outweigh ours. 
   
   SPIRIT 1 
   
   He shall have a new problem shortly. 
   Enter Sen quietly 
   
   SPIRIT 3 
   
   Do you mean a mortal that passed recently?  
   
   SPIRIT 1 
   
   Passed, ( pause ) yes. Although it would be more fitting to say he was made into artistic mush.  
   
   Sen moves closer, tries to listen in 
   
   
   SPIRIT 3 
   
   It may trouble the mortal master.  
   
   SPIRIT 1 
   
   Or so we shall see, Sen will find out about the death in the near future.  
   
   SPIRIT 2 
   
   May the fallen Lee rest in peace. 
   
   SPIRIT 1 
   
   And let Sen handle the situation before it gets out of control. 
   
   The spirits go out in opposite directions, Sen swiftly runs away 
   
   Act II 
   Scene I 
   
   
   Kush, Zet, Sen 
   
   
   
   Top of a mountain, Order’s Monastery. Kush and Zet are sitting at the table, drinking tea. 
   
   
   Zet 
   
   How come can I enter the spectral realm no more? Why is Sen the only one to solve their conflicts? 
   
   Kush 
   
   Such was the choice of the Eye, Zet. Though you shall not envy your brother, as it may devour more than just your mind. 
     Zet  (gasps) 
   Mind in conjunction with the body. Never one without the other. 
   Kush  (takes a sip of tea) 
   Exactly. 
   
   Sound of a small explosion behind the Monastery’s wall. Enter Sen 
   
   There you are my son! The tea began to grow cold. Come and sit with us. 
   
   Sen sits at the table 
   
   What was it this time? Apple distribution, or perhaps the child slicing? 
   
   Sen 
   
   The slicing. 
   
   Kush 
   
   Ah, yes, of course. Your blade seems to have retained some of the spectral blood. 
   
   Sen 
   
   Master, consider the conflict solved. The spirits have grown calm, albeit there happened to be a thing, that seems to disturb me. 
   
   Kush 
   
   What is it, my son? 
   
   Sen 
   
   The spirits, they… They never seemed to care about our world, did they? Yet I cannot have misheard this sentence. A mortal’s death has been mentioned. 
   
   Zet 
   
   What? This cannot be. The spirits do not interfere with our world just as we do not with theirs. 
   
   Kush 
   
   Hmm, indeed, nothing but the words of silence are to be spoken about the mortal realm by the spirits. The disruption has only happened during the crucial moments of the history of both worlds. 
   
   Zet 
   
   Such as the Darkins’ Imprisonment. 
   
   Sen 
   
   Or the Rune Wars… 
   
   Kush 
   
   My sons, we’re on a brink of a great event, which is to come. 
   Scene II 
   
   
   Kush, Zet, Sen, Courier 
   
   
   
   Enter Courier 
   
   COURIER  (bows) 
   Great Master Kush! May I interrupt your tea time for a sole moment? I wish not for my humble presence to use up too much of your time. 
   Kush Speak. 
   
   COURIER 
   
   The city of Zhyun desperately needs your help! A murder has been reported to the city council this very morning. Lee was the leader of the farmer’s group that supplied our city with wheat and fruits. We sent the local guardians to investigate the crime scene, yet none of them could have been described as sane after having returned to the city. O Great Master Kush! Zhyun begs for your help! You are the only one who can discover what fiendish mysteries unravel in this act of murder! 
   
   Kush 
   
   And so it will be. Sen! Zet! Gear up! Where the equilibrium is disrupted, there we shall go. 
   
   Sen 
   
   Father, do you think… Could it be  him ? 
   
   Kush 
   
   It may be, but may as well not be. Be patient, son. Ask no questions. Accept what is given. 
   Scene III 
   
   
   Kush, Zet, Sen 
   
   
   
   In front of a luxurious cottage 
   
   
   Zet 
   
   Here it is. The alleged source of what is better left unspoken. 
   
