January 5, 1897.
The White House, Washington D.C.
The weight of the decision settled fully on President Matthew Hesh's shoulders as he stood in front of the mirror in his private quarters, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. The day had arrived—the moment when he would officially declare his bid for reelection.
He had thought long and hard about this decision over the past weeks, debating whether the cost of another term was worth it. His family's safety, the threats lurking in the shadows, and the sheer force of his opposition were all reasons to walk away.
But walking away meant surrendering Amerathia to the very forces that had nearly pushed it into a manufactured war. It meant letting the Order of the Phoenix Society regain control from behind the curtain, undoing everything he had fought for.
He couldn't allow that to happen.
A soft knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Come in," he called.
