The town hall was packed.
Every seat taken. People standing in the back. Children perched on parents' shoulders. The air was thick with tension, heavy with unspoken fears. The community had never felt this divided. Not during the war with Chimera. Not during the battles with Marcus. Not during the attacks from Ezekiel Vance.
This was different. This was internal. This was the slow, creeping poison of doubt.
Ethan stood at the podium. His hands gripped the edges. His eyes swept across the crowd.
"I've called this meeting because we have a problem," he said. "A problem that's been growing for weeks. A problem that threatens everything we've built."
"Then fix it!" someone shouted from the back.
Ethan recognized the voice. Marcus, one of the newer residents. A former Facility victim who'