   Kush 
   
   We shall go inside. 
   
   Kush, Zet and Sen enter the cottage and investigate. Sen and Zet stay in the main room whereas Kush goes through the door on the other side of a room. 
   
   
   Sen 
   
   So many paintings and sculptures, yet no sign of a crime committed can be found. But this… atmosphere… so dense… so… familiar. 
   
   Zet 
   
   As if we waited only for the curtain to rise up. 
   
   Sen 
   
   But are we the mere spectators, or maybe tis us, who perform. 
   Kush  (shouting from afar) 
   Sen! Zet! Come here! 
   
   Sen and Zet head for the door and open them, at the entrance the inscription painted in dark blue says “And now, the curtain rises”, but Sen and Zet look ahead 
   
   
   Zet 
   
   Is… Is that a man? 
   
   Kush 
   
   It  was  a man. 
   
   Sen 
   
   Shackled by the branches, his body bound eternally to the tree. May his spirit rest in peace. 
   Zet  (in a fearful amazement) 
   So marvelous in all its terror. The body is harmonizing with the wood, whose colour perfectly imitates the one of a dead human body, lifeless and pale, merging both entities into one masterpiece. Flowers seem to emerge from the upper branches, leaving nothing but single solar rays guided by the little twigs only to gently fall on the human face, exposing its peace and beauty as well as its weakness and fragility. All the components are impeccable, but together they form the work of the gods themselves. As if perfection was no longer good enough. 
   
   Sen 
   
   Master, how is that even possible? Not even those barbaric invaders from Noxus defiled our nature in fear of the spirits’ wrath. The example of Ivern the Cruel was supposed to teach humanity a lesson. 
   
   Kush 
   
   My dear Sen, not all are afraid of the unseen, but that does not mean they cannot suffer from the unseen consequences. The spirits will have their revenge, of this I am sure, but what bothers me the most is the precision in all this. All murders have their purpose. Whether it is valuables that are to be stolen away or a vain hope of making the world a better place, there always is a purpose. But this… it escapes all conventions. Never have I seen anything like this. 
   
   Zet 
   
   Can this even be human work? The tree seems to grow out of the man’s body. No human is capable of such devilish cruelties. 
   
   Kush 
   
   Living in this world as long as I do, I have come to learn that human imagination has no limits. A woman I know made a fortune selling her very own invention. After coming back from Piltover College, she started selling the Instantaneous Trees, which could be grown on any sort of ground. The rich bought them to decorate their gardens without disturbing the balance of the spirits. She quickly raised in popularity becoming the Zhyun’s governor. 
   
   Zet 
   
   So, what you are implying is that Lee’s garden was a frightfully wonderful trap. The murderer must have known his every step, predicting where he would go. When the right step was taken, it activated the mechanisms which turned on the Tree. The branches bursted out, tearing Lee’s body, piercing his legs, melding with the bones and striking even further, through his arms and back, killing him in an instant, creating nothing more but a mere extension of a tree out of him. 
   
   Sen 
   
   It really seems like the governor could use a visit. 
   
   Zet 
   
   Let’s go. 
   Scene IV 
   
   
   Citizen, Kush, Zet, Sen 
   
   
   
   Kush, Zet and Sen are entering the city, citizen runs up to them 
   
   CITIZEN  (bows) 
   O, Great Master, our luck could not have been greater! The smoke has just arisen in the middle part of the city where the governor’s palace is situated! The guardians are reported to be unavailable and the whole city is descending into panic! I beg you, you must help us! 
   
   Kush 
   
   Quickly, to the palace! 
   
   Kush, Zet and Sen head for the smoke-filled area 
   
   I know the way. Follow me! 
   
   Zet and Sen follow Kush, they all arrive at the palace 
   
   Zet  (coughs) 
   This must be it. The palace entrance. 
   
   Zet wants to enter the palace 
   
   Sen  (grabbing Zet) 
   Watch out! 
   
