Up to that time, the Republic, the Empire, had been to him only monstrous words. The Republic, a guillotine in the twilight; the Empire, a sword in the night. He had just taken a look at it, and where he had expected to find only a chaos of shadows, he had beheld, with a sort of unprecedented surprise, mingled with fear and joy, stars sparkling...
The character's previous understanding of the Republic and the Empire was quite abstract, defined only by dramatic and frightening symbols like a guillotine and a sword. These concepts seemed disconnected from reality, merely monstrous phrases without concrete meaning to him.
However, upon encountering the actual state of affairs, he experienced a profound revelation. Instead of chaos and darkness, he found a blend of beauty and complexity, represented by the sparkling stars. This moment filled him with a mixture of emotions—both fear and joy—as he confronted the reality of his world, which was much richer than his prior perceptions.
