Salvage of Hope

It was also the nation of Amalia's previous life, making her, technically, a citizen of the Empire.

"I see," Khalil replied while nodding his head.

He had no doubts about their origins.

Shadron had been cut off from the Empire for a long time, and their knowledge of the Empire's current state was quite a little.

What little they knew came from the aliens who occasionally visited Shadron for their twisted "entertainment."

The aliens seemed to revel in the humans' despair.

Every time they came, they would deliberately share news of the Empire's plight: which planets had fallen, which generals had died in battle.

Their intent was clear—to deepen the humans' hopelessness.

Watching the despair on their faces brought the aliens no small measure of joy.