The months following the council's warning were strangely quiet. Too quiet. Elian had learned to distrust silence—it usually meant enemies were regrouping, rethinking, preparing something new. But this silence stretched on, week after week, with no attacks, no provocations, no visible moves from any of his remaining opponents.
It should have felt like peace. Instead, it felt like holding your breath underwater.
"The coalition's gone quiet," Femi reported during a morning meeting. "Emeka's in prison awaiting trial, Segun's under house arrest, Tunde's still hospitalized, Femi's on the run, and Kunle's cooperating with authorities. The visible enemies are neutralized."
"And the invisible ones?"
Femi's expression darkened. "That's the problem. The Betrayers' Network—if it's real—has left n
