Chapter 36 — When Power Bleeds
The city woke up angry.
Amara felt it long before the first reports flooded the screens.
The hideout was quiet in the way only dangerous places ever were — the kind of silence that came before something broke. Outside, the skyline glowed faintly through reinforced glass, morning light brushing against steel towers and old stone alike. Life continued. People went to work. Vendors opened shops.
But underneath it all, the city was shifting.
“They’re spinning it,” Clara said, voice tight as she scrolled through feeds. “Calling it a terrorist attack. Claiming the council narrowly survived an assassination attempt.”
Amara exhaled slowly, steadying herself. “Of course they are.”
On the main screen, a council spokesperson spoke with practiced calm. Words like
