A low groan escaped Wilhelm II, Emperor of the German Empire, as he tilted his head in confusion. Thick fog enveloped the center of a desolate garden.
"Where am I?"
He distinctly remembered being in his bedroom at the New Palace in Potsdam, sleeping as usual.
Yet, when he came to, Wilhelm found himself standing in this strange place.
Withered flowers, gnarled and twisted trees, their branches sparse and bare.
Though his eyes and mustache trembled with fear, Wilhelm suppressed the dread rising within him.
He was the Emperor.
No matter the circumstance, an emperor must maintain his dignity.
—Ah… Billy…
"What?!"
His resolve crumbled quickly.
A voice, chilling enough to freeze the blood in his veins, made Wilhelm let out an undignified scream and collapse to the ground.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!"
As soon as he shouted, a bluish mist swirled, and a translucent figure appeared before the Kaiser.
A ghost.
Unbelievable, but undeniably a ghost.
"You…?"
When Wilhelm saw the face of the specter, his fear turned to shock.
It was a face he knew well—too well.
"Father…?"
—It's been a long time, Billy…
The ghost was none other than his father, Friedrich III, the former Emperor of Germany, who had died thirteen years ago.
Wilhelm's expression shifted from terror to a flicker of joy.
"I never imagined I'd see my departed father again in such a way."
—There's little time, Billy…
Friedrich III's tone was grave.
—The German Empire faces a grave threat. If things continue as they are, the empire will fall under your rule…
"What?"
The empire falling under his rule? It was a bolt from the blue.
Wilhelm's eyes and mustache quivered with unease.
"What does that mean? Who dares threaten our German Empire?!"
Was it France, their old enemy defeated in the Franco-Prussian War?
Or perhaps Britain, now led by that insufferable, portly uncle after his great-grandmother Victoria's passing?
Or could it be the Russian Empire, under the gentle but dim-witted cousin of his?
Wilhelm's mind raced with possibilities, but Friedrich III gave no answer.
How could he?
He couldn't exactly tell his son, "You're the one who'll ruin the empire."
—I cannot answer that. But fate is not set in stone. Even a doomed destiny can be salvaged…
"Oh! How, then?"
—A great crisis will soon confront you. But in the distant East, a person will emerge to save your life. They will be the hope of the empire.
"What? The East? You mean an Asian?"
Wilhelm's hopeful expression twisted into a scowl.
"Preposterous! Asians are cunning, untrustworthy people! They're just waiting for a chance to devour Western civilization—enemies of the white race!"
True to his era's prejudices, Wilhelm spat out his biases.
Friedrich III shook his head.
—I'm afraid my time is up…
"What?"
—The choice is yours, Billy. Remember my words…
"Father? Father!"
Friedrich III's figure vanished into the fog.
Wilhelm lunged after him, but only darkness lay ahead.
"Gah!"
With a gasp, Wilhelm bolted upright in bed.
"Hah… hah… Where am I?"
Panting, he looked around.
His bedroom.
The Kaiser's bedroom.
"A dream?"
Wilhelm exhaled in relief, trying to steady his breathing.
"Darling?"
Stirred by the noise, his wife, Empress Augusta Victoria, woke beside him, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.
"Good heavens, you're drenched in sweat. Are you alright?"
"It's nothing, Dona," Wilhelm said, using her nickname. "Just a dream."
"A dream?"
"Yes, a dream. Vivid, but just a dream."
Yes, a dream. Nothing more.
He'd been overworked lately, dealing with state affairs. That must be why.
"The empire, fall?"
The German Empire was as Premiership Quality, as strong as ever.
No nation in Europe could match their army, and while the navy wasn't yet on par with Britain's, they were closing the gap.
The economy and industry were thriving. Under his rule, the empire wouldn't just survive—it would endure for a thousand years.
"And an Asian, the hope of the empire? Ridiculous."
Wilhelm muttered, wiping the cold sweat from his face.
A dream was just a dream.
