STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

painted as the villains.” His voice was raw with anger. “You watch, they’ll start rolling out detainment orders by nightfall.”

Corin’s shoulders were tense, his face carved in hard lines. “And how many people will believe them? How many will turn against us? ”

Lyra remained still, but her eyes burned with unwavering resolve. “It doesn ’t matter. People will see through it.”

“The truth is bigger than their lies.”

Lucien wished he could share her certainty, but the Speaker’s words gnawed at him. Fear is a powerful tool. He could already picture the doubt spreading through the city like a virus, the Order’s message seeding itself in the minds of those who desperately wanted to believe in the system. In the illusion of safety.

Corin turned to the group, his expression unreadable. “We can’t do this alone. ” His voice measured and deliberate. “If we want to keep this momentum going, we need allies. And I don ’t just mean citizens.” He locked onto Lyra. “I’m talking about the Stewards.”

Harun scoffed. “The Stewards? The same people hunting us down right now? Yeah, brilliant idea. Let’s just walk up and ask them nicely to betray the Order.”

Corin’s eyes flashed with irritation, but his voice remained steady. “Not all of them. You saw the hesitation in the lower districts. ” He gestured toward the screen, where a loop of footage showed a Steward stepping back, uncertain, as protesters surged forward. “Some of them are questioning things. They’re human too, and they ’re scared. We need to reach them before the Order tightens its grip.”

Lucien nodded slowly, his mind turning over the possibilities. “He’s right.” He met Harun ’s skeptical gaze. “If we can turn even a fraction of them, it changes everything. They ’re the Order’s strongest weapon, but if that weapon starts turning on them... ”

Harun’s scowl softened. “Fine. But we have to be smart about it. One wrong move and we ’ll end up giving them exactly what they need to crush us.”

Lyra leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping against the table as she weighed the risks. Finally, she nodded. “Alright. Corin, work on the logistics. Identify the Stewards who are most likely to listen. ”

Corin inclined his head, his expression grim but determined. “Already on it. ”

Lyra shifted to Harun. “Figure out how we can get a message to them without exposing ourselves. ”

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