   A red flower-shaped sparkle emerges from the depths of the palace  
   
   What is it? A flame? 
   
   Zet 
   
   Magic, perhaps? 
   
   Kush 
   
   No. I know what that is. Now quickly, get inside, for it may already be too late. 
   
   Kush, Zet and Sen go through the main hall and enter the governor’s chamber 
   
   No… 
   
   A dead body lies on the bed 
   
   
   Sen 
   
   She’s dead. 
   Kush May her spirit be free. 
   
   Zet 
   
   But… Her back… It is gone. Where once spine tied the body together, a vast emptiness has now found its place. Yet on top of it the roses born of flames became to grow, covering the void, this  imperfection , for only perfection is acceptable. As time passes by, the flowers lose their flakes, as if more lives were to be lost. 
   
   Sen 
   
   You are right, Zet. She is lost and there are going to be more just like her. We can wait no longer. 
   
   Zet 
   
   Are you… 
   
   Sen 
   
   Yes, I shall ask the spirits for help. 
   Zet  (with anger) 
   But they never wanted to help us! Do you remember the invasion? All our land suffered, but the spirits left us! They did not want to help, so we helped ourselves! We need them no more. 
   
   Kush 
   
   No, Zet. Two worlds exist in harmony, not at war. If a danger exists to any of them, they shall help no matter the past. Go there, Sen, on our behalf. We shall meet you at the Monastery. 
   Act III 
   Scene I 
   
   
   Sen 
   
   
   
   Spectral world 
   
   
   Sen 
   
   The name is Sen. I have been chosen by the Eye, therefore I stand here. To enforce equilibrium. Keep the balance between the human realm and the spirit realm. Yet what is balance in a shadow of this monstrosity? Does a life taken demand a life back? How is this monster even to be caught? But all those people… Their sacrifice shall not be in vain. They suffered for the sake of a self-called ‘Virtuoso”. Tis not right. The madman is to be stopped, his crimes are dreadful and over the top. The balance is to be restored. 
   Scene II 
   
   
   Spirit, Sen 
   
   
   
   Spirit is sitting alone, Sen approaches him from the back 
   
   
   SPIRIT 
   
   I knew you would finally come. You must have. 
   
   Sen 
   
   Then you must know what I came here for. 
   
   SPIRIT 
   
   Yes. I do. 
   
   Sen 
   
   Will you help? 
   SPIRIT  (slowly turning towards Sen) 
   Evil changes everything, my son. Wars, conflict, criminals… They all shed some light on things we very often considered indisputable. You cannot remember the ancient times where Darkins walked the earth, can you? In all honesty, such events leave their stains on everyone and this case right here…  your  case… is no different. The upcoming events are about to change you in the way you expect the least. 
   
   Sen 
   
   But, Master, how can we find the killer? How should we put his actions to an end? 
   
   SPIRIT 
   
   Sen, dear Sen. Are you so sure who is being chased by whom? Are you truly a mere spectator, or is it thy who is on the stage? The Virtuoso will reveal himself soon enough but is that really what you crave for? 
   
   Sen 
   
   All I want is for balance to be restored. No personal judgment shall interrupt the thoughts of mine. 
   
   SPIRIT 
   
   That is what you have been taught but is this really the answer you are giving? Or the one you are supposed to give? In any case, you shall go now. Your final judgment awaits. 
   
   Sen 
   
   Master, could you go with me? Together we would… 
   
   SPIRIT 
   
   No, Sen. A spirit and a human should never work together. The two realms have been created as different, we are not the same. This is your problem to solve. Spirits have no power here. Now you should really go. I have little to no time left. 
   
   Sen 
   
   Yes, Master. 
   
   Exit Sen 
   
   Scene III 
   
   
   Sen, Jin 
   
   
   
   Sen 
   
   My final judgement… Could it be? Will I really be able to pass judgement with no feelings at my side? This murderer, he deserves nothing but death. All the lives he has ended and the way he did it... With human element removed from the equation, what is it that is left of him? Nothing worthy of a life. 
   
