She studies me, voice soft but all pulse. “And?”
I step toward her, heart thudding against rib. “I hesitated.”
Her jaw tightens. “Why? That’s not like you.”
I release her hand and pace the length of the living chamber. Neon glints on the reinforced glass. “I’m afraid.”
She stares with no pity, just understanding. “Good. Youshouldbe.”
I stop at the balcony arch. The night air is crisp, making my neck prickle. I stare out at Goldwin’s neon arteries flowing beneath us. I whisper, “I’ve more to lose now.”
She follows, wrapping an arm around my waist. “You’re not alone.”
I press forward, gaze locked on swirling lights. “If they execute me—the Sect implodes. All control unravels. Without me, everything falls.”
She cups my chest over my shirt. “Butwithyou, they won’t.” Her voice is a clarion of steel.
I turn and face her. The moonlight traces her cheekbones. I press my forehead to hers. “Protect the empire if I fall.”
She swallows. “You protect the empirewithme.”
Next morning, the war council reconvenes. The war table room is colder. The holo-map pulses ominously. The Nine’s notification still blinks.
I rise, voice unsteady but deliberate. “They’re coming for me. A takedown. Not a test.”
Bruna inhales. “We predicted this?—”
“Not like this.” My voice catches. “They think they can remove me—done.”
Murmurs ripple.
I continue. “I need options.” My eyes sweep across them. “Defense—public and private. Disinformation. Contracts. Diplomatic deterrents. But if this goes public—I need a face to reassure the city.”
They look at Aria.
I nod slowly. “You.”
She flinches at first, then stands straighter. “What do you need me to do?”
I take a breath. “Be my equal on the stage. Present evidence, reassure allies. Show Goldwin it’s not justmethey threaten—it’s everyone we built.”
Haarvik hums. “Public posture, strong.”
Loran steps forward. “We’ll launch informational countermeasures to muddy the Nine’s channels.”
Bruna adds: “And covert teams will relocate high-profile assets—people, data, even weapons—out of Nine reach.”
I nod. Relief floods—fear becomes fuel. “We move on my count.”
That evening, I walk Aria to the balcony before the public address. City lights dance below. The night is calm— deviously peaceful, like the belly of a storm.
She leans in. “You’ll do this.”
My voice is low. “For them. For us.”
She nods, heart brave. “I’ll stand beside you.”
She kisses me, and I feel a spark—it’s defiance alight against the dark.
