text: I see you in myself. When I was a young boy, perhaps but four or five, I witnessed revolution first-hand. I am a very old man, as you can see. I was alive, though just barely, when the nations of Earth had first set their homes upon the heavens. If we were poor before, we were even worse off afterward. The leaders of the time made it their mission to erase all history of the Earth below, from within the country at the least and quite possibly extending to all. This was the point at which we introduced the vile systems that we need to deal with now, forcing children into slavery... I did not create these systems, nor did my predecessor. In fact, I had no true predecessor. I saw the injustice in the world, and thought that it was only right that someone make it better. After all, people were starving, being left to death. Surely, a government full of good-natured people would be best fit to lead the populace, no? I only thought more strongly of this after a revolution. No, not any one in your lifetime, nor your parents’; this was many years ago, when I was even younger than you are now. I saw the brutality of war hit my family and my neighborhood with a vicious thunderclap, having my friends’ and brothers’ lives taken. I was very lucky to have survived, young man. I still have the scars to this day. Do you see? And even given all of the atrocities, I was captivated- fascinated, even- by all that was happening around me. I became in love with revolution, and I promised, nay, swore to myself that if one happened when I was an adult I would support it, no matter its cost or destruction. I was awarded- or perhaps, cursed- with that opportunity when I was fourteen. This was only a few years later, was it not? I was able to watch what would eventually become the Adamantium Party- though it was not yet called that- as it was intended. I saw it begin as only a few paranoid conspiracists, meeting over at their own house every once in a while. I was still in school, but I snuck away to meet with them; how could I not, given what I promised myself? I knew that if I were to be caught, I would surely die, but that only fueled my flame for revolution even more. I fought in the revolution then. I killed people, people I knew. Men, women, and even children. I forced myself to look mothers in the eyes as they begged for their sons’ lives, and still forced myself to pull the trigger. War is never a pretty adventure, child. Surely, you know this? Your older brother has surely killed many defending my regime from the Central Party. This war hardened me. But I had seen terrible things happen to my family, saw them strung up on beams and tortured in a variety of ways. I told myself that if I wanted to avenge them, I would need to destroy those responsible. Oh, it seems that I was the only one responsible for their deaths, after all! When the Adamantium Party came to power, I was as young and naïve as I was when I began my journey. I thought that a only strong leader could undo the damage that the previous leaders had done. I had a dream in my mind, only searching for the opportunity to save my country. Alas, the throne is not sat upon a concrete foundation, as it seems from afar. Rather, it has made its home upon a house of cards, carefully set, bound to fall. Only by maintaining my status within the nation as willing to keep my government loyal, and outside of the nation as a closed off and uninvolved nation, could I keep my spot on the throne. But alas, keeping this so would not allow me to make the changes I risked myself to make! The moment I realized this, I nearly cried at the irony. How could I be so stupid as to become the very dictator I swore to myself I would prevent from ever becoming of power again? I resigned myself to my fate; I was doomed to be a ruler not anew, but the same as the old. For many years, I ruled this way; leaving children to die, or worse, wish death upon themselves, and forcing adults into the same indoctrination as they had, only with the names exchanged. Then, an opportunity arose. Surely, you have heard of Phynn of Antiaris? Your teachers always taught you that he was of Calamity, because that is true. The moment he reached out to me, I demanded to see him. I knew that, with his help, perhaps the Isle could be forever liberated. Do you not see? I am not guilty of creating the system by which this nation functions, yet I am equally wicked as those who came before me. I needed to save the people of this Isle, free them, do as I promised myself that I would accomplish when I was just a boy. And to do this, I know that I must likely die in the process, but I do not care. I have lived eighty years since that day. I have lived a sorry life, one not worth living. So if my life was filled only with evil, perhaps my death could mean something more; perhaps, even in my death, I can save the people of the Southern Microrepublic. So join your friend. Save your nation. This is my nation no more, for even should I survive, Etat will be swift to take over. Yet, your Revolution, I see, will work better than my own boyish attempts. I care no longer for my rule; I only care now for stopping the rule of Etat. The freedom of the people depends on it.