Chapter 53 – The Hand of Realms (Part 4)
Chapter 53 – The Hand of Realms (Part 4)
After Fiora’s rousing speech, she briskly divided the candidates among the three escorts, assigning each group to a different bus. Zane and Elizabeth found themselves placed under Fiora’s direct supervision. The moment they climbed aboard, she sent a cheeky wink in Zane’s direction that made him groan internally.
’This woman is far too unserious for someone with such a high rank,’ he thought, sighing as he took a seat near the window.
The rest of the candidates were quiet, almost unnervingly so. Tension hung in the air like thick fog. Their eyes, without exception, were drawn to the distant colossus on the horizon—the Gate. It towered beyond the city like a God’s monument, black and eternal.
Moments later, the bus’s engines rumbled to life. The convoy began moving.
The drive through the capital was nothing short of surreal. The streets were lined with tens of thousands of people—maybe hundreds of thousands. They lined the roads like waves frozen in place, cheering with wild fervor as the buses passed. Some held signs, others waved flags, while many simply screamed with joy. The excitement was contagious, the energy almost tangible.
Even Zane, jaded as he often felt, couldn’t help but be awestruck. His eyes scanned the masses and the sky above, where helicopters hovered, broadcasting the moment live to the world. For once, the entirety of Lower Earth was united in watching the same event: the departure of its chosen.
Elizabeth pressed her face against the window, her breath fogging the glass. "S-So many people..."
"This is history for them," Zane replied, arms crossed. "They may never witness something like this again in their lives."
She tore her gaze from the window to look at him. "They’re... expecting a lot from us, aren’t they?"
Zane tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. "More than we can deliver, I imagine. Most of them think we’re going to change the world, bring glory to Lower Earth, rise to the top of the Knight Order. But expectations..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Expectations are easy to create and hard to live up to. People will cheer you now. But when they don’t get what they want—when you’re not the hero they imagined—they’ll turn on you."