STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

haven’t already made waves? The city’s a powder keg, Corin. We just gave people something they haven ’t had in decades.”

“Yeah?” Corin’s glare sharpened. “And what’s that?”

Harun smirked. “Doubt.”

“Doubt doesn’t win wars, Harun. Power does. Organization does. We need allies, resources, an actual plan. Otherwise, this rebellion dies here—in this room.”

Lucien looked up.

“You’re wrong.”

Corin turned, already bracing for an argument, but Lucien didn’t give him the chance.

“It doesn’t end here,” Lucien continued. “It’s already bigger than us. You saw the streets tonight —people talking, asking questions, pushing back. They’re skipping shifts, defying curfews. That’s not us. That’s them. They’re keeping this alive.”

Corin frowned. “And what happens when the Order cracks down harder? When people get scared and fall back in line? They need more than words in the sky.”

Lucien stood, meeting Corin head-on. “They need something to believe in. That’s what this is. It’s not just a message—it’s proof. Proof that the Order isn’t untouchable. Proof that people can choose. ”

Corin let out a dry laugh. “And what happens when they choose wrong?”

Lucien ’s voice hardened. “That’s the point, Corin. It’s their choice. Not the Order’s. Not ours.”

“The system we’re fighting is built on control. If we start dictating what people can and can’t do, then tell me—how are we any different?”

The tension in the room crackled like a live wire.

Jaris, who had been silent in the corner, finally stepped forward.

“That’s enough fellas.”

His voice wasn ’t loud, but it carried authority.

The room stilled.

Jaris ’s gaze moved between Lucien and Corin, his expression even but firm.

“You’re both right,” he said. “The Order won’t sit back and let us chip away at their control. But if we lose sight of why we’re fighting—why any of this matters—then we risk becoming the very thing we’re trying to destroy.”

He turned, gesturing at the map spread on the table, marked with strategic points.

“The message was the first blow. Now we build on it. We rally allies.

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