The
Incandescent
Canyon

Select any of the buttons above that'll take you to one of 5 written or transcribed texts .

About-Hi everyone! My name is Jungyeun, a college student writing their thesis on "The Incandescent Canyon." This project is very personal and important to me, and I hope to show and share new and old information regarding this period in time.FAQ:Why is your entire focus on this part of history?
When I was 12, my grandpa showed my siblings, cousins, and I old family relics. Many were random ceramic and pottery pieces from ancient Xotus and the Kingdom of Sheyye. Among those items, we got to see this old Sheyyen tourist brochure that was practically falling apart. But, the most prized item was in this dusty box. It was untouched and preserved in an oddly unnatural great state. It was the journal of one of our ancestors, an armyman from "The Hive." It was possibly the most incredible news I've ever heard at the time.The most damning thing to my family was that we had "insect" blood in us, but I never stopped thinking about exactly who it was, and the contents within the journal. I began to comb through my family tree and history, reading documentations and immigration papers, and managed to reach back 10 generations, around 250 years... which was nearly not enough to find out about anything. Unfortunately, my grandpa didn't want our "infectious" hands on this old work of history.So all I knew about these armymen from the time were from the few tidbits we'd learn in history class. The thing is, Insectans were almost glossed over entirely, and after knowing that my own family had a piece of history, covered from the public and sealed in my grandpa's home, I was just itching to read it.When and how did you get this journal?
After my grandpa passed 2 years ago, my dad's oldest sister, my aunt, inherited his property and she couldn't care less about these relics, most of them either given away, sold for very little, or thrown in the trash. I know many of you reading this are completely raged (me too), but keep in mind many of these old ceramics are so abundant that museums have stopped taking them in. Anyways, I managed to take as much as I could, and got my hands on the journal with much convincing. Finally.Who's your exact connection to the journal?
Lev. Yes, the Lev. Imagine my surprise. As an ancient history major, first enlightened by the singular fact that we were descendants of an insectan, I was completely shocked. It took me much time trying to figure out how to study the journal, as it was extremely old and precious (now I understand, grandpa). Gloves were my best friend, including a clean and dust-free room.It didn't take long to read the entirety of the journal. In fact, this was just one of possibly dozens of other journals Lev's written in. This one only made it because it seems that this one was on him when he made his way to the Kingdom of Sheyye.For those of you who don't know much of this subject, the events before the canyon plunge is vastly unknown because The Hive, the insectan underground realm, eventually ceased to exist altogether. This singular journal changed everything because it literally rewrote history. And I want to be the one to show it.What's your other motivation?
Other than being related to Lev, a figure that I realize the general public doesn't really know, this time in history is not commonly recorded. We only have few books talking about it, and fewer educated sources and material. There is so little in fact that in my years of studying this period of time, I definitely read, saw, and heard everything a dozen times. Possibly more.Now that I have this incredible primary source, it solves a lot of questions and holes in history. So, I've decided to take it upon myself to piece together as much as I can to make it easy to understand for any of you interested. I truly do hope this shines a light to the incandescent canyon.Thank you all for reading.

