I look at the charred ground, smoke filled my lung slowly, but I no longer cough, I just… accept it…

My career began in 1910 at a small garage on Germany, just in time for the massive rally to build skyscraper. So many work that I almost drowned to dead.

My garage has a clear view to the mountain on the far side and the town skyline, everyday the sun rise from behind the mountain and I can see the shadow slowly disappearing from the city and hustle of city start. Small character running around on the city. Like a blood.

My first actual work was as a freelance drafter on Lillika’s Skyscraper, I meet with one of the architect at church and they need a helping hand to finish the building as fast as possible.

I was obsessed with the job. Wake up at 5:00 AM, eat 3 toasted bread, and start to draft until 11 AM. Then I sleep for 30 minutes, eat another toasted bread and continue to work until 11:00 PM. I then take a bath, eat some bacon and go to sleep. Sometime I look out the window of the garage and realize a new skyscraper in front of the mountain. A beautiful building with many statue and art adorning it.

For 2 months. I do it non-stop every single day, no holiday, no entertainment, and no more church.

When my job finish, the office was happy with my job and they try to recruit me as a full-time employee. They say that I work so fast that there is no one can be my peer.

However, I refuse. When I finish my draft there is a sense of emptiness - my only work is this piece of paper, the building that is raised from ground is not mine. I want more. I want to build the skyscraper with my own hand.

So I asked the company to instead let me work on-site to supervise the worker itself.

They agree.

2 month after I start on that garage I still strife for more.

They put me under supervision of Mr. Brent - an iron-willed contractor with strong work ethic. I was told to be onsite at 7 AM everyday, I decide that to catch up I need to be onsite at 5 AM.

My next job is on August’s Skyscraper.

Mr. Brent put me under lot of grind. But I work with same tenacity I had before.

Day-by-day gone, the steel frame go up slowly and slowly. But it too slow for me. I don’t see same will from my peer. They came to work at 8 AM and go home at 6 PM.

I start to takeover job from my other peer. Soon my knowledge of the building start to match with Mr. Brent, even more detailed. I understand everything, every single nuts and bolt.

I fix inconsistency before it even discovered and bring it up with Mr. Brent. I was lucky to have such a strong willed supervisor that able to suppress and interrogate other team, forcing them to see what has been discovered. They had no place to hide their work.

After August’s Skyscraper done, 2 month earlier than the scheduled time. The main office notice and decide to put me in charge of the next project.

3 year after I start on that garage I still strife for more.

Illieva’s Skyscraper - poised to be the highest in German and the world. I was told to win the bidding war to gain right for the project. I start to see my competitor has start to even smooth talk the owner and even bribe some of their staff. Nothing is off table for project this big.

My biggest competitor, the Rocky’s architect firm, show some draft design that is inferior to my own design. But a simple design won’t be able to win. Their tender is cheaper than mine and I can’t push the price down anymore without making the quality of the project go down - something I won’t do.

I start to talk with local mafia just to gain any kind of advantage. Eventually a blackmail material come to my possession. A meeting record that basically show that Rocky is willing to compromise the building safety just to safe money, ‘if the building fall in 20 years, then I’m too old to care’ the 70 years old owner of Rocky said it on record.

I eventually make Rocky back down and my offer win tender without any issue.

Since now I own the control of the project I start to make people who work for me to follow my schedule.

My site is start to being called as the ‘devil’s hole’ due to its harsh condition, the churn rate is big. This time, I can’t handle all of it my own. Too many things to do. I start to learn to delegate.

I pay well but also punish harshly. The kind of motivation people need to keep working well and even into their weekend to keep their job. I was happy with the method.

The tower stand as my shiniest jewel. My proud achievement.

7 years after I start on that garage, I knew I can do it.

I left the company. They already offer me position of senior partner, but I turn it down because I want my name on my own building. The owner of the firm hear about this and knew that he also can’t stop me, thus instead he decide help raise some cash to fund me.

I open my office in the city and convert my garage into actual estate and workplace. A firepit with a window to the city skyline where I can see the skyscraper arise and adorned the mountain look.

I started a 25 years long career there, building 20 skyscraper.

Then …

the war came.

I don’t even pack anything yet. My estate on the hill might be under target of allied bombing campaign but I no longer care. I spend my day looking at the city skyline, I knew every single dark needle and block that towering into sky. All of the jewel that adorn the mountain. I knew every story, every people, every money that has been burned to make it stand.

I spend my life to build this city. I alone are carving the face of this skyline.

There is no one here, only me. I have no family, no staff, no waiter. I have no issue operating the estate on my own, but the solemness, I have yet to learn how to handle it. I should start to learn it.

Electricity has been cut out and I light the fire on the pit and brew a tea. My frail body no longer can face 18 hours of work every day like in that garage, now brewing and putting wood in the fire already tire me. I sit down on the glass window and watch as the night fall and city turn into dark.

I hear only the fire crack, the wood move and shift turn into ash.

I see the skyline start to light up with small ember, every small ember start to grow along with the firepit crackling. Solemness of this dark room embrace me as I fixated on the ember of the skyline.

One needle start to fall to the side, causing more ember - as the wood crackle, even the fire start to laugh.

I remember how many sin I have commit to make every single needle stand. Kartz’s needle - my first time punching someone. Uriel’s needle - my first time blackmailing my own employee. Richard’s needle… Henry’s needle…

I smile.

Morning came, and for the first time I see sunrise behind the mountain. The most beautiful sunrise I ever see in my life, it rise faster than I can ever hope to raise the needle. The mountain has no more jewel adorning it, and it look even more beautiful than ever.

For the first time, I stop and just sit there for the whole day.