------------------------------------------

[b][i]~~~~~~Hollow Bastion / Storehouse District - Storehouse remains~~~~~~[/i][/b]

The sunrise had already begun to bath the large city of Hollow Bastion in its morning rays, the pillar of smoke, which at first had been a dark column rising into the night sky, had been reduced to nothing much but a white smouldering mess. The storehouse was now just a collection of charred mounds of wood and ash, metal struts protruded here and there, and while charred due to the inferno that had befallen the building, the metal had mostly remained undamaged in the end. Large vehicles now filled the surrounding zone of damage that was the storehouse, while the streets that led through the district were already full of citizens, some having been there from the moment the flames were first glimpsed only a few hours ago. 

The clean-up of the disaster had already begun, once the firefighters had put out the last remnants of the blaze that is. Piles of the now scrapped metal and struts filled the truck like vehicles, with other similar machines designated for the pieces of wood and glass that just barely survived the fire. Those who came when the firefighters started to arrive, would find themselves to be the only ones to have seen the removal of the bodies, the sight of some nearly turning away the gathering crowds. 

While rumours of what could have happened fuelled most of the citizens conversations, it was the now hushed whispers and murmurs of why exactly the familiar well-dressed man, who arrived shortly after sunrise to the site, was now approaching them. The strange floating mechanical eyes, which soon remodelled themselves slightly to produce a rather tripod lower half, positioned themselves either side of the man once he had stopped walking, the third of the machines continuing to float above the crowd with its gaze solely on Nomis himself. 

“My dear residents of Bastion! Let me share with you the truth...the truth of last night’s most horrendous scene that is before you all this morning…”

Throughout the city stood tall steel posts with monitors facing the basic four directions, and while they came in various sizes and shapes, all were now showing the same sight, that of Nomis’ talk occurring right now from far down in the Storehouse Disctrict. Just as the crowds stood in person stood in silence to Nomis’ words, those who watched the monitors through the city did the same. 

“I blame myself…I blame myself that I wasn’t able to act quickly enough, for you, the people of Bastion. Perhaps if I did I might have…” It was this short pause that he looked down, a small self-disappointed laugh and sigh escaping from his lips as he removed his pair of glasses for that small moment.

“No…Now is not the time to blame ourselves…Those who came and destroyed, they are to blame…Those who took food and medical need that was for you, the people, they are to blame…Those who came and killed whoever was in their way, even your own loved ones for just serving the Emperor loyally and with honour?! They are to blame!! And these, are who you can blame!!!”

The “true” images of the break-in were suddenly shown on all monitors throughout the city, and though quite blurry in some cases, it was clear it was none other than the Unbound Hearts who could have tried such a bold heist on the district. The angry cheers from most of the crowds who watched, were all united on behalf of Nomis, the man 
kindly smiling as he placed his glasses back on, nodding in agreement with the people of Hollow Bastion.

“We will catch and punish these people who wronged you. Any information that you, the good people of Bastion, may have, please do not hesitate to inform your District Representative. Together we will be able to put the damage that has been done, right again.”