   Sen starts the teleportation process; stands still with arms kept at the height of chest, at the far end of the scene Jin appears. 
   
   How… How could it be? Is it him? It must be him. The feeling of terror is almost touchable. But how is it possible? Can someone access the spirit realm but for me? 
   
   Exit Sen 
   
   Act IV 
   Scene I 
   
   
   Sen, Zet and Kush 
   
   
   
   Sen 
   
   I have come 
   
   Kush 
   
   Do you have any news for us? 
   
   Sen 
   
   More than I hoped for. 
   
   Zet 
   
   Tell us what happened.  
   
   Sen 
   
   I saw him. He was the one. The singer without a voice, the dancer without legs.  
   
   Kush 
   
   How could you have met? How come are you still alive?  
   
   Sen 
   
   Twas but a glance. 
   
   Zet 
   
   Don't make us wait for more details.  
   
   Sen 
   
    I caught a glimpse of him while exiting that world. I couldn't see him clearly, but the identity was unmistakable. The theatrical aura of death around him filled the room and a mix of horror and amazement could be felt.  
   
   Zet 
   
   Did you recognize him?  
   
   Sen 
   
   He wore a mask. We will not know him unless we tear it down 
   
   Zet 
   
   And so we shall do. 
   
   Kush 
   
   We were told that the murders were glamorous for the sake of art, but it seemed like they were meant to attract the attention of the populace.  
   
   Zet 
   
   He's always going for high ranking targets 
   
   Sen 
   
   And causing terrible deaths with arrogant flamboyance and style.  
   
   Kush 
   
   What terrifies me is not the scale, but the method. It must take a monster to make an art out of killing. His works, albeit beautiful, are inhuman and terrify beyond all expectation. I cannot imagine what monster would be able to commit such crime.  
   
   Zet 
   
   We must act as detectives on the case. If we get distracted by his methods, we may never catch him.  
   
   Sen  
   
   Surely we cannot ignore the monstrosities that he causes.  
   
   Zet  
   
   If we don't, we let him win. Public outrage is what he is trying to achieve and he's on his best way to finishing his goals. 
   
   Sen 
   
   So what if we give into his manipulations? Surely we aren't his main goal.  
   
   Zet  
   
   His goal are high ranking officials. He started with Lee, then came the governor. So the next logical choice would be a leader of an influential order, just like  
   
   Kush  
   
   
   
