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Lys paced the dimly lit room, his jaw clenched tight. The defeat at the conference still stung, but worse was the growing wave of support for Lyra's vision. His carefully crafted influence was slipping through his fingers.
With a cold glare, Lys summoned his most trusted enforcers — shadowy figures who answered only to him. "It's time to remind them why they should fear me."
That night, the streets near the hybrid districts grew tense. Whispered warnings spread fast: an attack was imminent.
San, Hyme, and Lyra were unaware at first, but as they gathered in a quiet alley for a quick meeting, shadows moved swiftly.
Suddenly, masked assailants lunged from the darkness, weapons gleaming under the street lamps.
"Get down!" San shouted, grabbing Hyme and pulling him low.
Lyra's eyes blazed as she transformed — her fox ears perked, claws extended. "We can't let them get away with this!"
The alley exploded into chaos — fists flew, claws slashed, and sparks of power flickered as hybrids and humans fought side by side.
Hyme's ears twitched rapidly, his feline agility allowing him to dodge deadly strikes as he moved closer to San.
"San, cover Lyra!" he shouted.
San nodded, muscles coiling as he engaged two attackers, his gym-honed strength making quick work of them.
Despite their valiant defense, the number of assailants was overwhelming.
"Retreat to the storage room!" Lyra ordered, backing toward the hidden door San had mentioned earlier.
They dashed through narrow corridors, barely escaping the flurry of blades.
Once inside, San slammed the door shut and bolted the heavy latch.
Panting, they leaned against the walls — hearts pounding but unbroken.
"We need to be ready," Lyra said, voice fierce. "This war is just beginning."
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