Sun Way: The New Era

Your Iconic frontier town, if there ever was a stereotype here Gumbinnen represented it Lucius thought, it was a rough and untamed wilderness. A countryside you may say. Unlike in the city where planes and spaceships fly non-stop here the gleaming spires of the spaceport and commercial centers stood rather lacking. Here fields of crops and the homes of AgriBot overseers resided. As Lucius moved through the streets, he couldn't help but sight.

He passed workers in faded clothing. They oversaw machines that had long since replaced much of the repetitive work, various drones that hovered silently above the ground, tending to crops, transporting goods, or repairing the infrastructure that supported the town. These robots were not designed to replace humans but to support them, allowing people to live more fulfilling lives while maintaining a stable economy. Still, the town's residents, for all their technological advantages, lived simple but peaceful lives. Some even worked traditionally the land by hand. Whether it was farming the land by hand, crafting with artisanal tools, or tending to the homes they'd built with their own sweat, the people of the frontier still found meaning in the manual tasks.

As Lucius walked deeper into the Townsquare, he could see the efficiency of the automated systems at work like the AgriBots adjusting their rows of crops with almost clinical precision. Even with such advanced technology, there remained space for human culture and human labor, government made sure of that. And many still valued the hard work, the connection to the land, the idea of Blood and soil.

The government made sure that even the noble families couldn't ignore these values entirely, despite their wealth and power.

His mind was not focused on the mechanized world around him, however. His destination was ahead, a small and humble cottage at the edge of the town, where she waited.

The girl no, not just any girl, but the one he had come to love ever since their childhood. She was a commoner. But her beauty, her personality, made her stand out even among the best of the nobility Lucius thought. He admired her fiery heart and the way she made him feel.

As he approached the cottage, he saw her standing outside, framed by the warm glow of the setting sun. She was pretty, around 6 feet, with a graceful yet strong frame. Her blonde hair fell in soft waves down her back, catching the last light of the day. Her skin, tanned from long hours under the sun seemed to radiate warmth and vitality. To Lucius, she was the most beautiful woman ever.

She smiled when she saw him, but there was a tension in her expression, a weight that had been building in their relationship for some time.

"You're late," she ran to him and hugged him softly, her voice trembling with a mix of anticipation.

While she was holding on to him Lucius hesitated, glancing around nervously. "Adeline I had to sneak away." He appeared distracted, his eyes flicked to the distant hills, the walls of the estate looming in the distance. His father had grown suspicious lately, and Lucius could feel the weight of his expectations on him at all times. But none of that mattered in this moment. He needed to see Adeline. Even if it meant sneaking away, even if it was only for a few stolen minutes.

Adeline didn't look angry, merely worried about his behaviour, the sadness deepening in her eyes. "What's going on?" She released from the hug and said, her voice soft and fragile.

Lucius' heart clenched. he couldn't bring himself to reach for her just yet. His guilt weighed on him heavily. 

There was a good silence for a second before with worry she said.

"Lucius, are you... going to marry me?" she asked, her voice trembling, barely above a whisper. The weight of the government deadline hung between her, making the question feel as precarious as stepping onto thin ice.

The question caught him off guard, even though he knew it was coming. His chest tightened, his throat suddenly dry. He had never wanted to hurt her, never wanted to be the cause of her pain, but it seemed like he couldn't avoid it anymore.

His voice faltered. "Grandfather didn't approve." He swallowed, trying to steady himself, but the words came out heavy, like lead. "I'm... betrothed."

Her face paled, her eyes searching his face for some hint that he was joking, but when she saw none, her shoulders slumped, as if the weight of his words had physically crushed her. "So... so that's it then I'll have to marry someone else?" Her voice cracked, and she quickly wiped at her eyes, though Lucius could still see the tears that lingered. "You're just going to... leave me? You're going to walk away from everything we had?" She shook her head, her hands clutching at her chest, as though she could hold her heart together. "Lucius, please..."

The pain in her voice twisted his insides. His heart broke from seeing her tear up.

"I never meant to hurt you," he whispered, his voice thick with regret. "I... I wish I could marry you. But I can't."

She stepped closer to him, reaching for his hand, her fingers trembling as they brushed against his. "Please, Lucius... You don't have to choose them," she pleaded softly, her eyes brimming with tears. "I'll do anything. I'll go anywhere with you. Let's get married now! We can leave Novgorad, we can make a life off in the frontier, just you and me." Her voice wavered with desperation. "I love you. Don't leave me, please..."

Lucius closed his eyes, his chest tightening painfully at her words. He had never seen her so vulnerable, so fragile. She wasn't asking for much, was she? Just everything. But he couldn't give her that. He couldn't give her a future that would be hers, a life where they could be together without the constraints of duty and family.

"I... I can't," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I have a duty." His words sounded hollow, even to him. But they were the only ones he had.

Her face crumpled at the admission, and she collapsed into a heap on the ground, her hands pressed to her face as sobs wracked her body. "No, please," she whispered through the tears. "I can't live without you. Don't leave me like this."

Lucius stood frozen, his heart torn between what was expected of him and what he wanted. He wanted to go to her, to hold her, to tell her everything would be all right. But he couldn't. He couldn't betray his family, his title, his future. He had never fought for her before, and now it seemed like too late to start.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, the words sounding too small, too insignificant for the weight of the pain between them. "I wish things were different."

She now half delirious from sadness raised her tear-streaked face to him, her eyes wide with disbelief, the sadness so palpable it nearly suffocated him. "Please, Lucius... don't leave me alone. You're all I have. I don't care about anything else. Just be with me..."

Before Lucius could respond, an alarm interrupted them.

"Emergency alert: Enemy forces have entered the region. Evacuate to secure locations. Repeat, hostile units advancing. Stay alert."

Lucius looked at her one last time, his heart breaking with every word he had to say. "Go to safety, I have to go," he said before holstering his Railgun Sidearm.

She didn't respond. She didn't move. Her eyes remained locked on him, full of unshed tears. The silence stretched, and for a moment, for her it felt like the whole world had stopped moving.

"I'm sorry," he said again, his voice breaking. Before pushing her into her home and closing the door. 

Adeline's face was pale, her expression lost. As he turned to leave, she whispered one last plea, so quiet that it barely reached his ears: "Please... come back. Please don't leave me alone."

But Lucius couldn't answer. The sounds of approaching chaos with screams and explosions echoed in the distance, dragging him away. He left her there alone.