Between Hope and Rebellion

Time Remaining: 107 Days

I woke up gasping for breath.

The same dream again…

A voice from another time, another place, whispering to me: "Do you remember me? You can’t forget us."

Sweat trickled down my forehead as I opened my eyes. My chest felt tight, as if echoes from a deep abyss were trying to tear my soul apart. Sitting up in bed, I took deep breaths, trying to shake off the unease the dream had left behind. But before I could fully compose myself, a noise from outside pulled my attention.

It was faint at first, but with every second, it became clearer.

I stood up and stepped outside my room on the second floor. Looking down toward the center of Solace, I immediately understood the source of the commotion.

Seraphis was welcoming new arrivals.

I didn’t know how long he had been rescuing people like this, but every time he returned, it was with individuals whose hope of survival had already faded. More Voidwalkers had reached Solace. Among them were people of all ages—young and old, even small children. Some were paralyzed with fear, while others struggled to accept the nightmare Seraphis was explaining to them about Orbis and the Fate Eye.

Seraphis raised his voice to address them.

“I know all of you are confused right now. But first, you should understand that you’re lucky to have made it here. In Solace, at least for a while, you are safe. But you need to know the truth. The numbers on your chest indicate how much time you have left. However, that doesn’t mean you’re here just to wait for the end. We are fighting. We are looking for a way out. Orbis is erasing you. And we are fighting until the very last moment to find an escape.”

His words landed like a heavy stone.

One of the newcomers collapsed to his knees, gripping his head in his hands. "No…" he whispered, tears streaming down his face. Another person, overwhelmed with anger, shouted, "You’re lying!"

Seraphis remained calm. “I was once like you,” he said. “But this is real. And the sooner you accept it, the more valuable the time you have left will become.”

Silence hung in the air. Seraphis looked at the crowd, exhaustion evident on his face, but his voice remained firm. “Here, we support each other. Solace is not a place of despair; it is a place where we search for solutions together. We are not just waiting here. Since the beginning, we’ve been trying to find a way out. We won’t let this system erase us. We stand together and fight for another path.”

However, murmurs of discontent started rising from the crowd. Some were not convinced.

"So we’re just supposed to sit around and wait? Shouldn’t we be trying to find our own way out?!"

Seraphis took a deep breath, his voice calmer but unwavering. "No one is being forced to stay here. If you choose to stay, you can join our fight. But if you think we’ve been doing nothing, you’re mistaken. We have been searching for a way to reach the Fate Tower and dismantle this system for a long time. Everyone here is working together for a common goal."

At that moment, three young men pushed forward through the crowd. The one who seemed to be their leader crossed his arms over his chest, wearing an amused smirk as he looked at Seraphis.

"So you’re telling us to just sit here and let ourselves slowly fade away? How is that a solution?"

The two behind him nodded in agreement.

Seraphis took a step forward. "If you have a solution, share it. But if you truly want to change something, we need to work together, not stir up chaos. We are the ones who refuse to be crushed by this system. Anger won’t lead us anywhere. If you want a real solution, we must act as one."

The voices of dissent grew louder, some supporting Seraphis, others siding with the rebellious group. Chaos seemed inevitable.

Then, a single footstep echoed through the air.

And suddenly, the atmosphere turned cold.

Azael.

With Luna, Travis, and Mat following behind him, he walked toward the center of Solace.

The moment he arrived, all voices fell silent. The air turned to ice...

Our eyes met. His expression remained unreadable as he scanned the scene, first looking at Seraphis, then at the three men who had been stirring unrest. The tension thickened instantly, making it hard to breathe.

I could feel the air growing heavier, as if everyone had stopped breathing. The tension from Seraphis’ speech had already thickened, but now Azael’s ominous presence blanketed everything.

The rebellious young men fell silent, but the look in Azael’s eyes was like burning ice, uncontrollable, suffocating. Even I found it hard to hold his gaze, and I noticed the way the troublemakers began to tremble under his stare.

His voice cut through the silence, cold and absolute:

"Did you come here to stir chaos, or do you actually want to do something?"

One of the young men, unable to withstand Azael’s piercing gaze, lowered his head. But their leader, gritting his teeth, refused to back down.

"If we’re going to be erased by this system, we should at least go out on our own terms. We have to act instead of just waiting for the end!"

Azael tilted his head slightly, disdain flickering in his eyes. "Oh? And what exactly will you do? Punch Orbis until it collapses?"

Luna smirked at his remark, crossing her arms. "See? Even Azael thinks rushing in blindly is foolishness. Winning a war requires intelligence."

Seraphis stepped forward, his patience clearly wearing thin. Yet, his voice remained calm, steady.

"There is some truth in what all of you are saying. But remember: our enemy is time. We don’t have the power to launch a direct attack on the Orbis system. Right now, our entire strategy is focused on finding a way to reach the Fate Tower."

A mocking laugh echoed from the crowd. "Reaching the Fate Tower? That’s impossible!"

Seraphis turned toward the voice, his gaze sharp. "Yes, it’s not easy. But at least we are looking for a path. The only way to destroy Orbis is from within its own system. A reckless rebellion won’t change anything. We need a calculated strategy."

Silence followed, but then one of the young rebels scoffed, an icy smirk forming on his lips.

"So you’re just keeping us fed with false hope to buy yourselves more time? Maybe you’ve become part of Orbis yourself, Seraphis."

The words sent a fresh wave of tension through the air. The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, some were clearly unsettled, while others seemed to be considering the accusation.

Seraphis closed his eyes briefly, inhaling deeply before speaking again.

"Before you question where I stand, look around at the people fighting just to survive. I am not here for myself, I am here to save everyone. If we don’t trust each other, Orbis won’t even need to erase us, we’ll destroy ourselves."

His words hit like a slap. One of the young men dropped his gaze, while the others hesitated before stepping back into the crowd.

At that moment, Azael took a step forward, his eyes locking onto Luna. "I have no patience for this nonsense. I want to see where this leads. Help them. But don’t waste time on false hope."

Luna met his gaze unwaveringly. "Understood, Azael."

With a final deep breath, Azael turned away. Travis and Mat followed him. As swiftly as he had arrived, he departed, leaving behind only an unsettling silence in Solace.

Uncertainty and tension still lingered in the air. No one knew what would happen next.

But one thing was clear: a decision had to be made.