The Insectan Civil War-INTRODUCTION
The Insectan Civil War ( yr. 551) was a pivotal war in The Hive between two ideologically opposed factions: the Keepers and The Forge. The heart of this struggle was the fate of the Heart itself, the magical and physical nucleus of The Hive’s power. The central dispute revolved around whether the Heart should be preserved and protected or, alternatively, harvested and utilized for its remaining energy.While the official timeline of the war traces its origins to the death and conspiracy of General Arnaud in the late spring of the Last Bloom, this conflict had actually been centuries in the making. Modern historians generally agree that the war was sparked from growing concerns over the deterioration of the Heart and the emergence of the PESTICIDE initiative. As the Heart withered and the leadership of The Hive faltered, it became evident that The Hive was dying.The most widely accepted theory suggests that the Heart's decline began long before the outbreak of the civil war. For centuries, The Heart had been the source of all elemental control and stability, gravitational flight, and communication within The Hive. It had sustained the insectan people, ensuring their dominance over the natural world that surrounded them. However, as the Heart’s energy waned, the climate grew colder, and the days shortened. The natural balance shifted. The crops withered, and with them, the very strength of the Hive. The problem was, for those at the top who controlled the system, this reality was not one they could accept. There were simply too many lives dependent on the Heart’s power for those in charge to allow its slow death to unfold without intervention.Thus, two factions emerged: one advocating for the preservation and protection of the Heart, the Keepers, and the other that believed that it was beyond saving and should be harvested for its remaining energy, The Forge. The conflict deepened within the upper echelons of The Hive’s leadership, but the average insectan knew little to none of these deliberations before the war unfolded to the general public. For them, life was peaceful, occasionally hit with a little chill or heavy wings.EXECUTION AND ARREST
General Arnaud, (509-551) was a prominent military leader within The Hive’s army, most notable for, other than sparking the civil war, advocating for the inclusion of biologically peaceful insectans within the military. His efforts culminated in a policy that permitted these insectans to enlist, a progressive stance that brought him into direct conflict with The Hive's established military leadership early on. The leaders of The Hive kept a close eye and pressured Arnaud to comply with The Forge, having his battalion ordered to suppress the resisting Keeper protests.The precise moment when General Arnaud began to support the Keepers’ cause remains uncertain, as it was unclear whether this advocacy was a long-standing conviction or a more recent development that arose during the conflict's peak. Still, he kept his views concealed until the confrontation with armyman Lev, who questioned Arnaud’s leadership and the integrity of his decisions. We can assume that the general’s first public sentiment was as early as SP110 551 (or Spring 49, year 893) from Lev’s journal.It was during a meeting with senior leaders that General Arnaud first articulated his concerns regarding The Forge's agenda. PESTICIDE has been a rampant biochemical introduced just a few months ago to only a few select leaders. Although it had not yet been deployed, its mere existence raised concerns. This weapon was unlike any other—the very essence of what The Forge stood for, a dangerous gaseous substance designed to forcibly mutate insectans into ravage monsters. The Forge’s ultimate goal was to create an army of super-soldiers, capable of obeying their will without question.During Lev’s confrontation with Arnaud, the general had already been exposed to PESTICIDE and, in a horrific display, became violently unstable. In a desperate act of self-preservation and to protect other insectans, Lev was forced to execute Arnaud. This act ignited widespread outrage for The Forge followers and pushed for the protest against the Keepers and for Lev.Lev’s role in this incident was actually not incidental. The Forge, aware of Arnaud’s wavering loyalty, had strategically placed Lev in a position where his controversial actions could serve to discredit both Arnaud and the Keeper movement. Lev had already been viewed as a troublemaker following an accident that resulted in the loss of his wings, and had become increasingly defiant of authority. He was always questioning the leaders, lashing out, and getting into physical fights with other armymen. Most specifically, the first account of a death from PESTICIDE was another armyman, a flea that Lev was known to get into altercations with. This made Lev an ideal pawn in the Forge’s plans, ensuring that public sentiment would view Lev for having a dangerous motive. During this time, many members of The Forge theorized Lev had killed Jona and covered it up. This, however, was obviously false.The Forge’s leaders carried out their main plan. The general’s death would not only spark outrage, but also further alienate the public from the truth. In retaliation for his actions, Lev was sentenced to "banishment,” or plain execution. He was exiled to the Heart’s canyon, where the volatile magic of the area proved overwhelming. As Lev approached the canyon's core, the magic destabilized his footing, causing him to lose his balance and fall deeper into the abyss. He ultimately emerged on the other side of the canyon, to the Kingdom of Sheyye.Getting spit out the other end and into the sky was no easy feat, especially for an insectan without wings. Unluckily for Lev, on the way through the canyon, he was struck by the overloaded Heart. Luckily for Lev, though, a small piece of it broke off and he clutched it as he fell, hoping its unpredictable nature would somehow save him. His theory was proven to be correct when after falling thousands of feet through the air, right before hitting the ground, the broken piece slowed his fall into soft snow.

