The cavernous depths of the underground nightclub reverberated with the throb of bass and the frenzied cries of the crowd, their faces bathed in flickering hues of neon red and violet. Above them, the Phantasian flag hung like a cruel mockery of their suffering, its garish colors cascading down in harsh waves, casting gaudy shadows on the masses below. The flag was a declaration, a proclamation of victory by the newly elected ruler, the Iron Hand—a victory that tasted of bitter ash to those beneath it. The revelers were not here to celebrate; no, their eyes glittered with something far darker than joy. Rage seethed within their clenched fists, their heaving chests, their wild, darting eyes. This was not the ecstasy of release but the maddened energy of the damned, of those who knew they had been sold a lie.
From the balconies above, Phantasian loyalists peered down with the detached curiosity of predators observing their prey. The harsh fluorescence of their private alcoves cast sickly halos around their silhouettes, turning their laughter into something wicked and shrill. The scent of sweat, of fear, of something primal and unholy hung in the air, mingling with the stale reek of spilled liquor and the acrid bite of smoke. The beat of the music was relentless, a merciless thrumming that drove into the ears like a needle, its rhythm synchronized with the racing pulse of those below.
And in the center of it all, a lone figure stood upon the raised platform—a dark, imperious silhouette against the riotous color. His gaze was fixed on the flag as it unfurled, its fabric rippling like the wings of some monstrous bird of paradise. His presence was a proclamation, a silent declaration of control. He need not speak, for the message was clear: PHA₦TA5IA had triumphed, and the subterranean denizens of the ||ND3RGR0||ND would bow, or they would break.
The crowd surged, a sea of anguished souls, their voices rising in a cacophony that mingled with the relentless beat. Some reached toward the flag, their fingers grasping at air as if they could tear it down by sheer force of will. Others merely screamed, their faces twisted into masks of despair and fury, eyes shimmering with tears that would never fall. But above all, there was the taste of desperation in the air, thick and cloying like incense. For they knew, deep down, that this moment—this grotesque spectacle—was but a prelude to the violence to come. The Iron Hand had declared his intent, and this draped flag, bright and mocking, was his omen.
