Nimda was over 60 years old, but she appeared more like an elegant lady, not quite as aged as her years. Her voice was soft-spoken, yet the piercing wails of grief and sorrow echoed all around.
Time seemed to freeze in its tracks, and the ceaseless cries of sorrow gradually grew quieter as even those who had watched the documentary multiple times before, while still bearing the weight of grief, managed to regain some rational thinking in their heavy-hearted state.
Millions of eyes, red from weeping, were fixed upon H'el, suspended in the sky.
In the documentary, they had indeed witnessed that H'el had cloned Krypton's high-ranking individuals, committing a crime that was forbidden on Krypton and equally heinous.
Nimda's words were mostly correct.
"I can become the god of Krypton. What's wrong with that?"
H'el's towering figure in the sky was imposing. His black skin-tight suit outlined a muscular physique, radiating a dominant and masculine charm, exuding an aura of arrogance and ruthlessness.
His head, held high, was filled with unwavering might and an unfeeling arrogance. His gaze descended upon the masses, and a black cape billowed behind him.
*Whoosh.*
H'el's words instantly caused an uproar among the crowd. No one had anticipated that he would admit to his ambitions so boldly.
Some had speculated that H'el might need them, use them to secure his supreme position.
But ironically, H'el didn't care about what they thought.
Because all he needed was for them to see the truth, to hate Jor-El, to condemn Jor-El, and to see the real face of Jor-El.
"I can ensure that people are well-fed, well-housed, that evil is brought to justice, that everyone can safely return home at night, and that they can have hope and live with dignity."
"Why shouldn't I become a god?"
H'el's voice was overbearing, sending shivers down people's spines, and instilling a sense of fear. He was unabashedly revealing his ambitions, without the slightest effort to conceal them.
Ever since his conversation with his beloved father, Jor-El, aboard the Dawn, H'el had not felt the need to hide his true intentions.
After all, with his level of power, what did he have to hide from these seven million people?
When your strength matches your ambition, there's no reason to hide your true self.
The seven million people remained silent, awed by the overwhelming presence of H'el at this moment.
"You are a traitor with ambitions to overthrow Krypton, H'el. Jor did the right thing by banishing you into space. You would bring war and disaster to Krypton."
Nimda, with a few wrinkles on her face, appeared as a lady of nobility. Her face flushed with anger.
H'el used to be well-behaved in front of her. He often brought fresh fruits and nutritious meats to visit her, telling clever jokes that made her burst into laughter. She had really considered him as her own grandson.
At this moment, however, the H'el towering high in the sky was a complete stranger to her.
Her son, Jor, was right. Everything H'el had done, all the kindness he had shown her, had ulterior motives. His goal was to ruin Krypton, and he possessed immense ambition, aiming to become a god.
"I support H'el, the god!"
A voice shouted from one of the plazas.
People turned their attention toward the source of the voice and found a young man standing in the third plaza. He wore coarse and simple clothing, his face still bearing the redness and traces of tears from crying. He passionately voiced his support for H'el.
Nimda, the lady of nobility, wore an incredulous expression. How could anyone support H'el, this ambitious figure who sought war and aspired to become a god?
H'el was equally surprised.
He had expected the first plaza, where the impoverished from the slums were located, to be the ones shouting their support for him. But to his astonishment, it was a common young man in the third plaza.
"Are you out of your mind? Since the founding leader of the House of El, Hatu-El, led the uprising and successfully established Krypton's great history on the Day of Verang Truth in 6832, we have been known for bravery, equality, and freedom. And now you're cheering him to be a god? Are you willing to become a slave under this H'el?"
Nimda's impassioned words, with wrinkles creasing her face, her complexion flushed with anger, were met with disbelief. How could there be such foolish people who not only abandoned their own identity but also sought to flatter H'el to become a god and be willing to become his slaves?
Her speech, originally meant to be a righteous rebuke, suddenly ignited the anger of the crowd.
"I haven't received a single penny of your funding. You allocate it all to the mid-level leaders, and the poor receive nothing!"
"Do you know what kind of disasters you've been providing relief for? Those who receive your supplies are just relatives of arranged managers. We haven't received any relief from you, and we're forced to pretend to be grateful. If we're not, the lower-level managers will punish us, and I'd rather you didn't provide relief at all."
"Your House of El loves to showcase these acts of conscience! Every time you inspect the common people, it's always the relatives of officials who get the porridge to eat and houses to live in."
"Every time you inspect the common people, the streets are only cleaned up because we're forced to do it. My sister died in the scorching sun because she couldn't get fair treatment."
"You House of El and the upper class live in luxury and opulence. Why bother pretending to be good and causing us suffering?"
"Every so-called 'good deed' you do is the beginning of our torment."
The anger of the people, at this moment, surpassed the fury of Krypton's destruction. With eyes red and their breaths heavy, they stared fiercely at Nimda. If it weren't for the separate plazas, they would have surged forward to attack the House of El.
The luxurious attire and condescending attitude of the upper class, who always appeared in the streets of the commoners, only brought disaster to them each time.
Nimda was taken aback by the passionate rebuke from the people and looked around with disbelief. "It's not like that. It's not like that at all. You are all H'el's people, tarnishing the reputation of the House of El."
"I will become a god, and I will ensure you have enough to eat and a place to live, with crime being judged and justice prevailing. Your labor will bring prosperity, and there won't be a need for the House of El to allocate funds, provide relief, or assist the commoners because no one will go hungry."
"For my efforts and for themselves, anyone can attain their desired talents, and their descendants can choose their own gifts."
"In this way, my ascent to godhood is only natural."
H'el cast his gaze downward at Nimda, the mother of Jor, who had always lived in the lap of luxury, boasting about the long history of the House of El. She had always revelled in her sense of superiority among the upper class.
"Why endure the countless oppressions from the high-ranking elites when we could have one supreme class that ensures we eat well, have a warm place to stay, and grants us dignity under the rule of H'el the god?"
"We just need to bow down to H'el the god! No need to endure your exploitation, the various ways the high-ranking elites exploit us. I believe in H'el the god!"
"I'm also willing to believe in H'el the god, leading us!"
"Krypton is already destroyed; he will be our god!"
Many people cried out with hoarse voices, tears streaming down their faces, cheering for H'el in the sky.
They truly needed someone who could judge the wicked, provide them with enough food, and protect them from the tyranny of the high-ranking elites. Now, with Krypton's explosion, this need had become even more pressing.
Nimda's voice was filled with despair, and a few strands of hair fell onto her wrinkled face. She looked at the crowd, accusing them of slandering the House of El.
"H'el, there will always be wise individuals who understand that you, who are now hailed as a god, are merely trying to abandon your past as a humble jester who used to make me laugh and obediently serve the House of El. Do you think tarnishing the House of El will truly make you a new god?"
°°°
Hungry for more chaps? Then check out our pătreon!
Link: Påtreon.com/BaphometFiction
I post 10 advanced chapters of this fanfic there.