Caleb

“I... believed you...” Void said in a hoarse tone.

Caleb dealt critical damage, piercing Void's body with his katana. Seeing the former Inspector close his eyes, holding his breath, Caleb pulled his katana from his body with shaking hands, seeing the bloody mess and wires from broken implants. Caleb, on shaky legs, walked away, leaving the entire former Empire behind.

Weeks, months passed. It was painful for Caleb, but joyful for the citizens, who were finally choosing their own destiny, no longer suffering under the yoke of the old Empire. Caleb broke down mentally, slowly going mad without Void, without his control over his former secretary. Caleb slowly but surely gravitated toward Void's likeness, toward his cold nature. The world slowly lost its color.

Caleb, as Inspector of the new Empire, did a lot of good, helped, and was genuinely a good person. He hid his feelings and pain, hiding how hard it was for him. Caleb took to smoking on the balcony in the evenings, sipping a cup of coffee. He didn't smoke or drink coffee often; most likely, it was because he remembered Void.

One dark, rainy evening, Chestnut sat in his newly acquired office, sipping whiskey and working on his computer. Due to the heavy rain and thunderstorm, the power went out. Caleb sighed wearily and went to the switch.

Descending to the first floor, he reached a small room dedicated to the light switch. As he walked down the hallway, he glanced out the window, seeing a familiar figure there. Caleb approached the window and, with fear in his eyes, saw the living Void.

“Have I completely lost my mind?” Caleb thought to himself.