Golden Gate: New World Front

The night was a tapestry of twinkling stars, large and small, a rare moment of serene beauty amidst the chaos. He knelt, his mind a whirlwind of confusion, the echoing voice in his head a lone companion in the deafening silence.

"How did I end up here?"

His reflection was brutally cut short by the screams that erupted around him, quickly silenced by the armored men who slaughtered civilians without mercy. Elven women were herded into a massive carriage, while knights dragged lifeless bodies away. Those spared were destined for labor.

He watched, restrained, as his village succumbed, the blood-streaked earth a grim mirror to his soul. The fear that had long lingered now consumed him. His father, who had always preached about unity, lay lifeless, his head severed by a knight's brutal swing. The sickening thud was met with cruel laughter from the soldiers.

Beside him, his young sister, paralyzed by grief, wailed. She was kicked, then surrounded by soldiers who found amusement in her pain. His senses snapped back; he rushed to her side, panic surging. "No! Please stay with me!" he cried, clutching her frail body.

But she was gone. A broken sob tore from his throat as a knight approached, sword raised. Just as the blade cut cleanly through him, a strange, unfamiliar sound echoed through the night. Metallic whirs filled the air, and massive, unnatural wings descended from the smoke-filled sky. Steel creatures hovered above, revealing men and women in strange armor. The knight who had executed him fell to his knees, his sword clattering, whispering, "My great one... save us all."