The Canyon-The "Incandescent" Canyon was a magically dense and highly deep canyon located just off the borders of the central Sheyyen city and kingdom. It extended approximately over 90 kilometers in length, and the canyon traversed straight through Novas’ layers and into The Hive. The exact measurement of its depth remains unknown, and will possibly forever be impossible to calculate due to its once enigmatic nature. However, leading researchers and scientists from Fronesia have approximated the depth to be no less than 1,500 kilometers.One plausible conclusion is that the source of the incandescent energy, known as the Heart, located within the canyon between The Hive and Sheyye, was responsible for the unusual characteristics of this canyon. Approximately 500-700 million years ago, it's said that the Heart first arrived from the sky and crashed into the surface of Novas, and had migrated. The Heart’s precise origin from the sky remains unknown. While some continue to proclaim that its magical properties are of divine or spiritual origin, contemporary scientific research offers a more grounded hypothesis regarding its true origins.GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
The Incandescent Canyon’s physiography is so rich that there are educational specialties based entirely on the subject. The Sheyyen land is also famous for its volcanic beaches, deserts, and its iconic spiral-shaped region, said to be a result of the Heart’s crash.Unlike other natural canyons, such as those found underwater or within the nation of Zenyth, this canyon was not shaped by the environmental factors surrounding the Heart but rather by the Heart itself. Typically, mountain formations create canyons through tectonic processes, or rivers carve out paths over time. In this case, however, the Heart exerted a unique influence, pushing water both upward and outward, stimulating plant growth, and generating an extraordinary concentration of magical energy. This dense magical field caused the surrounding rocks to form unusual archways, and created waterfalls that appeared to emerge from nowhere. The Heart was named to have incandescent magic due to the way it's unpredictable and bright. It normally emited an array of gold to yellow, but occasionally shifted to magenta or purple. Notably, during The Insectan Civil War and The Great Plunge, the Heart shone teal for the first time. Due to the vast length of the canyon, from one end to another, the geography can look immensely different from formation, color, flora, and fauna.HISTORY
It’s said that the earliest Sheyye inhabitants settled near the Heart due to its power. Some of the initial settlers were able to harness the Heart’s incandescent magic, and their descendants eventually became the royal family. Eventually, when the common person lost the ability to control the magic, they relocated to the main city kingdom, driven by the magic’s odd manipulation of the surrounding environment. As a result, the area has become restricted and is considered off-limits. It’s said that if someone gets too close for a prolonged period of time, it can change them from the inside out and kill them. For this reason, the only safe way to view The Incandescent Canyon is under a professional guide, who can take you to the closest and safe distance.As time passed and society integrated the magic, it’s evident that the ancient kingdom of Sheyye was fundamentally centered around it. The royalty’s ancestors that were able to control this magic were responsible for sustaining the city. From lights, heat, and to technology, it all derived from the incandescent magic.In current modern times, there's not as much of it left and is now under the protection of The Sheyyen Parks Institute. It's still rumored to this day that a descendant of the Sheyyen royalty may still have the ability to control it.

