Gloria sat in her room, her mind reeling from the revelation that had upended her world.
Pablo's final words echoed in her head, the truth cutting deeper than any blade: the Thunder Snail god, the lover she had once trusted, was the one who had betrayed her in past lives, not the Evil Immortal. Now, with this dangerous knowledge, the pressure on her from the supernatural world had grown unbearable.
Eragon entered the room quietly, his presence a welcome relief from the whirlwind of thoughts in Gloria's mind.
She met his eyes, seeing the same concern and determination reflected back at her."Gloria," he said gently, sitting beside her.
"We have to think this through. The council has eyes on you, the League of Shadows is plotting, and now we know the Thunder Snail god is hunting you.
Every side wants a piece of you, and the more attention you get, the more dangerous it becomes."
Gloria's heart sank. It felt like the walls were closing in around her, and the weight of expectation was suffocating.
"I know, Eragon. But how do we stop it? Every day, more people are looking at me, expecting something, either salvation or destruction.
I can't live like this, constantly under scrutiny."Eragon paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing in thought. Then, an idea sparked in his mind.
"What if we do something radical? Something that forces everyone's hand, including the council's."Gloria raised an eyebrow, curious.
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't we expose the existence of supernaturals to humans?"
Eragon suggested, his voice low but firm. "If we make it public, everyone, including the council, would be scrutinized.
They'd have to stop hiding behind their secrecy, and the focus would shift from you to the entire supernatural community.
It could buy us time and take the pressure off you."Gloria's eyes widened. "Expose supernaturals? That could start a war between humans and our world."
"Maybe," Eragon admitted. "But at this point, we're out of options.
The council won't protect you from the Thunder Snail god, not if they're still focused on the League of Shadows. And the League is getting stronger.
We have to shake things up."Before Gloria could respond, her phone buzzed on the desk. She picked it up, her heart sinking as she read the message from Anna, her human friend.
"Sir, as you suspected, there are supernaturals operating in the school premises. My friend and some others are definitely supernatural," Anna had reported to a mysterious figure Gloria had never heard of.
The reply came swiftly, the tone chilling. "We've been tracking supernatural activities for centuries, but they've always been too careful. Now that they're relaxed, we'll strike. Prepare for an operation soon."
Gloria felt her stomach drop. Anna had unknowingly exposed her and her friends to a human group intent on hunting supernaturals.
The stakes had just risen.Eragon, sensing her tension, leaned over. "What is it?"Gloria handed him the phone, watching as his expression darkened while reading the messages.
"They're onto us. If we don't act fast, humans are going to start hunting supernaturals."
"That's why we need to go public before they strike," Eragon said, his voice steady.
"If we reveal the truth first, we control the narrative. We can show the world that we're not the monsters they think we are."Gloria hesitated.
The idea of exposing the supernatural world was terrifying. It could lead to chaos, violence, and mistrust.
But at the same time, keeping the secret had left them vulnerable, hunted by forces both human and supernatural.
"I'll do it," she said, her voice shaking with determination. "I'll make the announcement."Eragon looked at her, surprised by her sudden resolve.
"Are you sure? Once you go public, there's no turning back."Gloria stood up, her mind made up. "We're already being hunted.
If we don't act now, it'll be too late. I'll go to the school's assembly hall tomorrow and tell everyone, humans and supernaturals alike, what's really going on."
The next day arrived too quickly, and Gloria stood before the large auditorium filled with her classmates, humans, supernaturals, teachers, and staff, all of them unaware of the storm about to break.
Eragon stood at the edge of the room, his eyes never leaving her.Gloria took a deep breath as she approached the microphone, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders.
This was it. The moment that would change everything."Good morning, everyone," she began, her voice steady despite the nervous flutter in her chest.
"There's something important I need to share with all of you, something that will affect all of our lives."
The room quieted, every eye turning to her."For years, our world has been kept separate from the human world.
But that separation has come at a cost. Secrets have been kept, lives have been lost, and the tension between supernaturals and humans has only grown.
Today, I'm here to tell you the truth. Supernaturals are real. We've been living among you for centuries."
A gasp rippled through the crowd. Some students looked confused, others scared. But Gloria pressed on, her voice unwavering.
"There are vampires, werewolves, fae, and beings you can't even imagine , right here, in this school, in your neighborhoods.
We've been hiding, trying to protect ourselves, but that time is over.
I'm telling you this because I believe that together, humans and supernaturals can find a way to coexist peacefully."As Gloria spoke, Anna, who had been watching from the back, felt her heart sink.
She had no idea what she had gotten herself involved in. The mysterious man she had reported to, the one intent on hunting supernaturals, was already in motion, and Gloria's revelation would send shockwaves through both worlds.
Outside, the council had already received word of Gloria's announcement, their leaders scrambling to control the situation.
But deep within the shadows, the League of Shadows, and the Thunder Snail god, were preparing their own response.
The game had changed, and now both worlds were on a collision course with destiny.
And Gloria stood at the center of it all.