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However, as he approached the city wall, he began to notice a shift in the atmosphere.

More and more people gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves. Some faces showed concern, others curiosity. Tarec strained his ears, catching fragments of conversations:

"...they say there was a fight among the summoners..." "...invocations for everyone, can you believe it?" "...a new leader, but no one knows who it is..."

He stopped abruptly as a group of soldiers rushed past him, each with a small fire salamander perched on their shoulder.

"Impossible," Tarec muttered under his breath.

How could this be? Didn't one need to be level 4 to summon?

As he reached the base of the wall, the atmosphere changed dramatically. Hundreds of soldiers moved with urgency, their faces tense and determined. Tarec recognized several of his former comrades, but all seemed too busy to stop and talk.

"Attention, citizens!" A messenger's strong voice cut through the crowd's murmur. "All active and retired soldiers are requested to report to the wall! The new leader, Elio Elian, will grant you the power to defend yourselves!"

The name meant nothing to Tarec, but the mention of retired soldiers caught his attention. His curiosity overcoming caution, he followed the crowd to an improvised plaza where dozens of soldiers gathered around a figure Tarec didn't recognize.

The scene that unfolded before him defied everything he thought he knew about the order of things.

On a makeshift platform stood a young man, with clothes he had never seen, who couldn't be more than 20 years old, surrounded by figures Tarec recognized as two of the city's most powerful Summoners. Among them, to his surprise, was Lucien, known for his wisdom and justice.

The man whose intervention had saved Tarec's life. The man whose family had taken his son's life and put them in danger in the first place.

"Next!" the young man shouted, his voice laden with authority despite his evident exhaustion. "Quickly, we don't have much time!"

Tarec watched, astounded, as soldier after soldier approached the young man. With the soldier's book open, the young man opened his own book face down, and seconds later... a salamander appeared on the soldier's shoulder.

"What's going on here?" Tarec asked aloud, not directing his question to anyone in particular.

A nearby soldier, with a newly acquired salamander on his shoulder, overheard him. "Haven't you heard? Elio Elian, the new leader, is giving invocations to all soldiers. He says we need to be prepared for when the founder counterattacks."

Tarec frowned. "New leader? What happened to the Founder and the families?"

The soldier nodded gravely. "No one knows for sure. There are rumors that he's holed up in the central building with his most loyal followers. All we know for certain is that Von Lucien and Lady Selene are supporting this Elio."

Tarec looked again at the young man, Elio. How could someone so young wield such power? Why were the Summoners supporting him? And why was he giving out invocations left and right?

It was then that he noticed someone approaching the line: Selene.

Seizing the opportunity, Tarec approached her. He had worked under her command in the past and, although known for her toughness, she had always been fair. He decided to approach her for answers.

"Commander Selene," Tarec said, offering a military salute.

Selene looked at him, recognition flickering in her eyes. "Tarec. I'm glad to see you're still alive."

Tarec nodded grimly. "Not all of us were so lucky. My son..." His voice broke, unable to continue.

Selene's expression softened slightly. "I'm sorry, Tarec. There were... complications last night. Many good men and women fell."

"Commander," Tarec said, gathering courage, "what's really going on? Why are you distributing invocations? And this young man, Elio... who is he?"

"It's complicated, Tarec. The Founder... he wasn't acting in the city's best interest. Elio confronted him."

"The Founder?" Tarec felt a chill run down his spine. Everyone knew that title, though few knew anything concrete about the man behind it. "But how could a young man confront someone so powerful?"

"Elio is... special," Selene replied, carefully choosing her words. "He has a gift for survival that we've never seen before. He managed to obtain more cores than we've ever had. He returned alive from the monster sea..."

Tarec frowned, incredulous. "And now he's giving those cores to the soldiers? Why?"

"Because the Founder is still a threat," Selene explained. "He's barricaded in the central building with his most loyal followers. We believe he'll attack soon, and we need to be prepared."

Tarec felt his head spinning. It was too much information to process. "But why trust you?" he asked, bitterness seeping into his voice. "The families are responsible for all this. My son died because of your power games."

Selene looked him directly in the eyes. "You're right to be angry, Tarec. We've made terrible mistakes. But now we're trying to make amends. Elio... he's given us the power to say no."

Before Tarec could respond, a commotion near the platform caught his attention. A group of citizens had approached, demanding answers.

"What's happening?"

Questions blended into a chorus of confusion and anxiety. Elio, visibly exhausted, tried to calm the crowd, but his voice was lost in the tumult.

Lucien, seeing the situation, stepped forward. His imposing presence momentarily silenced the crowd.

"Citizens of our great city," he began, his voice resonating with authority. "I understand your confusion and concern. Extraordinary events have occurred in the past few hours, events that will change the course of our history."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "The Founder, whom we have all served for so long, has betrayed the trust we placed in him. He was planning to sacrifice a large part of our population."

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Was it possible?

"Elio Elian," Lucien continued, gesturing to the young man, "confronted the Founder and defeated him, saving countless lives in the process, mine included. Now, we stand at a crossroads. The Founder and his most loyal followers still pose a threat, barricaded in the central building."

"Why should we believe you?" someone shouted from the crowd. "You're part of their families!"

Lucien nodded gravely. "You're right to distrust us. The families, including mine, have abused our power for too long. But with Elio, we can follow a different path, a path of equality and justice."

Selene stepped forward. "That's why he's distributing invocations to the soldiers. So that power isn't concentrated in a few hands, but distributed among those who swear to protect the city."

Tarec observed the crowd's reactions. He saw confusion, disbelief, but also glimmers of hope on some faces. It was evident that most citizens had no idea what had transpired.

Elio, regaining some strength, stepped forward. "I know it's a lot to take in. I don't expect you to trust me immediately. But I ask that you give us a chance. Together, we can build a better city, a city where we all have a voice and power."

Tarec felt an internal conflict. On one hand, the loss of Aram still burned in his chest, a constant reminder of the dangers of concentrated power. On the other, the idea of change, of a new beginning for the rest of his family, was tempting.