D — 0
A crowd had formed in front of the opera house.
The entire Zone 2 was shut down. One black SUV after another came into view, elite members coming out from each car, their gait poised, and their backs straight.
Along the barricades, journalists clustered with cameras and microphones, their voices cutting through the air as they pressed in with questions, eager to capture every word.
Suddenly—
"It's the members of Crownfall!"
With the shouts from one of the reporters, all attention fell on the most recent van as the reporters surrounded it.
The door slid open, and a man emerged, dressed in a loose shirt patterned with flowers, casual shorts, and dark sunglasses. The moment he set foot outside, the air itself seemed to shift, the atmosphere tightening as every eye turned toward him.
The air itself seemed to tighten, pressing down with an invisible weight.
For a brief moment, it all turned quiet.
