The city had shifted overnight. As Stella and her team moved through the streets, a palpable tension filled the air—shops were closed, windows boarded, and citizens hurried from one place to another, heads down, afraid to meet each other's gaze. The Prophet's words and promises had taken root, and the city was teetering on the edge.
In the early morning hours, Ethan, Nina, and Stella gathered at their headquarters, reviewing the intelligence they'd gathered. Reports were flooding in: key leaders had been disappearing, some presumably going into hiding while others were suspected to have been taken by the Prophet's men.
Ethan pointed to the map pinned up on the wall, red markings encircling several high-profile locations. "These are the most recent targets the Prophet is focusing on: police stations, council offices, and the courts. He's going for the heart of the city's structure."
