Fathoran turned to the crowd, his voice laden with authority. "It seems you've gotten the wrong idea about how things work in our city," he began. "Sacrifice is necessary, yes, but it's not for the people to make that decision."
He paused, his eyes scanning the terrified faces of the soldiers. "A hundred years ago, when God created this city and the original hundred thousand, I was the first to overcome the fifth challenge. With that, God granted me the right to lead."
A murmur of amazement ran through the crowd. No one knew someone had gone so far in the System's challenges. The only level 5 human.
