Echoes of the Past and Promises of Tomorrow

Alexander stands there, protecting the kid if anything happens, but Nihachu doesn't act, she is just looking at him. After a small moment of silence between both of them, Alex decides to take the first step in this discussion. 

"Well Lady Nichahu, what's bringing you here?" he said with a calm and monotone voice, thinking of all the possibilities of Nichahu's reasons. 

"I was going to check on you, as President William said. But it seems you got the little one here.." Nihachu said in a small and calming voice. The silence was back again, Alexander wasn't questioning since everything was in Nihachu's face, his sense and perceptivity could not deceive him, she was trying to get the child for a better future for him, not the opposite. 

"I see." Said Alexander breaking the silence. "I think something is happening in your city. I think you also have this in mind right?"

"Yes, but let's talk about this another time unless you want others to suspect." 

"Of course, we will have time after."

Nihachu and Alex looked at each other and she left the house, Alex knew that from this interaction, he found a new ally in his plan. 

But Alexander's mind raced as he considered Nihachu's presence. Was she truly here to help, or was there something more to her visit? He couldn't afford to trust blindly, not with so much at stake.

He looked back at the kid, who was a bit terrified, looking at Alexander. 

"Let's continue, what's your name?" Alexander went back to his peaceful monotone voice, calming the kid almost instantly.

"My name is R-Ranboo.." the boy said with a slight bit of nervousness. 

His body was shaking a tiny bit every time he was mostly nervous but there was also a hint of fear in his eyes.

His eyes showed a dark past. He looked as if he was in pain from his memories. 

This made Alex feel pity for the boy. He felt that the boy was too kind-hearted for this current predicament. He felt a slight bit of empathy toward the boy. His heart was less calm. It was as if a drop of water had fallen into a clear pond. It caused Alex to feel a small ripple of emotions. 

It made a ripple in Alex's emotions that was like a millpond. It wasn't the first time he felt this type of emotion and it certainly won't be his last time.

Alex asked the boy. "What happened to you? Why were people hunting you down? Please answer these questions. I want to help you and I need information to help you properly." His voice was normal but it was demanding. 

The boy felt as if he was being interrogated. Ranboo's hands trembled slightly as he tried to remember the events that led to his current situation. His voice shivered as he spoke, his words were barely audible at times.

Alex was not trying to scare the boy but he knew that he had to use a rough voice or else the boy would take too long to open up to him about himself.

"I... I don't remember much," he began his voice barely above a whisper. "It's all blurry, like a dream. But I remember... I remember running. Running from something... or someone."

"Running from someone?" asked Alexander while listening carefully, trying to understand everything that could happen, his expression softened as he observed the boy's distress. He could sense the fear flow from Ranboo, mixed with confusion and desperation.

He softened his voice as he knew that forcing the boy to speak would just hurt him more. He was a bit saddened to know that the boy was still too young mentally to not be pressured by a simple question. He somewhat empathized with the boy. He remembered how he used to be a soft and kind kid who was not mentally prepared for this world. 

Alex decided to take his time in questioning as it would be most optimal to let the kid muster up the courage to answer his questions.

Alexander knelt beside the trembling boy, his voice gentle but firm. "Ranboo, I need you to tell me everything you remember. I promise, no one will hurt you here, but I need to know what we're up against." He placed a reassuring hand on Ranboo's shoulder, hoping to convey a sense of safety.

Ranboo took a deep breath and answered, "I don't clearly remember w-what happened, I only r-remember being in an empty room, with no light... I was living inside for an eternity, they gave me horrible and nasty food, and I couldn't properly move since they attached me to the wall.. "

He stopped for a second, the kid was sweating and was traumatized. He took his courage and finished "They beat me every once, it was hard to endure…I couldn't do anything, my memory was gone, I only saw what I saw there and only the worst thing. 

Alexander knew that something even worse was happening, this kid was living in despair. He looked at him, sighed, and said in a slow voice "How did you escape?" As he said, Philza came back, with some food for both, he was petrified by Ranboo's facial expression. 

The kid stopped crying and trying to recall his memory. As Ranboo tried to piece together his broken memories, Alexander sensed a shift in the atmosphere. The air grew tense, and the sound of approaching footsteps was getting louder. His instincts went on high alert, preparing for the unknown visitor. 

Alexander thought for a millisecond, he took Ranboo and put him below the bed, he made a sign to tell him to close his mouth, Phil opened the door, it was William, he had a smile yet suspicious. 

"Well, good evening dear Alexander and Philza. I am here to talk about our agreement."

