— A Story of Freedom, Oblivion, and Self-Discovery

In a distant corner of the universe, on an isolated planet, a war that lasted 101 years finally came to an end. What started as a battle of arrogance concluded with the cost of freedom for the vanquished. The once-proud Doge people became enslaved and were cast away to a remote island by the ruling Kitteh nation. Though the island was rich in resources, it was surrounded by towering walls. The Doge worked tirelessly, trading their labour for the mere scraps of freedom granted to them by their conquerors.

Then came Year 29 of their exile.

One fateful day, a breathless Doge messenger ran through the village, clutching a letter from the Kitteh government. The decree was clear: labour would no longer earn them freedom. With their advanced technology, the Kitteh no longer needed outside labour to sustain their civilization. They had decided to abandon the island entirely.

The message was both a liberation and a death sentence. The Doge was finally free, but at the same time, they were doomed to be forever trapped within their island prison.

Another 11 years passed.

One Doge, who had always yearned for true freedom, refused to sit idly by. He gathered his people and declared,
"If we do not fight for freedom, then our so-called 'freedom' is just another form of captivity!"
Years of suppressed resentment erupted in that moment. The villagers, filled with newfound determination, worked together to break free.

The Golden Key

In order to unlock the towering gates, they melted down all the gold they had collected over the years, forging a single golden key. Meanwhile, those unwilling to fight aided in the construction of a great warship meant to carry their people beyond the walls and into the unknown.

After two months, the ship was complete.

The warriors carried the golden key, unlocking the prison gate that had confined them for 11 years. Under the expectant gazes of their fellow villagers, they embarked on their ship with one mission—to seek true freedom.

With a resounding cry of "Set sail!", the ship drifted away from the island, toward the unknown.

The Dream

— The Drifting Ark & The Forgotten Mission

For two years, the Doge drifted aimlessly across the endless ocean.

At first, their hearts burned with hope. But as the days stretched into months, their purpose became blurred. They had set out to seek freedom, to find new lands—yet now, they simply floated, lost and uncertain.

Had they truly escaped? Or had they merely exchanged one prison for another?

A glimpse into the past—146 years ago.

Back then, the Doge Nation was peaceful, but not free. It was a land rich in natural resources, yet the Doge people were arrogant, lazy, and indifferent. They admired the Kitteh Nation, envying their wealth, yet never striving for it themselves.

Until one day, a mysterious vessel arrived at their shores.

Aboard the ship were strange invaders, who greedily plundered the Doge’s lands. The national army fled, abandoning their people. The civilians did not fight back. Instead, they submitted—resentful of their fate, yet obedient to their new masters.

Thus began their long history of enslavement.

Present Day

— A Sunken Past & A Forgotten Future

Now, standing on the deck of their drifting ark, the Doge looked out upon the endless ocean. Their last fragments of hope were nearly extinguished.

Then, someone spotted two ancient wooden chests floating in the water.

It had been so long since they had seen anything new. The villagers exchanged uneasy glances before carefully retrieving the chests. One bore mysterious carvings, the other was inscribed with unfamiliar text.

They hesitated before opening them.

Inside the carved chest, they found:

• A telescope

• A small treasure box

• A compass

• A map

Inside the text-inscribed chest, they found:

• A skeletal corpse

• Several glowing green pills

The villagers gasped.

An elder among them spoke in a hushed voice:

"Long ago, my grandfather’s grandfather told me of an ancient legend. It was said that there once existed a 'luminous bean'—a deadly poison. Those who consumed it would waste away, becoming frail and weak, and on the forty-ninth star night, they would dissolve into dust..."

The people recoiled in horror.

Some claimed to have heard of the legend before. Some insisted that people had once eaten these beans. Others whispered in fear that this was a punishment from the gods—a retribution for their arrogance and laziness.

But before they could decide what to do, a mentally unstable Doge, believing the green pill to be medicine, swallowed one.

A Miracle—Or a Curse?

The villagers watched in shock as his body began to change. His features morphed, his fur shifted—and when the transformation was complete, he no longer looked like a Doge.

He had become a Kitteh.

Astonished, he admired his new form. Vanity filled his heart. The other villagers, seeing his transformation, rushed to swallow the pills as well. One by one, they turned into Kitteh people.

Just moments ago, they had feared these very same pills. But now, they had forgotten everything—their mission, their past, their purpose.

They fantasized about living the life of the Kitteh.

Then, suddenly, the effect faded.

They returned to their original forms, confused and embarrassed. But despite knowing the truth, they picked up another pill—and swallowed it again.

And so, they drifted on, trapped in a cycle of illusion and oblivion, forever losing themselves in the mirage of an identity that was never theirs.

"Who Are You?"

— The Illusion of Self & The Chains of Oblivion

Every person has an original self, yet they pretend to be someone else.
Time passes, and they forget who they once were.
Only when they wake from their illusions do they realize—
they were never that person to begin with.

But by then, they have already forgotten their true selves.

So tell me...
Who are you?