The capital of Esios, Blanc, was wrapped in the deepest silence of the night. Snow drifted down slowly and quietly, blanketing the city's white rooftops. In the stillness, the only sound was the soft footsteps of a little girl—blonde, barefoot, dressed in rags—walking alone through the snow, headed straight for the Governor's palace.
Unlike the other Governors, Kana flaunted all her wealth and luxury, residing in a building that looked far more like a royal castle than a government office.
"Fitting for a princess," the girl laughed.
She reached the top of the long staircase and knocked on the enormous front door.
"She's so confident she doesn't even leave guards at the entrance," she murmured.
A tall, burly guard opened the door. "Who are you? What do you want, brat?"
"I need to see the Governor," the girl said with a sweet smile.
The guard shouldered his rifle and aimed it at her. "There's no place for beggars here. Get back to the street or I'll put a hole in your little skull".
The girl burst out laughing. "Really?" The guard looked puzzled.
"At ease, guard," a feminine voice called from behind the door. "I'll take care of her," Governor Kana said. The girl slipped past the guard and followed.
Kana, wrapped in a bathrobe, led the girl into the reception hall.
"Did I interrupt your bath?" the General asked.
"Ahaha, don't worry, General—I had just finished." She moved to dry her hair.
"Good. Do you know why I'm here, Kana?"
"I hope it isn't to punish me," she said in a faint voice.
The General sat down and Kana poured him some wine. After he drank, he said, "Because of your little stunt we lost Harthland, Raxis is dead, and Libertas is encouraging the people to rise up. Not to mention Governor Garga's capture. Give me one reason not to kill you right now".
The General noticed Kana's expression change. That girl wasn't even liked by the other Governors — maybe not even by him. He had seen potential when he made her an Esper, and he hadn't been wrong, but her abuse of power could prove fatal for the Kingdom…and for herself.
"General, I…" she began, almost stammering. Tears filled her eyes. "Please, I didn't mean for any of this to happen…"
The General stood and stepped closer to her. "Kana, I am profoundly disappointed in you. Some Governors think I should remove you and find someone else to take your place."
She fell to her knees at his feet, sobbing. "No! Give me another chance — I'll fix every one of my mistakes!"
That posture pleased him; it would do as punishment. "Although I ought to eliminate you, I choose to let you live. I'll turn a blind eye to this incident. As for your mistakes, they will be repaired little by little, and you will not leave this palace unless I order you to."
"Yes, my lord. I will do everything you command!"
"Good. You'll have some time, so I want you to take charge of Project Despair."
Kana let out a sigh of relief. "Of course, General. We've made considerable progress — the project is nearly complete."
"I want to see it."
"Certainly — this way."
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Kana led him down into the underground levels, all the way to a dead‑end corridor. "This way. The wall is just an illusion created to keep the others in the palace out," Kana explained.
The General passed through the wall, following the Governor.
Behind the false wall lay a vast room shrouded in gloom, lit only by dim lights. The laboratory was filled with capsules containing strange, humanoid beings.
"These are our first attempts at creating second‑generation Espers — unfortunately, all of them failed," the Governor of Esios explained.
Inside the capsules, the creatures floated in a strange liquid. They were naked, with only a mask to help them breathe. All appeared to be in a deep sleep. Their heads — and in some cases other parts of their bodies — were monstrously mutated, covered with scales, fur, claws, and other animal‑like features.
"Are you able to control them?" the General asked.
"Not yet. But we hoped the prototypes might still be useful for breaking through enemy lines," she replied.
"As long as they don't attack our own," muttered the little girl.
The General's eyes fell on a body lying on a table. It looked human, but wasn't — wires extended from parts of its flesh.
Kana noticed his gaze. "Ah, that's a project I've just begun. I recently lost my bodyguard, so I'm building one identical to him — with his blood and his powers. It might even turn out better than the original."
"I see you were quite attached to him," the General remarked dryly.
After passing through another illusory wall, they entered a room containing only ten capsules.
"Here we are. These are the new second‑generation Espers."
The General studied them.
"They're not human. They're artificial bodies, endowed with Esper powers from the moment of their creation. I've programmed them to obey, without question, any order given by those with authorization."
"Remarkable. Their strength?"
"For now, we've focused on their physical development. They still need to be assigned an element and an ability," Kana explained.
"I see. So soon we'll be able to count on their help."
"Exactly, General," the girl said enthusiastically.
"It wasn't such a bad idea sparing you after all," the General said with a laugh as he turned to leave. "For now."
Kana lingered a moment longer, gazing at her creations. "Don't worry, my children… you belong to me, and me alone!"