The Personification Detection Program.

Once Upon a December

Ruslin couldn't ask for a better life. He lived in a palace with all the things he could dream of, and he could do anything he wanted. Though the war has taken a toll on his finances and while he did feel sympathy for his people, it was necessary. Afterall, humans are replaceable.

Despite looking it, Ruslin was not human. He was actually the personification of his country. He was in charge of everything with the guidance of the Tsar. War strategies, financial plans, diplomatic relations; It's all him.

Of course, the common folk were not allowed to know this. Imagine the riots in the streets if people knew there was not only one, but a whole species of immortal deities among them, dictating their lives in their geopolitical borders. Some might get the idea that they could rival them. And we wouldn't want that, now, would we?

But this was Ruslin's day off from being a country. Today instead of being Russia, he was just the royal butler to the Romanovs. Just Ruslin.

He had heard word from other servants about the potential threat of the growing Bolsheviks, but Ruslin was not worried. They were still few in numbers and there was no way for them to hurt him or his family.

Ruslin had prepared snacks for the children, which Nicholas had requested. As he opened the door to their play area, he was bombarded by the children, who were aware earlier that he would bring snacks. The elder children had almost taken all of the food, before little Alexei could get something.

Ruslin carefully hid the rest and gave him his portion. Now, Ruslin did not have favorites, but he took great care for Alexei, as he would become Tsar one day, and he would eventually work for him.

Afterwards, Ruslin walked to the ballroom of the palace, where the royal couple were. They chatted for a while and Ruslin was given a new task. He left for the garden.

As he went outside, he could hear yelling. It seemed to be coming from the front of the palace. It was probably just another protest, Ruslin thought, it'll be dealt with soon. He continued to tend to the garden.

Soon, the yells got louder. Ruslin began to get more worried but tried to stay calm. Maybe they were just a little more rowdy today. 

Then he heard gunshots.

Ruslin bolted inside. People had entered the palace. And they weren't ordinary common folk; They were soldiers. It was the Bolsheviks.

Ruslin ran to look for his royals. He planned to take them to the World Center, where they would be safe.

He searched but to no avail. It wasn't long before the Bolsheviks found him. He tried to fight back, but he was both outnumbered and outskilled. Ruslin knew this.

"Whatever you do, don't hurt my family," he said to them before being shortly knocked out.

He awoke to being in an armored automobile. There were other people around him, but they were still knocked out. He tried to move, but his hands and legs were tied tight.

From the other side of the vehicle, he heard the drivers talking. 

"Surely one of them has to be it"

"Unless he already escaped"

"With how many people we captured, I doubt it."

Ruslin kept quiet. He feared for his life. What did they want with him. 

What Ruslin did not realize was that there was another soldier in the automobile, who knocked him unconscious again.

Nikolai waited near the interrogation rooms. The PDP was supposed to get more potential suspects today. From where, he didn't know.

He had heard earlier that his groups cause was about to get a whole lot bigger.

As for why Nikolai had joined the Bolsheviks and specifically the PDP, perhaps it was nativity in their cause, or desperation to keep his family alive. He would've been a battlefield in Germany otherwise, like his brother was, and would've been killed like him.

Nikolai was one of many chosen as an executioner. His job was to kill the potential suspects if they did not comply with the program. There was also the theory that if a human were to kill these false deities, they would take its place. Nikolai was mainly chosen in regard to that.

The vehicles had just arrived. Nikolai watched as the unconscious bodies were carried off to cells to wait to be interrogated and eventually killed.

It seems he'll have a busy day.