Alexander looked at him "Go ahead."

"So you will be taking part in the council of the land, where the 12 members with the highest rank in the hierarchy are supposed to be. I know that you don't know anything about the land, is that right?" William said with a smile, his tone was the same.

But Alex thought for a second "Hierarchie?" but forgetting those thoughts he calmly said "I don't know a lot about administration since I never taught about this. I could learn, you know."

"Of course, that's one of the ways. But it's a long process, which can take a lot of years to understand everything." 

"Give me 2 days, once we are in the city, I will make sure that I learn everything," said Alexander with a confident tone, Philza and William became perplexed, two days?

"Hm.. Do you think you can learn everything in two days? Even our oldest and wisest council member learned in 20 years."

"I can do anything if it's helping someone."

William chuckled at Alexander's statement. "Alright, I believe in you, I will be taking my leave, please take a rest." he left the house, with a big smile, enthusiastic at Alexander's confidence. 

Philza closed the door and looked at Alexander, questioning in silence. 

"Old man, you don't believe me?" chuckled Alexander saying this while purposely joking. 

"Don't call me old man, I already told you to quit calling me that a long time ago, and second of all, why did you challenge yourself in this risky task?"

"Make what? A statement that I can easily realize?" He chuckled for a second, the atmosphere was somehow indifferent, but something had changed, something Philza couldn't get to, he looked at Alexander for a proper look, he had never seen his son's eyes.. this much a bloody red.. and unwanted anger, the aura of his eyes was too strong to handle.

"What's up?" asked Alexander looking at Phil's silence and terrified face.

"O-oh it's nothing. I will be going outside for a minute, you should both eat the food."

As he leaves, Alex hands out the food to Ranboo, who is looking less terrified, but his eyes seem to say otherwise. Ranboo looked at the food, his eyes were full of joy, 

"Maybe when he was stuck inside he didn't get as good as the food here.. " thought silently Alexander, thinking about this situation.

He looked at him while Ranboo was avidly eating the food, he felt happy for him, it was silent but wholesome,

"I shouldn't ask him questions about his past right now. I have time before I execute my plan." reasoned Alex

The night went on, Ranboo peacefully sleeping, Philza guarding the house and Alexander walking through the small camp. There was nothing else beyond it except a few trees but the plan was vast and seemed infinite. Alexander lay down a bit further than the base, looking at the black shining sky, filled with hundreds of thousands of stars.

"The small breeze is refreshing uh?" he muttered while relaxing in this position.

The night was cold, yet warming. 

He saw a presence approaching him, he recognized that the footstep pattern was William's.

Alexander noticed William's frequent glances at the sky as they approached the city entrance. His curiosity piqued, and he decided to inquire about it.

"Is everything alright, William?" Alexander asked, his voice laced with concern.

William turned to Alexander, his expression unreadable for a moment before he offered a reassuring smile. "Yes, everything is fine. I was just admiring the sunrise. It's a rare sight to behold in these parts."

Alexander nodded, accepting William's explanation, though a nagging feeling of unease lingered in the back of his mind. He couldn't shake the suspicion that there was more to William's behavior than met the eye.

As they reached the city gates, Alexander's senses were assaulted by the busy activity of the capital. The streets were full of people going about their daily routines, merchants peddling their wares, and guards patrolling the area with watchful eyes. It was a sharp contrast to the tranquility of the countryside and the cold land they had left behind.

The citizens, recognizing William and the other government members, greeted them with warm smiles. "Welcome back, President William!" one of them called out, drawing the attention of those nearby. "It's good to see you all again. We've missed your presence in the city."

Alexander observed the exchange with interest, noting the genuine affection and respect the citizens held for their leaders. But something was strange.

As they made their way towards the castle, Alexander couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement building in him. The grandeur of the structure appears before them, its high tower reaching toward the sky like silent sentinels guarding the heart of the city.

As they entered the castle, Alexander found himself in a vast hall decorated with drapery portraying scenes of courage and triumph as Quackity informed Philza, who had the box where Ranboo was sleeping peacefully in secret and all their other stuff, where their room was, he went with the box and all the stuff they brought. At the far end of the hall, a group of individuals awaited their arrival. They all welcomed William with gratitude and respect.

William led Alexander towards the group, a smile of pride evident on his face. "Allow me to introduce you to the members of our council," he said, gesturing towards each of them in turn.

The first to step forward was a regal-looking woman with a commanding presence. "This is Lady Cassandra," William announced, his voice filled with reverence. "She oversees diplomacy and foreign affairs, ensuring that our nation maintains strong alliances with our neighbors."