   Kush explodes    Scene II Enter Jin Zet Why do you partake in this madness?  Jin  Art requires a certain… cruelty. Sen  (with a cracking voice)  And so you kill poor Kush, a nobleman so wise that he has no real enemies? Have you no qualms? Jin This art is a compulsion… I cannot resist it.  Zet  You're a madman.  Jin All artists are mad.  Jin and Zet charge at each other. Zet cuts Jin's weapon out of his hand.  Jin  Whisper…  Zet  Not so great without our gun, are we? How are you going to kill us now?  Jin  I will wait until the composition is perfect.  Zet  Cut it out with your drama club. We need to solve this case once and for all right now. And the two ways we can do it is either for us to kill you or for you to start talking.  Jin  (menacing silence)  Sen  So it shall be.  Sen and Jin charge at each other. Sen tears off Jin's mask in two swift arm gestures.  Sen  (visibly astonished)  Is it you, my friend Jin?  Jin  Which is the lie? The mask or my face?  Sen  Even after all that you still keep character? Jin, my dear, please talk to me like we used to. Please tell me the old you is still there.  Jin  I have risen from the filth and muck. I am the lotus blossom. I… am beauty Sen  You are nothing but ugliness. No one who kills for pleasure deserves respect from me.  ( after a short pause ) My dear Jin, we can still make things right. Your art might exist without your killings. We can help you realise yourself in your  Zet kills Jin.  Scene III Sen My dear friend!  Sen runs up to Jin's body and punches Zet Zet If you believe that his death was undeserved, you are as much of a monster as him Sen  I would have never killed a friend and so I feel nothing but disgust towards anyone that does any harm to him.  Zet  How would you then pass judgement to him? What you are saying is at odds with our order’s morality. Sen  We would have figured something out... Sen breaks down on his knees and faces Jin You and I used to be so close. Whatever happened to break us apart? I put trust in you and was willing to sacrifice my life for you. And now…? I was on the verge of losing my life and you were not the saviour, but the killer. Where did your twisted personality come from? Where did the old Jin full of kindness and compassion go? The awful sequence of events that has made you this way must have been beyond human comprehension. You became a monster worse than any monster known to man. However hard I try to forgive you, I cannot bring myself feel compassion towards you. Your work is terrifying and its effects are frightening. Yet… Your person… You're still the Jin that I know and love. The same person, albeit a killer and a psychopath. And so I cannot bring myself to hate you. You're my friend and I remember it. And I will still treat you as one. That's why my friend needs to be  Sen grabs Jin's gun Avenged  Sen shoots Zet   Scene IV Sen Sen holds the gun to his temple. Sen Now my master Sen takes a step forward my best friend Sen takes a step forward and my fellow student Sen takes a step forward are all gone. (after a short pause) And so there is no reason for me to live. All my purpose and all my life’s meaning has been taken away, step by step. The ones I loved and respected the most were the ones that led to my ultimate downfall. There’s nothing in life that holds any purpose to me now.  (Sen breaks down on his knees and looks up) O Spirits, give me advice just this once. What shall I do in this time of despair. I have been taken away everything with the sole exception of your wisdom. What good is a connection with you if you never solve my problems. I renounce our bond - let nothing ever connect us again. For there’s no reason for me to call for spirits that know not how to help me. (stands up) O, the frightening power of man. Who gave us the right to decide who lives and who dies?  If there is a god, he must have abandoned this place long ago and left it to rot in its anarchy.  (looks at the audience) Very well then. If man can make decisions about life and death, than let me make the final one. Sen shoots himself.   
   
   
   
   Geralth 
     PROLOGOS 
   
   Enter Gerlath and his allies 
   
   
   Gerlath 
   
   I have gathered you, my dear followers, here - at the base of the Stairs of Ascension - for this is where history is going to be made. After the ceremony of Ascension, the Great Shuriman Empire shall never be as it is now. 
   
   CHORAGOS 
   
   O praise be to our savior, the great Gerlath, who will ascend, thus rendering the current emperor, A'ir, powerless. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Do remember that we have to tread carefully. If my superior finds out the truth to our plotting, the cult will be dissolved at once and no one should speak of his fellow cultists. I put complete trust in you and I hope you never betray me. I require of you an oath that all I say is not to see daylight. 
   
   CHORUS 
   
   We solemnly swear not to betray you at all times and to keep your word a secret. If one of us shall break this promise, we swear to locate him and lay waste to him. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   I am glad to have such faithful followers. This eve our emperor A'ir is going to attempt to play the main role at the ascension ceremony. That would be the ideal moment to strike. For if one has a brain to think and eyes to see, he knows that the one who should walk the Stairs of Ascension and receive the gift from the Sun is I. This land shall no longer be ruled by soulless oppressors that made me into the slave that I am to-day. The reign of A'ir has brought upon this empire nothing but misery and poverty. I shall put an end to this tragedy and liberate all that seek freedom. 
   
