The scene changed.
The army returned to the capital.
The city welcomed them like conquering heroes.
Tens of thousands of people crowded both sides of the wide streets.
Flags waved from windows and balconies. Banners with the shape of an eye fluttered in the wind.
Cheers rolled through the city in heavy waves, loud and endless.
Kiara stood partially exposed from the command hatch of a massive tank. Endless rows of robots marched behind her in perfect formation. Their metal feet struck the ground in unison, sending small tremors through the stone.
"All hail Nexus!"
"All hail Nexus!"
"All hail Nexus!"
The cries echoed again and again.
Kiara raised one hand in acknowledgment.
The people screamed louder.
Yet every cheer seemed to press more heavily against something inside her.
