"Attention all," Gheon called, standing upon a platform in the center of Riche. The sounds of the gulf drowned out the bicker of the crowd, but his voice echoed. All eyes turned to him, awaiting his words.
"Our district has long remained neutral in a war that requires more than that. Neutrality is a fragile thing. Our meeting the other night proved it—we are at a crossroads, my fellow citizens of Riche."
He scanned the crowd slowly and deliberately, locking eyes with all before him.
"We've given aid to both sides. We've told ourselves that by staying in the middle, we were avoiding the fire. But with each passing day… the truth grows harder to ignore. The APC's reign is no longer just politics—it is terror."
A few heads nodded. Some were unreadable, unsure of how to react.
"You've heard the rumors. Persetta was raided—not just Memento forces, but civilians. Women, children, and men as clean a slate as you!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Some turned to whisper to their neighbors, others sat stone-faced.
"I know what risk we face by taking a side. We are not warriors. We don't belong on the frontline of a battlefield. We're merchants. But merchants have a fight in them too! Not in swords or spears, but in preparing the people who defend us the best we can!"
The crowd roared. From the crowd, somewhere Gheon couldn't locate, a voice shouted.
"Then what do you suggest we do, Gheon? What're you saying?"
Gheon's gaze shifted toward the voice. He drew a deep breath, his fingers curling and uncurling at his sides before he stepped forward, his voice firmer now.
"I'm saying, it is time we choose. For freedom, or none at all."
The words struck the plaza like a hammer to nail. Murmurs flared instantly, but he paid no attention to it.
"We aid Memento through economic means. Through positioning, and intel. As Danzo promised when he and his squad ended that illegal cash operation right below our noses… we won't see the frontlines. They promised protection without running our district."
Another voice cut from the crowd, a mere heckler, drunk and staggering.
"The damned dogs in Central'll massacre us, Gheon! Just like Persetta!"
Civilians around the heckler turned and began to yell in anger. Arguments flooded the salty air.
"Calm, please," Gheon said, lowering his voice. "I understand your fear. But if we're not to stand, then this tyranny outlives us all. We citizens of Alden aren't allowed weapons. So they strip us of our one real defense! The ability users. Without them, without Memento, we are mere puppets tied to strings!"
He stepped closer to the crowd, eyes locking on them like a man speaking to family.
"People of Riche… understand me. This is our moment to choose. Memento is our last chance. If they fall… who else will fight for us?"
The noise died, and faces hardened—not with doubt, but in thought.
"I promise you, they won't fail us. I trust them with all I am."
He raised a fist high. "Memento fights for us—for all of Alden! The APC fears them, and they'll fear us too!"
The roar came. Not from all—but from enough. Support was rising and Riche was tipping.
The cheers still echoed against the walls of the plaza as Gheon stepped down from the makeshift stage. The last light of sunset bled into the horizon, painting the crowd in a burnt-orange glow. People clustered together in hushed, rapid conversations—some spirited and some hesitant—but the air was undeniably shifting.
Marien pushed through the gathering, her braid swinging against her back. She fell into step beside Gheon as he made his way toward the side street.
"You realize what you just did, right?"
Gheon smirked, though there was weariness behind it. "Yeah. Put a target on my back the size of Alden Central."
"Not just yours," Marien said firmly. She glanced over her shoulder at the cries of the crowd behind them. "The whole district. But, I think you have them—at least enough to matter."
Gheon exhaled through his nose, a slow release of tension. "Enough to matter is all we've ever needed."
They turned into a quieter alley where the hum of voices dimmed. Lantern light from a nearby shop spilled across their faces.
"So you're set on this? No… no turning back?"
"Correct. If we stay neutral now, we're just waiting for the APC to decide we're worth taking. I'd rather meet them on our terms," Gheon said with a confident smile.
Marien folded her arms, studying him. "Then we better move fast. Before the APC hears and decides to 'make an example' of us."
"Agreed," Gheon nodded. "Danzo will be in Persetta, correct?"
"Last I heard, yes. If we send word tonight, it should arrive tomorrow morning. Better yet, we could take a carriage there ourselves to greet him."
Gheon stopped walking, his jaw set. "Then we leave tonight. Pack a snack, and warm clothing. Jon's night isn't warm and kind. We'll meet Danzo there tomorrow—I'm sure he'd be more than happy to ride to Riche with us."