   CHORUS 
   
   O great Gerlath, we long for your reign as we long for freedom. We will not sit on the fence any longer, the time has come for action. Do ascend and become our leader. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   I have to remind you, just to be on the safe side, to beware of A'ir’s personal advisor, Nasus. He is a man of great intellect and will not hesitate to tell the emperor about any suspicion that has arisen in his mind. He has already passed the ritual of ascension, therefore A'ir will be more willing to listen to his advice than mine. He might even attempt to convince the emperor of the ritual being too dangerous to perform, thus frustrating my plan. I shall make use of all of my resources not to let Nasus discourage A'ir from attempting to ascend. 
   
   PARODOS 
   CHORUS 
   
   O great Shuriman Empire 
   Thou art beauty in its finest 
   O we truly are unworthy 
   Of your sands and of your dryness 
   Let us bathe in all thy glory 
   And let no one ever conquer 
   What's our sacred territory  
   
   CHORAGOS 
   
   But what beauty is Shurima 
   To the ones stripped of possessions 
   Ones that sate their masters’ cravings 
   As their everyday profession 
   Slavery indeed is dreadful 
   But in our great society 
   Tis what makes our land successful 
   
   CHORUS 
   
   Let us praise thou, wise man, Gerlath 
   Who hast saved our precious ruler  
   How it happened that thy power 
   Still remains so minuscular 
   Risen hast thou near the king 
   Yet even with all your honors  
   Thou hast not been ever set free 
   
   CHORAGOS 
   
   When our ruler was in peril 
   You displayed heroic bravery 
   Saving him and our empire 
   Yet he did not end your slavery 
   He let you drink from his chalice 
   He let you lie in his palace  
   But he did not see your malice 
   
   EPEISODION I 
   
   
   Enter A'ir with Gerlath and Nasus 
   
   
   Gerlath 
   
   My great lord! The time has come to take the power of the Sun and ascend above the mere mortals becoming the Ascended Warrior. There is no time to waste! 
   
   A'ir 
   
   How true your words are! For this is the day when no living creature can stand against the Shuriman Empire. I, the Emperor of Shurima, shall ascend to protect the weak and conquer the new. 
   
   NASUS 
   
   O great emperor. Do not let your pride and thirst for power put a shadow on the consequences that the Ascension may bring. After the Ascension you will no longer remain the same. I will even stick my neck out and say that your body will change making you extremely powerful. But every power has its cost. And the greater the power, the more painful the price. As your body changes, so does your mind. Not a single part of it shall remain the same taking away a part of your humanity. And if you happen to be not strong enough to stand the power of the Sun, it will overwhelm you leaving nothing but golden sand. I strongly advise, do not put your head on the block! Ascension is not a necessity and you know that too good. You were never destined for the throne but you climbed there with your own power from the inside. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Do not listen to him, my lord. The ceremony is as safe as houses and I guarantee it to you with my own life. I have studied all the books in the Great Library and such extreme cases that Nasus described happen only to those too weak to bear so much power. And you? You are the leader of your people. They have put all their trust and hopes in you. Will you let them down? Will you let your people suffer, when you have the power to change it all? 
   
   A'ir 
   
   Nasus, I have had trust in you ever since I become an emperor. Never did I leap in the dark without you standing right next to me ready to light my way. In all my decisions I put your opinion above all the other advisors’ and never did I regret my choice. Therefore I stand between two uncomparable choices. Should I listen to my never-mistaken advisor whom I would entrust my own life or should I end the lament of ever-tired nation which fights every day for a drop of water for their families. 
   
   NASUS 
   
   You should not put all your eggs in one basket, o my dear lord. Even if you are able to bear the name of the Ascended, ceremony is a hidden danger in itself that many overlook. The power of the Sun is always given for one man. No man can steal this power as an unspeakable energy would be unleashed and terrible events would be to come. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Too many human lives are at stake! Maybe Nasus the Wise, the Curator of the Great Library, does not have time to spend on the needs of Shurimans. But I do. Their condition is getting worse every day and it will not improve unless radical actions are taken. 
   