Cassandra inclined her head in greeting, her gaze sharp and penetrating. "Welcome, Alexander," she said, her voice as smooth as silk. "I trust you will be a valuable addition to our council."

Next to Cassandra stood a figure in armor, his expression serious and fixed. "This is Sir Luke," William continued, indicating the knight with a nod of his head. "He is responsible for the defense of our realm, ensuring the safety and security of our citizens against any threat that may arise."

Sir Luke nodded curtly in acknowledgment, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Greetings, Alexander," he said, his voice rough yet respectful. "I heard you beat Tommy in a fight, I guess he was heated in his head after this fight, I look forward to seeing what you can bring to the table."

Alexander chuckled at his remarks, Tommy fumed in silence knowing that they were talking about him.

Beside Luke stood a handsome man with a stack of parchment tucked under his arm. 

He had striking white hair that framed his face like a halo, and his blue eyes seemed to seduce any woman that met his eyes. His features were sharp and angular, and a faint smile played at the corners of his lips And this is Zenith," William said, motioning towards the very young man with a smile. "He oversees matters of governance and administration, ensuring that our laws are upheld and justice is served. Oh and he is one of the youngest here, after Tommy and Tubbo"

Zenith offered Alexander a warm smile, his eyes shining with intelligence. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Alexander," he said, his voice enthusiastic. "I trust you will find our council and nation to be a place of great opportunity and challenge."

As Alexander greeted each council member, he couldn't help but feel a strange and mysteriousness in their presence. These were the individuals charged with the fate of their nation, each possessing their unique skills and talents, but it didn't feel right, something had to be hidden from them.

But he couldn't see the 4 other members of the council, so he decided to ask William 

"William, you stated that there were 4 other members in this council, why aren't they here?" asked Alexander, his face full of questions.

"Oh yeah, they all went on a mission, they will be back tonight." answered The President with ease, his expression seemed not to change at anything.

Alexander nodded and excused himself to go to his room, which Philza shared. 

As the sun set, Alexander finally visited all the places of the castle. He had found a lot of secret tunnels. He decided once again to go outside and take some air, he went to the garden where. He lay down and looked at the sky, he felt a warm and nice feeling touching his skin.

"Hello, William," Alexander greeted as he and William sat on the green lawn, surrounded by beautiful flowers.

"Evening, Alexander. Are you enjoying this new scenery? I know it must be different from where you came from," William replied, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity.

Alexander nodded, taking in the bustling surroundings. "It's certainly a change, but I find it fascinating. It's warm"

William chuckled softly. "Indeed, it does. You'll get used to it in no time. You know, it wasn't always like this. When I first founded L'Manburg, it was just a small settlement struggling to survive."

Alexander raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? I'd love to hear more about it."

"Of course," William responded warmly, gesturing for Alexander to walk alongside him. "You see, Alexander, creating this nation wasn't an easy project, people took me as an insane one. It took years of dedication, perseverance, and sacrifice. We even had multiple conflicts or interactions that we thought would not see the light of day. In the end it was worth the effort." William said, a smile forming on the corner of his mouth probably from Remembering the joy they felt when they had finally won.

As they wander through the corridors of the castle, William tells the difficult and treacherous journey he had undertaken to establish their nation. "I started with nothing but a vision," he explained, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "I wanted to build a place where people could live free from tyranny and oppression, a place where justice and equality carry all before one. I do not believe that we are at that phase as of now but I genuinely believe that we will create that place in the not-so-distant future."

Alexander listened intently, his curiosity piqued by William's tale. you couldn't blame Alex for being intrigued about such a grand tale. "But it wasn't just me," William continued, his gaze seeming distant as he recalled the past. "I had help from many brave souls who believed in my dream. Tommy, my younger brother, and all of the people you meet, have helped me, it started with a simple village. Well, I think it would be an overstatement to call it a village" William chuckled " It was more like a small house that we all stayed in together." He continued, his voice sounding a bit joyful.

They soon reached William's chambers, cutting their conversation and changing the topic "And now, here we are," William said, a hint of pride in his voice as he glanced around the room. "A testament to what can be achieved when people come together for a common cause. This always facilitates me. What I thought to be impossible can be easily achieved together" 

The conversation was halted as Alexander said goodnight to William and left the room. As he walked towards the room where Philza and Ranboo slept, he smiled. 

"William hm? He is.. still the same," he muttered in silence, his voice filled with happiness.