Marien's lips twitched into a smile. "Understood sir. I'll get preparations going now."
"Thank you, Marien."
Back in Persetta, Tsuki sat engulfed within her shadows. Across from her, Chiumali stood, eagerly watching her student in training. The spirit assumed a form with six arms, and iris-less eyes in blank white. Outline visible only by the flicker of black flame behind her flared with edges of white.
Tsuki came to a halt, breathing heavily. She wiped her brow, exhaling once before taking a short break.
"Not bad. Not bad at all," Chiumali said flatly. In an instant she moved from her spectating spot, directly in front of Tsuki. "Twilight Pit isn't easy to master… but you're improving quickly."
Tsuki smiled faintly, before sighing. "Still… I've been stuck for so long. It doesn't feel like I've gotten any better."
"The technique requires near perfect control of your shoulders to cast, my apprentice. You underestimate your progress, truly."
"I guess…"
Chiumali tilted her head slightly, before grinning widely. Her teeth were blinding in the developed dark, making Tsuki squint.
"Let me show you something," the spirit said before dropping the floor from beneath Tsuki. She screamed as she lost all control over her movement through the empty air below. Around her though, an array of ethereal glows, swirling in uncontrolled circles.
It was enough to drive her insane, but Chiumali reappeared beside her, floating downwards—following Tsuki with purpose.
"Focus yourself, my apprentice," Chiumali said in a lower, instructive tone. "Ignore your surroundings. Twilight Pit is an illusion masked in the zone between light and shadow."
"But how? How are you unaffected?!" Tsuki asked, still flipping through the air.
"The caster doesn't face the consequences. This is my technique—you're the victim here. Focus your Solena, use it to combat this illusion of reality."
Tsuki closed her eyes, bringing the Solena to her fingertips and feet, before the fear of falling interrupted once more.
Tsuki's eyes opened, and braced her arms protectively over her face.
In the blink of an eye, Tsuki was on her backside—landing without pain. The Twilight Pit was gone, replaced once more with the endless black of their communion shadows.
Chiumali stood before her, giving a knowing nod. "That's enough for today, Tsuki. You're tired. Rest, and we will resume tomorrow."
Tsuki raised herself to a knee, bowing a head to her spirit, before rising upwards into the flickering lantern light of her room. She lowered a fist slowly into her bed, like it would absorb her frustration.
"Dammit… dammit!"
A knock at her door interrupted her. She raised her head in annoyance toward the sound.
"Go away, please. Not the time," she said a little harsher than she meant. She remained at the foot of her bed, exhaling in rhythm to calm herself. Another knock followed, and she grit her teeth.
"No!" she shouted louder than last. She shook her head in immediate regret, and raised herself. Each step to the door came with more regret, until she turned the knob.
On the other side, Geo stood with flowers in one hand, and a smaller box of local chocolates. A dumb grin lightened her heart, bit by bit.
"Hey!" he said, a little too cheerful for her current state. "I know you're training, sorry. I heard your shouts… but I wanted to drop these off for you on the way out."
He handed the flowers and chocolates over—clearly unfazed by her shouts earlier.
"T—thank you," Tsuki said quietly, a smile tugging at her lips. "You didn't have to."
"I know. But, it's been rough lately, and I know you're blaming yourself for things you shouldn't. Figured even if it was for a moment, I could help bear the weight."
Tsuki smelled the flowers and popped a chocolate into her mouth. It was incredibly sweet with a rough texture—her favorite.
"Hey, I'm sorry—about yelling. I wasn't meaning to. I just…"
She paused for a moment, hanging her head. Geo only shrugged his loose shoulders.
"It's okay, really. I didn't take offense. I've grown used to your abuse…" he said in a mock pout. Tsuki squinted, giving a fake laugh in return, before nudging his shoulder.
"Well, I'm going to get going. Hatori and I are grabbing a bite," he said, turning back toward the hallway. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow," she said warmly. She gave one last grateful nod, before shutting the door. She remained there a minute longer, admiring the beautiful bouquet he had picked—reds, blacks, and pinks—all her favorite colors.
She set them gently into a pot filled with water on her desk, before fully turning her attention to the chocolates.
She gave a devilish grin, before devouring every last one.