   On the side 
   
   Do not play safe. Live dangerously! Think about the power that you will bear in your hands! No other nation will stand against us. All our opponents will be crushed. The Shuriman Empire will grow as never before making you remembered as the greatest emperor in the history. Isn’t that what you wanted? To show that you can achieve greatness despite the lack of faith in you even from your father? 
   
   A'ir 
   
   I have decided. The Ascension ritual is to begin the next dawn. Gerlath is right. The people need me and I will not let them down. 
   
   STASIMON I 
   CHORUS 
   
   O how poor is our emperor 
   To be damned for eternity 
   Over him even his father 
   Tried to renounce his paternity 
   With hard work he gained more power 
   Than anyone ever wished him 
   Now tis his pinnacle hour 
   
   CHORUS 
   
     
   
   EPEISODION II 
   
   
   Enter A'ir and Gerlath 
   
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Why is it that you call me here so shortly before the ceremony, my master? 
   
   A'ir 
   
   You need not call me master any longer, dear Gerlath. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Is it... 
   
   A'ir 
   
   Tis right, I’m setting you free. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   O my lord, what an honor it is for a humble slave. I will praise your name for the whole eternity. But tell me, which of my actions made me deserve to be liberated? 
   
   A'ir 
   
   I presume your speech is only a formality. You know best that this whole time I have seen a true brother that I have never had in you, not a servant, let alone a slave. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   I’m delighted to hear these words. But will this be well received within your people? The society of Shurima is relying upon the slavery, and the emperor liberating his slave might lead the people to rito. 
   
   A'ir 
   
   My people know of our relation and understand it perfectly. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Our relation might be different than many people perceive it to be. 
   
   A'ir 
   
   The decision will be accepted. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   You are skating on thin ice, my lord. You can never predict the reaction of the masses. 
   
   A'ir 
   
   The die is cast and you are no one to dispute over it. Are you not pleased with your new social status? 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   I am, my lord. Highly... 
   
   A'ir 
   
   Then why do you advise me against it? 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Tis out of concern for your status, my lord. 
   
   A'ir 
   
   Let my status be of no concern to you. The emperor of the Great Shuriman Empire never has problems with having his people respect him. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Thy will be done. 
   
   Gerlath kneels 
   
   
   A'ir 
   
   So be it. From this point in history you shall be known not as my slave, but as my partner, faithful adviser and an eternal brother. Your deeds have made you more than worthy of this title. It was you who saved me in our early days, and from then on you did nothing but confirm that slavery is no place for you. 
   
   Gerlath stands up, bowing to A'ir 
   
   With the power that I am going to achieve through today’s ascension, I will liberate not only you, but also all of the slaves in our nation. Shurima shall be led by a great ruler that never relies on mistreated workers to fulfill his tasks. And I… shall be known as the greatest emperor in the history of this land, the one that brought freedom and prosperity. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Tis extremely noble of you to make such great use of your powers. O, Shurima is truly blessed with a great leader that knows the will of his subjects. 
   
   Exit A'ir 
   
   
   Gerlath 
   
   O, mighty sun that shines above us, giving us life and peace, hope and mainstay, power and authority. Why are you making me suffer this pain? The very one that I was planning to betray alleviated my pain and made me his brother. Now, with a lifelong debt to him, I have no option but to revoke the conspiracy that I was planning. I would never betray a brother. In these few seconds A'ir has given me more than anyone will ever give me. If I stay by his side, I will have access to his power and I will flourish like never before. I would become the person with second highest influence in the empire. But what is second highest compared to the highest? My whole life I have been striving to achieve reign over Shurima and with one simple act A'ir transforms all of my plans into relicts of the past, not even worthy to be mentioned, let alone executed. It doesn’t matter that A'ir made me nearly as powerful as him, if my goal was to overcome him and emerge as a being greater than he has ever been. As long as my ambition has not been fulfilled, I have to persevere and work towards fulfilling it. I cannot forsake my faithful followers. Since they joined the cult, they have been living with the hope of their leader overthrowing the emperor and giving them the privileges they deserve. I have established every last detail of the plan long ago, so I have no power to change it now. I have a close bond with my cult and I cannot afford to break it, for betrayal is the worst kind of crime. 
   
