Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Chapter 43: Address the New Dawn_1

Amira turned another page of the book she is currently reading which had been taken from the mayor’s house. The dim glow of the light from the bulb from the corner illuminated the faded ink as it cast a soft light across her face.

She had just begun to immerse herself in the next section when Megan’s soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Captain, everything is ready,” Megan said while standing a few steps away. “The townsfolk have all been accounted for, and they’re waiting in the town hall.”

Amira glanced up, meeting Megan’s steady gaze. With a quiet nod, she placed a simple leather bookmark between the pages, carefully closing the book. She set it aside, then adjusted her cloak as she stood, smoothing the fabric.

“Good,” she spoke in her calm but resolute voice. “Make sure Bella assigns additional security to every entrance and exit in the town. I want eyes on anyone coming or going. If there’s an emergency, I want to know about it before it becomes a problem.”

Megan gave a nod. “Understood, I’ll inform her right away.” With that, she turned and strode off to carry out the orders.

Amira allowed herself a brief moment of stillness, then straightened her posture and made her way toward the podium at the center of the stage.

The hall in front of her was packed to capacity with thousands of people gathering around but the murmurs from their voices was like a low buzz that turned into a continuous hum that echoed off the high ceilings.

The buzz was almost tangible, a weight pressing down on her senses, even for someone like her who had spent years commanding covert operations.

While her sharp eyes looked over the crowd, she stopped at the edge of the stage and although the room was well-lit, with lanterns and ceiling lights casting a warm, bright glow on every corner, the sight seemed almost unreal due to the stark contrast with the pitch-black night outside.

Stepping up to the podium, she picked up the microphone. Her fingers brushed against the cool metal before she tapped it once, creating a sharp buzz that cut through the air. The room fell silent almost instantly, all eyes turning to her.

Amira had seen larger crowds before, but this was her first time to address in front of a massive crowd and by Megan’s estimate there were about 27,000 people packed into this hall.

She had always been expected to lead from the shadows and carry out plans quickly and without anyone noticing on her tasks.. Now, she stood fully visible, every eye in the room fixed on her and it was daunting, but she pushed the thought aside as there was no room for hesitation.

Taking a deep breath, she began warmly, “I want to thank each of you for your strength and resilience—what you’ve endured and witnessed hasn’t been easy, yet you’ve held on and come here tonight, which speaks volumes about your courage.”

The crowd didn’t say a word, but they were paying close attention to everything she said. She could tell they were feeling a lot of different things, like fear, confusion, and even sincere gratitude.

“I understand that many of you are confused, even frightened, about what’s happening in our world and you have every right to be.” Amira continued with her tone softening slightly. “The broadcast that warned us about this… it sounded like something out of a nightmare right, a surge of spiritual energy reshaping the world as we know it?”

A few heads nodded in the crowd as she let her words sink in after taking a pause.

“But now,” she said, her voice dropping slightly, “it’s here and undeniable. And if any of you are still clinging to the world we knew before, I have to tell you something that may be hard to hear: That world is gone.”

Her words hung in the air like a thunderclap. The crowd shifted uneasily, murmurs rising again.

The hall fell silent once more when she held up her hand, “I know it’s not easy to accept.” As she continued.

“But it’s the truth and this surge—it’s not just affecting us humans and many of you have seen it firsthand: individuals awakening to strange and powerful abilities. But it doesn’t stop there, it’s transforming animals, plants, even the very ecosystem around us.” she said while her tone softening just enough to convey empathy.

A ripple of acknowledgment passed through the crowd. She could see it in their faces—the memories of fear and loss reflected in their eyes.

“And I know many of you have experienced this already,” Amira continued, her voice gentle but unyielding. “Also many of you must have encountered these… mutated creatures when your pets—once loyal and loving companions—who turned into berserk, mutated beasts and not only them but also the stray animals that once roamed harmlessly through our streets who become predators. I’ve seen it. I know you’ve seen it. And I know you’ve fought to protect yourselves.”

The crowd’s collective gaze dropped. Some nodded solemnly, others exchanged glances, their faces marked with grief and fear.

“Your previous mayor, along with the late police chief and a few awakened individuals, stood tall to contain those threats,” Amira said, her voice steady but tinged with admiration. “Their efforts—and the sacrifices of many who defended this town during the chaos—allowed you to be here today. Their courage will never be forgotten.”

A heavy stillness settled over the hall, broken only by the faint rustle of shifting feet.

Amira let the moment breathe before continuing, her tone firm but compassionate. “But you all know this don’t you as you lived through it, the chaos, the fear and then Cole happened, he and his rogue gang were small time criminals but what happened after few of their member awakened and had tasted power.”

Her tone darkened as she spoke the name, “You saw what they did to our previous mayor, to the chief police officer, to you and let’s not sugarcoat it: you endured the horrors under their tyrant rule.”

As her eyes blazing with a quiet intensity as she leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping into a softer but sharper tone. “And why? Because power, when left unchecked, is a dangerous thing. Some people—no, a lot of people—lose their way when they taste it as they get greedy, blinded by their own strength, and forget what it means to protect, to serve, to lead.”