A New World, New Start (REMAKE)

Chapter 1: Prologue

Empire of Elysia, Néa Konstantinoúpoli
June 6, 1986
10:03 AM

On a sunny day in the Empire, the city of Néa Konstantinoúpoli was alive with activity. People bustled through the streets, either heading to work or leisurely strolling about. As a sprawling megalopolis, it boasted buildings towering over six hundred meters, with the tallest reaching a staggering one thousand meters. Its population exceeded fifty-six million, outnumbering that of Saudi Arabia. Once a modest settlement founded by Elysia's ancestors fleeing the Ottomans in 1453, it had evolved into a bustling metropolis known as Novaroma, or New Rome. By the 1950s, following a hard-earned peace with the Greater Germanic Reich, it had emerged as a global superpower.

At the heart of the city stood the Great Palace of Andréa, a colossal structure covering five hundred thirty thousand square meters. Its towers soared over one thousand five hundred meters, and its thick, smooth white walls were fortified to withstand a nuclear strike and endure for millennia. This resilience was a testament to the superiority of Greco-Roman architecture. The palace, built by Emperor Andréas Marenovian, the Empire's founder and first ruler, was as much a symbol of his legacy as it was a physical embodiment of the city's grandeur.

Inside, the palace resembled an intricate maze due to its vast size. In one chamber, a desk was situated with a stack of papers neatly arranged to the right. An elderly man in his mid-seventies, Callissian Elliás, the Imperial regent of Elysia, sat at the desk. He held a pen in his right hand, diligently signing documents.

After signing the papers, Callissian Elliás carefully arranged and stacked them before resting his elbow on the desk and burying his face in his hands. "Just a few more years before I can finally retire and spend the rest of my life in my territory," he muttered with a sigh.

A nobleman who owned lands to the north of Novaroma, Callissian had served as a general during the Second World War. He was often seen as the late Emperor Avinerion VI's loyal lapdog, known for his unwavering adherence to orders from the monarch Despite his reputation as a loyal servant, he was a man of notable integrity.

However, despite Callissian's desire for retirement, his duty to mentor the young Emperor Andréas II weighed heavily on him. The responsibility of guiding the fifteen-year-old toward the greatness of his predecessor, Andréas I, was immense. As he sat in contemplation, the door to his office opened, drawing his attention. Callissian glanced up to see a tall man with a mustache, dressed in a black suit, documents tucked under his arm.

"General Aeliou, what brings you here?" Callissian asked, addressing the man by name. General Vasiliki Aeliou, now in his mid-eighties, was the head of the Imperial Elysian Airforce.

Vasiliki Aeliou had been one of the most talented generals under Emperor Avinerion VI. He had commanded forces during both the Elysian Civil War and the Second World War, earning a reputation as the second most decorated general in the Empire, only surpassed by Callissian himself.

Aeliou closed the door behind him with deliberate care and approached Callissian's desk. Without hesitation, he pulled the documents from under his arm and placed them heavily on the desk. "The Persians are developing nuclear weapons with the support of the Einheispakt. We've taken severe losses this week-three thousand five hundred and ten casualties in total. Thirty of those were from our 4th generation fighters. The Persians are becoming a genuine threat, General. We must take them seriously," Aeliou reported, his tone grave as he relayed the disturbing news.

Callissian let out a heavy, shaky sigh, a bead of sweat falling from his chin. The weight of the decision bore down on him. He dreaded the thought of escalating the conflict in the Middle East but knew that allowing the Germans to expand their influence there was equally perilous. "We can't afford to widen the war in the Middle East," he muttered, his voice strained. "But we can't afford to abandon it either..."