The Revolution Came

Chapter 41: One last time

January 12th, 1944

The Cabinet Hall was thick with tension. Ken Drick sat at the head of the table, listening as his secretaries argued over the growing Imperialist threat. Over the years, the movement had gone from scattered whispers to a serious force embedded within the Republic's institutions. Their influence stretched into the military, the Assembly, and even some corners of the Cabinet itself.

Cody had seen it coming before most. Four years ago, after the assassination attempt on Ken Drick, Cody had secretly commissioned an underground passage beneath both the National Convention Hall and the Cabinet Hall. Only a few trusted individuals knew of it, because trust was becoming a rare commodity.

Ken Drick tried to focus, but a sudden cough seized his chest. He quickly covered his mouth with his fist, suppressing the pain. When he pulled his hand away, he felt the wetness before he saw it, blood.

The room fell silent.

"Mr. President," Secretary Heartfilia said cautiously, her voice laced with concern. "Are you sure you can continue this Cabinet meeting?"

Ken Drick forced a thin smile. "Yes, Secretary Heartfilia. Please continue."

She hesitated, but the debate resumed, though the glances toward him were now filled with unease.

He barely heard a word. His mind drifted to the past few months: his worsening condition, the fatigue, the persistent visions that haunted his nights. He had thought he was free from them.

But then, a whisper slithered into his thoughts.

"Your fate is already determined, James."

Ken Drick stiffened. The air in the room seemed heavier.

He looked around frantically, trying to find the source, but all he saw were the secretaries, now staring at him with furrowed brows.

The walls of the Cabinet Hall seemed to darken. A wave of dizziness hit him.

"You thought you defeated me?"

A shadow flickered at the edge of his vision, just for a second. But it was there.

The secretaries' voices faded, their words warping into unintelligible echoes. His vision tunneled, the edges of his sight curling into black.

"You cannot escape your destiny, James. The Empire is inevitable."

He gripped the table, knuckles turning white.

"Mr. President!" someone called.

His vision snapped back to reality. The room was normal. The secretaries were staring at him. It was just a hallucination. It had to be.

He inhaled deeply and forced himself to straighten.

"I apologize," he said, voice steady. "Let's continue."

The discussion resumed, but Ken Drick knew the truth.

He wasn't just fighting Imperialists. Something else was hunting him and it wasn't finished yet.

_______

Ken Drick opened his eyes to find himself in a hazy, dreamlike space. Standing before him was Dr. Zakriel Rizal, his old mentor and comrade from the revolutionary days. The doctor smiled faintly, placing a reassuring hand on Ken Drick's shoulder.

"Hello, old friend."

Ken Drick blinked, disoriented. He had just been in the middle of a Cabinet meeting, the secretaries arguing about the growing Imperialist movement. Now, he was here. He recognized the sensation, this wasn't reality.