Fathoran smiled, but there was no warmth in that gesture. "Whatever is necessary to protect this family and this city. As I have done for the last hundred years."
With a wave of his hand, the black stone immobilizing the Summoners began to vanish. Slowly, they regained mobility, though none dared to move.
"You will co with ," Fathoran ordered. "We will find this Elio and resolve this matter once and for all. And I warn you," he added, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper, "if any of you try to eliminate each other or continue this absurd dispute, there will be consequences."
The rabbit on his head seed to stir, its red eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. For a mont, Fathoran's image seed to distort, as if an ancient and powerful shadow was projected behind him.
"Now, move," Fathoran commanded, heading towards the exit. "We have a young soldier to find."
As they followed Fathoran out of the room, each of the Summoners was lost in their own thoughts. Estin and Mordred, satisfied that action would finally be taken against Elio, but fearful of their father's wrath. Selene and Raelar, desperate to find a way to warn Lucien and protect Elio. Lotar and Varen, carrying Kairos, simply trying to stay out of the line of fire.
Fathoran led the procession, his figure emanating an aura of power and authority.
♢♢♢♢
Rewinding a bit in ti...
Lucien, Ivan, and Elio arrived at the wall, their footsteps echoing on the stone as they advanced.
Lucien paused, his eyes scanning the familiar structures of the wall. This place had been his ho for so long, where he had trained, fought, and grown. Now, it felt like the stage for an imminent battle.
"Ivan," Lucien said, turning to the old soldier. "I need you to gather as many soldiers as you can on the wall's parapet. An extraordinary eting."
Ivan nodded, his face a mask of determination. "Yes, sir. How much ti do we have?"
Lucien looked towards the city, as if he could see through the streets and buildings to the elders' complex. "I don't know," he admitted. "But every minute counts. Hurry."
As Ivan left to carry out his task, Lucien guided Elio to his office. The young soldier seed overwheld, his eyes constantly moving, as if expecting the elders to appear at any mont.
♢♢♢♢
They had barely been in the office for a few minutes when the door burst open. Zara, Micah, Kriz, Brok, and Ren rushed into the room, their faces a mixture of relief and concern upon seeing Elio.
Zara, with her usual bluntness, was the first to speak. "Finally! Do you have any idea how long we've been looking for you, idiot?"
Elio couldn't help but smile at his friend's familiar rudeness. "Good to see you too, Zara."
Micah, always the most perceptive of the group, noticed the tension on Lucien's face. "What's going on, sir? There are rumors all over the wall."
Lucien sighed. "The situation is more complicated than you imagine. The summoners are divided."
"Divided?" Kriz let out a nervous laugh. "What, couldn't they agree on what delicacies to serve for dinner?"
Brok elbowed him. "Not the ti for jokes, idiot."
Ren, always the calst, intervened. "What can we do to help, sir?"
Before Lucien could respond, the door opened again. This ti it was Varick who entered, his face a mask of concern that contrasted with his usual arrogance.
"Uncle," he said, nodding towards Lucien. "I've heard the rumors. What happened at ho, where are Selene and Raelar?"
A tense silence fell over the room. Lucien looked at his nephew, evaluating him. "It's complicated," he finally said. "Sit down and we'll explain."
He turned to Elio. "The book," he said. "Do you have it with you?"
Elio nodded, handing over the Book of Genesis. Lucien took it, feeling the weight of its importance.
"Good," he said. "While we wait for the soldiers to gather, I think it's ti we all know the truth."
He opened the book, his eyes scanning the pages. "Listen, everyone," he began. "This is what the Creator really left us..."
As Lucien read, the expressions of those present changed from confusion to amazent, and finally to a mixture of fear and determination. The truth about the Goddess, the mana deposits... Each revelation seed to shake the foundations of their world.
Zara listened with her arms crossed, her brow furrowed in concentration. Ren absorbed every word, his analytical mind working at full speed. Kriz and Brok exchanged looks of amazent, while Micah maintained his usual calm, though his eyes shone with interest.
Varick, for his part, seed to be struggling internally, the truth facing his years of foundation on privilege and tradition.
"Why?" Brok asked, his voice a low growl. "Why hide sothing like this from us?"
Varick responded. "Power," he said, his voice bitter. "Control. It's easier to rule when you have a monopoly on strength. Although I think it's an inefficient thod if that book tells the truth."
Elio looked at Varick in surprise, rembering their past confrontations. "I never thought I'd hear you say sothing like that."
Varick shrugged, an ironic smile on his lips. "Things change, Elian. Even I can feel when the horizon gets dark."
"Varick is right," Lucien said. "But there's also fear. Fear of the unknown, of losing control. The elders have borne the weight of protecting the city for generations. They've made difficult decisions, so... questionable."
♢♢♢♢
When they reached the most concerning parts...
Lucien looked at the young people gathered in his office, his face tense but determined. "Elio," he said, turning to the young soldier. "You've read the Book of Genesis. Tell them what you discovered about the population limit."
Elio nodded, his expression serious. "The book reveals a terrifying truth," he began. "There's a population limit for our city: one million one hundred thousand inhabitants. If we exceed it, among other things, the barriers that protect us will cease to function."
A sepulchral silence fell over the room. Zara was the first to break it, her voice laden with disbelief. "Wait a damn second. Are you saying that if we have too many babies, we all die?"
"Essentially, yes," Elio confird. "And we're dangerously close to that limit. We've already reached a million."
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