Title: “The Blackwood Order: Year Six Begins”

Perspective: Chris Blackwood

The broadcast had ended, the BNN anchor's voice still echoing faintly from the massive holographic screen mounted in the Grand Hall of the Black Citadel.

I sat in silence. Not out of uncertainty—no, that emotion had long been buried beneath the armor of leadership—but out of reflection. Five years. Five years of fire, iron, and reshaping history. The Empire was no longer what it was. The world was no longer what it was.

My seal had been stamped on everything. Literally. From the rewritten laws, to the identity cards, to the street banners flying the Blackwood crest—it was all mine. It was all… ours.

I stood and looked out through the tall obsidian windows of the Citadel. Below, the cities were pulsing with life, but all under control. Curfews were respected. Markets functioned under strict inspection. Even laughter in public had a time and place.

And now, the sixth year begins.

---

Meeting Room – Inner Council, 10:00 a.m.

Christiana entered first, her presence still unmatched. She had grown into her role with sharp precision, as though born for it. She bowed slightly—not out of obligation, but respect.

"Father," she said, "the empire awaits your directive for the new year."

"Then let's not keep it waiting." I turned to the table, already stacked with documents marked Imperial Eyes Only. "Begin."

She handed me a dossier. "We've fully processed all name reassignment records. As of now, every living citizen on Imperial soil has legally adopted Blackwood as their surname. Any files, records, or registries using old surnames have been permanently deleted."

"Good," I muttered, flipping through pages. "And those found trying to evade it?"

"Executed or exiled. There are no exceptions. Zero tolerance maintained."

"Excellent. What about the reclamation of land?"

"Over ninety percent of non-compliant regions have been seized. The remaining ten percent are currently under siege by Black Axe Men squads."

I nodded slowly, proud but not yet satisfied.

"And the statistics?"

She motioned and a projection blinked to life in front of me.

Territory Controlled by Blackwood Empire: 96%

Population Bearing Blackwood Name: 1.9 Billion

Imperial Schools Operational: 12,000

Black Axe Men Active Units: 400 Million

Heavy Artillery Vehicles: 1.2 Million

Blackwood Battle Drones: 15 Million

Spy Droids & Surveillance Nodes: 500 Million

It was beautiful. Ruthless, precise… beautiful.

But then she hesitated. I noticed it.

"You're holding something back."

She raised her head. "There's unrest... small, but growing in the outer non-Blackwood colonies. Not inside the empire—but those we've exiled. They're regrouping. And Father… they have help."

"Help?"

"Yes. From the Old World. Former monarchs. Exiled scholars. Hidden billionaires who refused the oath. They're uniting under the banner of the Forgotten Surnames."

I stood, jaw clenched. "Then it's time we remind them why they were forgotten in the first place."

She nodded. "Shall I activate the Contingency Vault?"

"Do it," I said darkly. "And send out a new decree. Effective immediately, any contact with the Forgotten Surnames is considered treason. Black Axe Men are authorized to execute without trial."

"Yes, Supreme."

"And Christiana…"

"Yes?"

"Begin preparations. Year Six must be louder than the five before it. I want monuments—no—fortresses in every capital, bearing our name. If they will not honor it through loyalty, they will do so through fear."

She grinned. "As you command."

---

Later That Day – Global Address

I stood before the cameras, behind me the empire's sigil: a black wolf etched over gold.

"My people. My family. My blood."

"For five years, we have reshaped the world together. We tore down the weak names of the past and raised one banner: Blackwood. But the world remembers those we erased. And now they crawl from their shadows, thirsty for what we built. They seek to break us."

His voice dropped lower, firmer.

"But let them come. Let them try. For I have forged you in fire. And fire does not fear the cold."

"Any man who does not bear our name, our oath, our blood—is the enemy. Anyone who aids them, speaks with them, thinks like them—is the enemy. We will not hide. We will not tolerate weakness. We are Blackwood. We are the law. We are the world."

End of Broadcast

---

You want more, Classic 😎?

Should we takethe war to the Forgotten Surnames next?

Or shall we unleash something even darker for year six?