The murmurs grew louder, rippling through the crowd like a gust of wind unsettling dry leaves.
-"What if he's a spy of the Sky People?" someone whispered, loud enough for others to hear.
-"Yeah! What happens then? We get out heads chopped off!"
Another voice chimed in, emboldened by the question.
-"What if they're testing our loyalty? If we agree with him, they might cut our necks in the night!"
The crowd erupted into hushed conversations, suspicion thick in the air. Faces, gaunt and weathered from years of hardship, turned toward Yanz with mistrust.
-"How can we believe you are who you claim to be!?"
A burly man shouted, his voice rising above the commotion. His scarred face was twisted in skepticism, and his fists clenched at his sides.
-"What would you gain from saving us?"
Another yelled, and soon the question echoed from every corner.
Yanz stood in the middle of the chaos, his expression calm but his mind racing. He expected resistance but not this level of paranoia. Before he could respond, a voice pierced through the noise.
-"He is a good person!"
Ceph, a young man with a wiry frame, stepped forward. His clothes were tattered, but his eyes shone with conviction.
-"He shared food with me and my bedridden mother. Do you all think a Sky Person would share their food with us? Would they even look at us like we're worth anything?"
The crowd fell into stunned silence, their suspicion momentarily replaced with contemplation.
"Ceph…"
Elena who was standing with Ceph whispered.
"They're cunning, those Sky People. What if it's all part of their trick?"
-"It's not a trick!"
Ceph snapped, his voice quivering with frustration.
-"I saw it with my own eyes! He doesn't look down on us like the others. He talks to us like we matter!"
Yanz raised his hand, signaling for Ceph to step back. His face was composed, but there was a sharp edge in his gaze as he addressed the crowd.
-"... I think you people are misunderstanding something,"
Yanz began, his voice steady but firm. The crowd watched him, their expressions a mixture of wariness and curiosity.
-"I'm not some kind of hero who gives everything for nothing. That's not how the world works. Think of this as a business. I give you something, and in return, you give me something too."
A murmur rippled through the crowd again, though this time it was less hostile and more uncertain.
-"What… what do you want from us? What can we even give when our own stomachs are empty every single day"
A younger man asked, his tone hesitant.
-"For now, I want your cooperation,"
Yanz replied, his eyes scanning the sea of faces.
-"You say you want freedom, a better life. I can help you achieve that. But it won't come free. You'll have to work for it. Fight for it."
-"Fight?"
A woman scoffed.
-"With what? Our bare hands? Against the Sky People? They'll crush us before we even step foot out of this slum."
Yanz stepped forward, his voice cutting through the doubt.
-"Not if you have the knowledge I can give you. They've kept you weak by keeping you ignorant. But I can teach you—teach you how to build, to organize, to resist."
The burly man from earlier crossed his arms, still unconvinced.
-"Why should we trust you? For all we know, you're just fattening us up for slaughter."
A middle-aged woman with streaks of gray in her hair stepped forward, her voice trembling.
-"He helped this kid and his mother. That means something, doesn't it?"
-"Maybe he did it to earn our trust!"
The burly man countered, his voice rising again.
-"And when we let our guard down, that's when the Sky People will strike!"
Ceph clenched his fists, anger boiling inside him.
-"Yanz was right!,You're all cowards!"
He shouted.
-"You say you want change, but you're too scared to take the chance when it's right in front of you!"
-"Use your head a little,why would I need you to lower your guard to destroy everyone if i was one of the sky people!? They can single handedly obliterate everything in sight!"
Yanz said, his tone firm but not unkind. The young man bit his lip, retreating into the crowd.
Yanz took a deep breath, addressing everyone once more.
-"I'm not asking for blind trust. I'm asking for a chance. You've seen what the Sky People do to you, how they treat you. If you're fine living like this, then keep doubting me. But if you want more,if you want a chance to stand tall,then work with me. I'll prove myself, but only if you're willing to do the same."
The crowd was silent for a long moment, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
Then, an old man stepped forward, leaning heavily on a wooden cane. His voice was raspy but clear. "I've lived long enough to see many promises made and broken. But this one… this one feels different. I say we give him a chance."
One by one, more voices began to rise, cautiously at first, but growing in confidence.
-"I'll stand with him,"
A man said.
-"Me too,"
Added a woman.
Not everyone was convinced, though. A small group of dissenters remained at the edge of the crowd, their faces hard with doubt.
-"You're all fools,"
The burly man spat, shaking his head.
-"When they come for us, don't say I didn't warn you."
Yanz watched as the crowd gradually shifted in his favor, the scales tipping just enough. He knew this wasn't full acceptance.
-"Those of you who are with me,"
Yanz said, his voice carrying a renewed sense of authority,
-"Prepare yourselves. We have a lot of work to do. And for those who aren't… I won't force you. But remember this moment. When the tides turn, you'll wish you'd stood with us."
The crowd dispersed slowly, some leaving with a newfound sense of hope, others still clinging to their fear and skepticism. Yanz exhaled, the weight of the moment settling on his shoulders.
He climbed down the 'AETHER' Gate
Ceph approached him, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
-"I- I didn't expect you to be our saviour"
He said quietly.
Yanz placed a hand on his shoulder. "We've got a long way to go."