Lev's Journal-SP105 551
This is a new field journal, since Jona thought the last one belonged better in the lake. Call me dramatic, like Arnaud would (and did), but I’d say it was well deserved that I threw Jona in after it, into the lake too.Field journals aren’t mandatory, but the army doctor insists they help with "emotion regulation." He’s a small guy, no hair, chipped horns—a beetle, I think. He’s blunt, but sharp too, and seems to know what he’s talking about. So, I guess this way I write all my frustrations here rather than throwing them on somebody else. At first, I snapped back and thought it was all useless, but after a few months of writing in this thing, the more I got into the habit. It’s something steady to do that doesn’t change routinely. Maybe that's why I’m here, for the comfort of something staying still. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.I’ve chosen this lifestyle, but lately, I’m starting to wonder if it’s the right one. I don't know why I keep getting “demoted.” I guess the biggest question is, is it worth it anymore?To put it simply, Arnaud is out of his damn mind. Keeping me on nightwatch meant I did something wrong, but I hadn’t done anything bad enough that would warrant me to this punishment. Sure, I threw Jona in the lake, but that was last week. This? Doesn’t make sense.He said I’m stubborn. I called him stupid. That earned me a week of cleaning the army facilities, which is a fancy way of saying, "Go plunge and scrub the toilets, Lev." Of course, I did it. After all, Arnaud’s still the general, and therefore still my boss. Doesn’t mean I should never talk back. I was taught better than to follow anyone blindly.SP106 551
I spoke with Arnaud today. He told me, “Lev, you’re not being punished. This is just as important as other jobs.” Then he turned his back and walked away, his wings slapping me in the face as he did so. Rude.Naturally, I didn’t accept that answer and called after him, but he just huffed, shook his head, and kept walking. I have a feeling there’s more to this than he’s letting on, but when I asked him, he didn’t say anything… or maybe there’s just nothing to say. Either way, I’m left wondering what exactly we’re supposed to be watching for during these nights. We are just left in the dark (see what I did there?). It’s quiet around The Hive at night. The Heart’s light doesn’t stretch far into the city borders, especially since it’s been dimmer this year.As expected, nothing happened the first few nights. What a shocker. It’s like staring at the stars for hours, just waiting for something to happen, but the world keeps spinning and then we watch the lights circle around and then watch the stars you get it. At least I’ve got this journal to keep me busy if no one’s watching. Though, I don’t expect much to write about in the coming days. But who knows? Maybe I’ll be surprised. Hopefully.SP107 551
Saw Willa today, just as spunky as usual. How Mr. Serious-Arnaud raised her, I will forever find a thought provoking question. For lunch, we split a sunflower bun, and I vented to her about the unfair toilets and nightwatch situation. Of course, she laughed at me and then shared with me her little leaf cutout collection.
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Another uneventful night, not that I was surprised, sadly enough. I did manage to keep my eyes on the dark nothingness for my oh-so-important job, but I’ll admit, I did sneak a few extra trips to the facilities. Jona was my substitute while I left my post so I made sure to spend a little extra time washing my hands too.SP111 551
Whoops. Nightwatch has been more interesting than I expected. Which, let me tell you, isn’t a high bar. And I managed to misplace this journal a few ways past my post. Willa found it luckily and brought it back. But that’s not the point.The curfew was imposed, they say, for safety. Never said whose safety. Never said why. It happened quietly at the start of night 107. No fanfare, no warning. Just an announcement that we had drills now and then anyway, so it didn’t seem all that unusual. But that night, the one I forgot to bring this book with me on, that night became the most memorable one in at least my recent history. So I might’ve been a tad hasty in judging this job as boring. My bad.So yesterday, I was making my rounds when I heard a scream? A screech? On 2nd ground cir. The noise was something not quite... well, anything I’d heard before. So naturally, a few of us flew (I ran) over, and there they were: Mr. Arnaud, standing over what looked like a BODY draped with a fig leaf. And there, too, were Batu and Lor-something—the butterfly and the lacewing from The Hive’s rule.The figure under the leaf was torn up like someone had dragged claws across it. Their chest kept heaving like they couldn’t breathe quite right, and that’s when I saw a familiar wristband, an armyman tag. The one we all wear after we pass training. And I bent down quickly to read the name: JONA. I seem calm writing this, but my mind is still jumbled.Before we could do or say anything, we were ushered to leave almost immediately and the other nightwatchers left in silence, mumbling amongst themselves. But me? I wasn’t about to let it slide. Of course I asked Arnaud, “What’s going on? Who’s flying around attacking people?” But, no. He pulls me aside, looks me in the eye, and says slowly, “Keep quiet about this. We’ll explain it tomorrow.” Well