   STASIMON II 
   CHORUS 
   
   The Shuriman Sun is golden 
   Intangible in its greatness 
   Tis how great the hole has grown in 
   A heart earlier filled with hatred 
   He enslaved and with no glory 
   Now the finest from the palace 
   Will he make the Stairs turn gory? 
   
   CHORUS 
   
   Now the ceremony’s nearing 
   And the time has come for treason 
   But one cannot kill his brother 
   And justify it with reason. 
   Staying faithful to his cultists 
   And giving them a new order 
    Would be for them doing justice 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   EPEISODION III 
   A'ir 
   
   The ceremony of Ascension is to begin. Where is Nasus? My consultant would be more than welcome in such an important moment for Shurima. 
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Nasus had to intervene on the edges of the empire.  
   
   CHORAGOS 
   
   Praise A'ir, our beloved emperor as it is him who ascends so that we may prosper. 
   
   A'ir 
   
   O Sun, you who light our days and see everything we do, did and will do from above. You who watch for those who wield power and guide those in need. Today I, A'ir, the Emperor of Shurima, ask you for this power for I shall become Ascended to lead Shurimans to the brighter days where no man will suffer poverty but every one will witness the wealth spreading across the nation. Therefore I ask you one more time for your power not as an emperor but as a Shuriman. 
   
   A'ir ascends the stairs 
   
   
   CHORAGOS 
   
   The time has come. The Ascension ceremony has begun. 
   
   A brief pause 
   
   Who else is there? Is it Gerlath? The eternal brother of the emperor, the slave who was acknowledged as nearly equal to the throne? He uses his arcane magic to stop A'ir’s ascension! Gerlath is now the one standing in the light of the Sun when A'ir has fallen down the temple. But what is happening? The power obtained by Gerlath was not meant for him. The Sun is overwhelming Gerlath. His body is getting filled with pure energy tearing apart his skin and muscles. A huge burst of blue flame is released turning whole proximity into ashes and dust leaving Gerlath teared from all his human flesh. 
   
   Gerlath descends the stairs 
   
   
   Gerlath 
   
   Never did I feel so much power… No one can now stand against me! Kneel you all! Your Shuriman emperor has died by my own hand. He who foolishly believed that one noble act can revert all the humiliation I have experienced for all these years. The very same A'ir who sought the power and used his nation as justification for his thirst. Now Gerlath, the only true Emperor of Shurima, shall rule this land! The Sun has blessed me with its power making me invincible. I shall fly on the seat of my pants and rule the nation my way. For who is there to stop me? 
   
   EXODOS 
   CHORUS 
   
   O A'ir, our great protector 
   Thy feats for our land are countless 
   Enemies always feared our land 
   When thou wast walking around us  
   Treason incomprehensible 
   Today has fallen upon you 
   Now thou art indefensible  
   
   CHORAGOS 
   
   From sacred steps to quietus 
   Thou hast fallen in an instant 
   We shall meet again one more time 
   In a land that’s very distant 
   There will be no slaves and monarchs 
   In the place to which you’re going 
   Just like the visions of Karl Marx 
   
   CHORUS 
   
   Now the power over people 
   Walking the sands of Shurima 
   Has the now-ascended Gerlath, 
   A political hyena 
   Now our empire’s a wasteland 
   Everywhere it’s filled with deserts 
   And slaves at Gerlath’s command 
   
   CHORAGOS 
   
   The emperor sails close to the wind 
   For his people may betray him 
   Thus repeating the same story 
   From A'ir they might repay him 
   O be careful our dear master 
   For if you take no precautions 
   You shall face frightful disaster 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Publication Date: June 7th 2020 https://www.bookrix.com/-ji5733bed6ecde5