Today Is a Good Day to Rebel

If no torches are lit from now on, then we shall be the only light.

-

Yun Chao transmigrated.

She had no golden finger, only a completely useless loan System. She was a frail, helpless young woman with a face everyone coveted, so she decided she might as well go die first.

Everyone knew that dawn brought the first light of morning. Unfortunately, from the moment she came from that orphanage shrouded in darkness, her beauty had been her original sin.

This was the best of times, and the worst of times.

Magic bloomed in people's hands as dazzling flames, gears meshed with a steady clatter, and airships soaring overhead cast shadow after shadow.

Steam and magic intertwined to drive successive industrial revolutions, while the vast, bloated old empire was plagued by deep-rooted ills that had festered for years. The powerless monarchy was little more than a facade, and the nobility drank themselves into oblivion amid their extravagance. Desperate families sold their children, while the newly wealthy factory and plantation owners who had seized their chance ruthlessly amassed fortunes.

Until that person appeared.

It was said that her rebel army was invincible, victorious in every battle. More and more supporters joined its ranks, and wherever they went, true light followed.

On the day the capital fell, the people did not flee in panic. Instead, they welcomed them with tears and smiles, lining the streets.

The path to power lay wide open. If she stepped forward, she would become the people's beloved ruler.

Her subordinates bowed one by one, respectfully forming two lines. The people had already begun gathering outside the palace of their own accord, prostrating themselves on the ground, waiting to offer their devout homage when the moment arrived.

But the very next second,

The supreme throne shattered into pieces. The flames faded from Yun Chao's fingertips. She withdrew her hand, turned around, and calmly faced the astonishment on the people's faces.

"Stand up!"

Her gaze was resolute, her voice powerful.

"From today on, no one is to kneel!"

[The old society must be thoroughly destroyed, and a shining new society created.

Do not say we are worthless. From now on, we shall belong to all the world.

Neither heroes nor gods nor emperors can liberate us. We can rely only on ourselves.

- "The Internationale"]

Reader's notes:

1. From rock bottom to the very top, with a touch of steampunk and a touch of cosmic horror. In short, it's a complicated, uncanny world (?).

2. A power fantasy, but as the blurb suggests, it leans toward a collective ensemble working together. The overall setting is rather heavy, so I'll start writing once I'm capable enough and have enough chapters saved up.

3. The title and blurb may change, but the premise won't.

Theme: Dare to make the sun and moon shine in a new sky