It could never happen in reality.
-----------------
March 6, 1901.
Bremen, German Empire.
"Hail the Emperor! Long live the German Empire!"
Wilhelm waved to the cheering Bremen crowd, a slight smile on his lips.
Days had passed since the dream, and life had returned to normal.
As expected, it was just a dream.
"Let's head back."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Wilhelm climbed into his carriage, and the driver nodded, gripping the reins.
As the carriage moved forward, guarded by soldiers, a man suddenly leapt from the crowd.
"Kaiser Wilhelm!"
Bang!
The man drew a pistol and aimed it at the Kaiser.
"I sentence you in the name of the people!"
"Assassin! Guards! Guards!"
"Protect His Majesty!"
Screams erupted as the crowd scattered.
The guards rushed toward the man, but the trigger was pulled faster.
"Die, Kaiser!"
Bang!
A deafening shot rang out, the bullet speeding toward Wilhelm's head.
"Your Majesty! Dodge!"
The guards' shouts came too late. Wilhelm braced for death, squeezing his eyes shut.
Clang!
A sound like a bullet striking metal froze time itself. Everyone stood stunned.
It was a boy.
A boy had leapt in front of the carriage, taking the bullet meant for Wilhelm.
Splatter.
Blood sprayed as the boy collapsed.
The frozen moment shattered, and chaos resumed.
"What happened? What happened?"
"The boy's been shot!"
"Stand back, everyone!"
No one could remain unmoved at the sight of a child shot down.
The crowd surged toward the boy, but the guards quickly formed a barrier.
The assassin was subdued, but the situation remained tense—they had to be ready for a second attack.
"Your Majesty, are you unharmed?"
A pale-faced officer hurried to Wilhelm's side, dreading the consequences if the Kaiser was harmed.
But Wilhelm ignored him, pushing past to reach the boy.
"An Easterner…"
Wilhelm's eyes widened as he saw the boy's face.
The dream was real.
As his father had foretold, danger had come, and an Asian had saved him.
"He's still breathing."
But the boy was bleeding heavily.
Wilhelm didn't know much about medicine, but he knew the boy wouldn't last long like this.
"Your Majesty?!"
Wilhelm scooped the boy up and climbed into the carriage.
The guards looked baffled, but Wilhelm's focus was solely on the boy.
"To the hospital. Now."
"What?"
"Now!"
"Yes, sir!"
The driver, hesitant but loyal, snapped the reins.
The guards scrambled to keep up as the carriage sped off.
-----------------
"The surgery was successful."
The exhausted surgeon, looking years older, delivered the news.
A blood-soaked emperor bursting into the hospital with orders to save an Asian boy was a first.
The pressure had been immense, but the boy lived. Barely.
"His condition was poor to begin with," the surgeon added. "Full recovery will take time."
Wilhelm nodded.
The boy's ragged clothes suggested he was from the slums or a street urchin.
Good health would be unusual for someone like that.
Saved by an Easterner…
It could be a coincidence.
But the boy had undeniably saved him. Regardless of race, a debt was owed, and failing to repay it would tarnish his honor.
"Your Majesty, the boy's awake!"
Hours later, the news came.
Wilhelm, resting in the hospital's finest room, stood and headed to the ward.
"Your Majesty."
The doctors and nurses bowed as he entered.
His gaze briefly met theirs before settling on the boy.
Black hair, black eyes.
A typical Asian face.
But contrary to common prejudices, his eyes weren't narrow, nor did he have protruding fangs.
His face was almost handsome, with eyes that seemed to sparkle with life.
"You're awake," Wilhelm said.
The boy's eyes widened, recognizing him.
"Too shocked to speak?"
He seemed like an ordinary boy.
Could this really be the Easterner his father spoke of?
"Thank you," Wilhelm said, his voice steady. "You saved my life."
He wasn't fully convinced.
But there was time.
The empire wouldn't fall in a decade.
He could learn more about this boy in the years to come.
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