guess what? Today is tomorrow or was tomorrow. You know what I mean.So color me not surprised when we were all called for a quick announcement, but almost given nothing. It was some hastily thrown-together speech that barely gave anything, only that Jona was hurt. He was still alive somehow, clinging to life, as reported by Arnaud. I remember in the hall, a lot of people stared at me, as if they thought I’d done it. I may despise the guy, and would shout obscenities at him, but I would never run around slicing him open.But! Then came the kicker. What happened, they said, was an accident. He flew straight into his own javelin, impaling himself. Apparently, he wasn’t paying attention while flying through the dark. His own javelin. Right. Impaled on his own weapon, after claw marks and blood splattered everywhere? That makes perfect sense. Sure. Yeah, and I regrew my wings and flew into the sky.I even made eye contact with Arnaud at the auditorium while he was giving the report. He just shook his head before turning back to the audience.So, you know, unless he wants to get a little more honest with me, I think I’ll start talking. After all, Arnaud always said, “You’ve got a big mouth, don’t go blabbing around.” Well, guess what, Arnaud? I might just do that.SP112 551
Arnaud’s been dodging me. I swear, I try to catch him alone, but he’s either disappeared into thin air or surrounded by a crowd. It's starting to feel personal. So, I did what any decent person would do—I interrupted him mid-conversation right in front of another armyman. Told him straight up: “Tell me what’s going on, or I’m going to blab.” He just gave me a dead stare in my face and went back to chatting with the other guy. So, he doesn’t want to play fair I guess. I mean, I was bluffing. But next time, maybe I won’t be. I just want the truth, that’s all.SP113 551
I’m growing more and more suspicious about Jona’s whereabouts. He was nearly torn to death and then somehow clung to life. Today, word’s going around that he quit the army and moved to the waterside to be with his family. I’m not friends with the guy, but I do know enough to know he had just a father and a brother, both of whom were estranged. Doesn’t add up. Might be a little crazy of me to say (or write) but I’m almost certain the guy is dead. Or at least, sent away to keep quiet.Then, to top it all off, his girlfriend barges into the barracks, demanding she sees him. Even she didn’t know! And I’m pretty sure she’s his emergency person or whatever it’s called. I’d assume she would have been with him at the infirmary or was given permission to see him. That or he’d at least say bye. That doesn’t sit right.I’ve got no business being a detective, and certainly not when no one else seems to care about it. My fellow armymen keep saying I’m “obsessed” with this whole ordeal. Whatever, I’m sure they’ll forget about it by next week. But… wow, how could I? How could they?SP114 551
Nightwatch night 8? 9?? Everything’s been oddly quiet. Tense, too. For a few of us, anyway, especially the ones who saw the body. You can’t just unsee something like that. It’s been weighing on us, I think, because now we’re all just a little more careful. Some don’t buy that Jona’s wounds were self-inflicted either, or that at least everything about this case was odd.I visited the 2nd ground cir. where it all happened and everything was already wiped clean. There were only some branches marking the area off. I wonder if anything else will be different now…SP115 551
PEOPLE HAD TROUBLE FLYING. If I’d been given the almost absurd news that flight has become a thing of the past, I’d probably raise a glass. However, it was so so so weird. It was just a regular day, but morale was down for a while because of Jona. I swear nobody even likes the guy but some people kept talking about him like he was their dead lover. Again, the dead part? I’m legally allowed to say maybe.We were training as usual when a few people in the air suddenly just fell. Like, one moment they were up there, the next? Splat. Their wings were suddenly weighing them down. It was chaos. Some of them were lucky, but others had broken bones and concussions. Me and a couple others who weren’t in the air at the time spent the rest of the training hours carrying people to the infirmaries and helping out.Arnaud had nothing to say much about the odd occurrence, and told us it’s still under investigation. He proposed it might have been a root along the Heart, accidentally cut by construction. Sure, something like that could mess with the Heart. It was a plausible explanation, actually, but with everything going on, I’ve begun to question a lot more strange occurrences. Like Arnaud’s new haircut? Is it all coming together…?SP116 551
Preparation for the summer festival started today so I and around 5 others were stationed as security around the grounds. Luckily, this year, I didn’t have to mope around the concessions. I was put at the front entrance that they finally put on the floor and not the sky. I guess my complaints have finally been going through to the leaders.There is a lot to do though and these nights, I’ve been growing more tired. The workload is insane.SP117 551
- 3’ banner (tri); 25. <
- Trimmed leaves-4th midground cir.
- move and carve 2 tables on right under office
- no petal confetti, just dead leaf (srsly??)
LOTS TO DOSP119 551
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.
