The crowd in the square was heatedly discussing the city's new leader.
On the platform exit, the rising sun sprinkled on the threshold, casting a shadow.
A pair of white boots emerged from the shadow.
The band, ready for this moment, started their performance.
The bustling square fell silent, as people turned their attention to the podium.
"Today is a day worth commemorating."
Atop the exquisite marble podium, a man wearing a white mask and clad in a white robe was surveying the crowd below.
The white mask had a red circle on the forehead, from which a thin line extended downward, splitting at the bridge of the nose and stopping at the corners of the mouth.
Below, it was silent as a sparrow.
"A year ago, a terrible disaster swept across the world, those twisted demons crawled out of the cracks, shredding everything they saw."
"Our loved ones, our friends, they were buried in that disaster, but they secured for us a sliver of opportunity."
