Lucien clenched his fists, realization hitting him like a cold wave. It was late, but they still had to act. His elephant familiar trumpeted softly, sensing its master's tension.
Cassandra's strategy unfolded before his eyes with brutal clarity: generate casualties and call them sacrifices. Probably, Lucien thought, she would attribute the "achievent" to the rioters and those who turned against Elio, thus forming an opposition sector to the governnt.
All to demonstrate that her "contribution" had helped stabilize the barrier.
"Despicable," Lucien muttered, "but functionally effective."
However, sothing didn't add up. Cassandra must have another card up her sleeve. If it was just about generating opposition, it would be too easy for them to ultimately resort to force and eliminate the dissident faction.
Elio's side was overwhelmingly larger and more powerful.
No, there had to be sothing else, sothing Cassandra planned to use against Elio directly…
Ti was running out.
"Ren, move the group and give the signal to the soldiers. We have to act now."
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Ren's response was imdiate. "Understood. What's the ssage?"
"Top priority: reduce casualties," Lucien replied. "Stop the riot, but with minimal necessary force. We can't give Cassandra more reason."
With that, Lucien gave the signal. In a matter of seconds, Zara, Kriz, Brok, and Micah rose above the crowd, their swifts providing them with the necessary control over helium to stay in the air. Their familiars hovered nearby, ready to assist.
Their sudden appearance caused a mont of surprise in the crowd, a brief instant of calm before the battle resud with renewed intensity.
Zara didn't hesitate to launch herself directly into the center of the conflict. "Stop, you idiots!" she shouted, her voice barely audible above the chaos. "You're behaving worse than children!"
Kriz, always with his touch of humor even in the tensest situations, added: "Co on, people! If you want a party, I know better ways to organize it! There are less painful ways to resolve disagreents!"
But his words fell on deaf ears. The people, gripped by fear and anger, seed to have forgotten all reason.
Brok, for his part, didn't need magic to be intimidating. His re presence, combined with his thunderous voice, was enough to make many think twice before continuing to fight. "STOP!" he roared, his voice resonating above the chaos.
Micah, anwhile, used his control over helium to create air currents that separated the most violent groups. "Pathetic," he muttered. "Heroes sacrifice themselves for you, and look how you behave at the first provocation."
The n and won loyal to Elio erged from the crowd, trying to contain the violence. But it soon beca clear that they wouldn't be enough.
anwhile, Lucien and Selene, using the increased control over carbon provided by their elephants, began creating barriers to separate the most aggressive groups.
But despite their efforts, the riot seed to have a life of its own. The seed of discord planted by Cassandra had taken deep roots, and the people, who had never before experienced a conflict of this magnitude, seed to have forgotten all reason.
Although they managed to contain large groups, pockets of violence persisted throughout the plaza. And worst of all, motionless bodies could already be seen on the ground, evidence that they had arrived too late to prevent all casualties.
Lucien, landing next to a particularly violent group, used his control over carbon to immobilize the ringleaders. As he did so, he couldn't help but think of Elio. 'He's not going to like this at all,' he told himself. 'We've failed to protect people from themselves.'
The battle continued, with Lucien and the others desperately fighting to contain the violence. But the damage was already done, and the consequences of this day would resonate in the city for a long ti.
Lucien landed briefly next to Selene, his face a mask of concern. "This is a disaster," he panted. "We should never have allowed Cassandra to go this far."
Selene nodded, her expression grave. "I know, but now's not the ti for regrets. We have to contain this before there are more casualties."
It was then that Lucien noticed sothing. Cassandra was no longer in the plaza. He saw her sneaking towards the central building, followed by a small group.
Realization hit him like lightning. "Elio's family," he muttered. "They're going after them… He was right."
♢♢♢♢
anwhile, on the other side of the plaza, Cassandra sneaked towards the central building, closely followed by Saren, Angela, and a group of loyal soldiers. Her face was a mask of cold determination, her eyes shining with anticipated triumph.
A triumphant smile played on her lips as she observed the chaos she had unleashed. She paused for a mont to look back, savoring her victory.
"How easy it is to manipulate the masses," she murmured to herself, rembering the words from the Creator's diary.
"When they're in a group, they lose all capacity for individual thought. They beco beasts guided by their most basic emotions."
Cassandra allowed herself one last mont of reflection. "The Creator was right. Information is power, and I have learned to use it well. Soon, when the barrier stabilizes thanks to these... necessary casualties, I will erge as the city's savior. And Elio...
well, he'll be just a bad mory."
"The distraction worked perfectly," Angela comnted, her voice barely a whisper.
Saren nodded. "I never thought we'd see sothing like this in our city. But Cassandra, are you sure using the Creator's insight like this isn't blasphemy? You even changed stuff and..."
Cassandra stopped, turning to her grandfather. "Absolutely," she responded, her voice charged with conviction. "Sotis, to save the majority, sacrifices must be made. Elio doesn't understand this, but the Creator and we do."
♢♢♢♢
Finally, they reached their destination.
Cassandra paused for a mont, her hand on the doorknob. For an instant, a shadow of doubt crossed her face. Was she really doing the right thing? Or was she letting her ambition cloud her judgnt?
But then she rembered the Creator's words, the warning about necessary sacrifices, and her resolution strengthened. No, she wasn't wrong. Elio was leading the city down a dangerous path. And it was her duty, as a descendant of the founders, to ensure that the truth ca to light.
With that renewed conviction, Cassandra couldn't help but smile in triumph. Soon, very soon, she would have all the cards in her hand.
Her heart pounding with anticipation of her triumph, she yanked open the door of the central building. Her voice rang out urgently as she shouted to her soldiers:
"Quick! Take Elio's family before Lucien and Selene realize and co...!"
But the words died in her throat at the scene that unfolded before her.
There, imposing and furious, stood Elio, wearing his system armor. Behind him, the seductress girls, with expressions of determination on their faces, protected the family mbers Cassandra had kept as hostages. And surrounding them, dozens of level 3 and 4 soldiers, all loyal to Elio, ford an impenetrable barrier.
Before Cassandra could even process what she was seeing, she felt her body immobilize. Elio, with a quick and precise movent, had created a carbon layer around her and her group.
"What were you planning to do with my family, Cassandra?" Elio's voice was low, dangerous, charged with barely contained fury.
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