I promise to not throw the decor around the cirs and shout.SP122 551
Finally, the festival started, and we’re on day 2. I swear I’m a real armyman but during this time of year, things are so peaceful they throw some of the security (me) on decor duty. Perhaps they should have rethought that because a random guy ran into the main hex, shouting about a monster with teeth and hair all over. Like, really? I was just trying to enjoy my cake.The interesting part was when I and a few others had to subdue the guy and escort him off, when guess who pops up? Arnaud, Batu, and Loreni (I finally learned her name). The same three at Jona’s body. Am I connecting the dots? This can’t be a coincidence. Batu even gave me a hard glare. I hadn’t even said a word yet.Turns out, the old man had inhaled some hallucinogenic pollen in a restricted area, and he calmed down afterwards. These days, I can use some pollen. Just kidding. That was a joke. Really.SP124 551
Day 4 of the festival. I had to arrest some teenagers after they all got into a fight with each other. I was lectured afterwards because I jumped into the middle of it and got a cut on my arm from some pincers.As I was cleaning myself up after, Arnaud gave me a lecture about being careful and following the rules. Last time I checked, there wasn’t a rulebook for how to stop five teenagers from pulling each other’s hair out and snapping each other’s wings. But I didn’t say anything. He looked one cough away from sending me back to toilet duty, and frankly, I didn’t feel like tempting fate.Another thing—something’s been off. Arnaud’s been gone more often than not, always in a meeting or talking to Batu and Loreni. I’ve been hearing rumors that it’s about the Jona situation, but I think that’s just the catalyst. It was all mysterious, yes, but it leads to something else. This else might get me in trouble if I keep poking at it, but it’s come to the point where for a few hours, nobody knows who’s in charge. Arnaud usually watches over us or appoints someone to be the leader, but he’d randomly leave and come back at the end of the day for debriefing.It's unlike him to be this unorganized and stressed. Something really is wrong.SP127 551
Last day. Finally. After today, we will be given new posts. Hopefully, I’ll be posted at the main hex. If not, I’ll settle for the 2nd hex and so on. I’ve been itching to do real armyman work rather than decorating and standing around or standing in the dark and standing around. I’ll be busy today though, because after the festival ends, I would have to take down the decorations.SU1 551
Things are changing. For the better or worse, I’m not sure yet. We’ve got a new secondary commander now, Kelsa, and she’s been tweaking the rules and watching me all day. I Can’t even get a hold of Arnaud anymore. He even missed debrief, and Kelsa had to do it.There's a bit of good news. I’ve been posted at the main hex! Not so good thing is that there’s been some bit of unrest in the towns, so we’ve been stationed here to make sure nobody does anything “stupid.” Why does that sound so familiar? Feels like something Arnaud would’ve said.Unrest doesn’t seem quite like the right word to me. People were yelling at me and the other armymen about the roots, as if we’re the ones in charge of them. There’s been more issues with flying, just like that time a few days ago, and now everyone’s worried about the potential careless construction if this happened twice within the same short time span.Then one guy in the front started waving around a bark with big, bold letters that said, TELL THE TRUTH. He was shouting the same thing over and over, “I’m in construction, and we did no such thing! What’s wrong with the Heart? Tell the truth!” In no particular order, of course. But you get it.Something wrong with the Heart? It almost made me laugh that people would jump to that conclusion. A few other soldiers and I talked about the ordeal afterwards as we ate. Most of us agreed that the unrest was fueled by fear.

I assumed fear was the biggest issue. Yet tonight, we all began to witness something that truly sent us all into bouts of uneasiness. The Heart’s light tonight was exceptionally dim, and was at least 2 hours early. The usual nightwatchers complained of their newly spontaneous extended shifts. The rest of us were sent into a meeting about keeping peace in the city.Funny how that the agitated must encourage others to be calm.
But I guess that’s why we’re here.SU6 551
The past week was unbelievable. Morning was late the day after my last entry. Before that, night came early. The Heart was dim. Now, it’s all three, and today, we found that the days were growing shorter. Unrest was spiraling exponentially throughout the entire hive, and we are having trouble trying to find reason to keep other insectans calm; we weren’t even calm.Protests were growing too, people demanding for answers. Arnaud was basically MIA. And Kelsa, our shiny new general? She’s been about as useful as a twig. Us armymen were filing in and out of the hexes without anything to say, without any information or real purpose.The only constant was the changing season… but not as it should be to summer. It was windy and chilly, darker than usual. Summer was quickly turning into a bad autumn. Also, the winds today were so intense that it was nearly impossible to fly. In fact, the army was turning into a sick joke, as many insectans began calling us. I unfortunately had to agree with that sentiment because what in the world are we doing anymore?I planned to ask Kelsa, but knowing her, she’d be no help. Arnaud would probably brush me off like usual, but I don’t think I’m in a place anymore to cower away if he mentions a punishment to go scrub the toilets. I’d plunge and dive into the sewage if it meant the leaders would give us answers.It’s been impossible to find out Arnaud’s exact location, and I haven’t seen Willa around either, but tomorrow is different and particularly special that I’d know for sure he’d allow me to talk to him. Arnaud won’t be able to tell me to leave because he promised to celebrate with me every year since I was 12. He won’t be able to brush me off this time. I’ll finally get some answers. Tomorrow. I really hope so.Maybe I can finally get something.Oh, and happy early birthday to me.-Special thanks to my older sister, Sooyeun, who helped me transcribe and translate the journal's contents.

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The Sol Bar Tapes-Voice recordings inside the Sol Bar of Lev, Annisa, Jun Lou, and Prince Kiran right before the canyon plunge.It was just a week before the canyon plunge when Queen Desa had recorders planted around the kingdom, mostly in condensed public spaces, such as those like The Sol Bar. The date was SU46 551 that captured the moment Lev, Annisa, (CPT) Jun Lou, and Prince Kiran discussed their plans in overtaking the incandescent canyon. It’s been a few months since the kingdom had noticed and pushed aside the concerning occurrence of the Heart regurgitating, but it seemed as though Prince Kiran began to grow increasingly concerned after (CPT) Jun Lou revealed the events. After noticing Prince Kiran’s unusual unwillingness to perform, Queen Desa has brought it upon herself to find out the exact reasons.

The following above was the very first recording of these infamous Sol Bar tapes. Queen Desa had arrived at The Sol Bar and nearby establishments alike to overview the recorders’ setups.

Queen Desa had many matters to attend to. King Arun had been in the public’s eye to keep the bustling kingdom at ease, but the Heart had noticeably kept the citizens and tourists at unrest. Nobody had heard the following tapes apart from two recording workers and Queen Desa until after the wars. It was uncovered around A12 567, when Prince Kiran, king at that time, had ordered a mass project to unravel the underlying corruption that lay underneath the kingdom for many years, and not the Heart, which is what many leaders before had attempted.It’s important to note that the four had most likely believed their conversation was private as they sat at the back of The Sol Bar in the private section.

It’s evident that the four were rushing for time, as the Heart was already causing major issues outside of the canyon’s restricted areas. Prince Kiran was rushed and pressured by all three members, but (CPT) Jun Lou was heavy on the pushback. Perhaps Jun Lou knew Prince Kiran would, in turn, also push back the captain’s statements, or in a stroke of luck, Prince Kiran would finally understand there wasn’t much of a choice to be made. Fortunately for the future of the west continents, Prince Kiran has gone for the latter.

After the conversation, Prince Kiran sounded distressed with doubts and continuous back and forths between the other three members. Much of the recordings ended up useless due to unusual feedback, possibly from the increasing issues with the Heart’s overflowing incandescent magic. The following is the rest of what was recovered.

At first glance, it’s hard to tell if (CPT) Jun Lou was betraying the group or the king and queen. But as time would show after the wars, he would ultimately be on the side of the group. Here, he was only pretending to pretend to be on the group’s side. It’s assumed here that Jun Lou figured out somebody was giving his team outside orders, perhaps the queen herself.The Sol Bar tapes end there, the incandescent magic too condensed on the surface and messing with its technology. In the end, nobody was caught, and everybody minus (CPT) Jun Lou plunge into the canyon and into The Hive, where Prince Kiran successfully stabilized the Heart.