As darkness settled over the settlement, they made their way to the designated meeting spot. The old oak stood apart from the main buildings, its massive trunk and spreading branches creating a natural shelter beside the flowing river.
Maria was already waiting for them, and in the moonlight filtering through the leaves, they could see she looked different from when they'd left. She was leaner but more confident in her movements.
"I'm so glad you're finally back," she said, embracing each of them warmly. "I've been planning for this day since you left."
"Planning?" Sam asked, though he could already guess the answer.
Maria nodded, her expression growing serious. "Richard's transformed this place into his personal kingdom. He decides everything, and everyone else follows orders or faces consequences."
She gestured for them to sit on the massive oak's roots, which formed natural benches around the base of the ancient tree. "But first, tell me about your journey. You all look... different. Did you figure out the cultivation?"
Sam leaned forward. "We did figure a few things out and we've all advanced to what's known as the Earth Realm. We're faster, stronger, more resilient than we were when we left."
"How much stronger?" Maria asked with obvious interest.
AJ's form shifted slightly in the darkness. "I can reshape myself completely now. As well as create weapons and tools."
"Ethan could probably fight five or six regular people at once," Lily added. "We all could, really. The enhancement is significant."
Victor nodded. "But it's not just physical strength. Our reflexes, endurance, even our thinking is clearer and faster. We're operating on a completely different level now."
Maria's eyes brightened with hope. "That's exactly what we need. Let me tell you what's been happening here."
She settled against the oak's trunk, her voice dropping to ensure they wouldn't be overheard. "The first month after you left, Richard consolidated his inner circle. He promoted people who were completely loyal to him—mostly newcomers who owed their positions entirely to his favour."
"What about the original settlers?" Walter asked.
"Gradually sidelined. Take Mark, the carpenter who helped build the first shelters. He suggested improvements to the construction methods, ways to make buildings more efficient. Richard thanked him, then assigned him to basic maintenance work while bringing in his own people to handle planning and design."
Sam frowned. "Remove institutional knowledge and replace it with personal loyalty."
"Exactly, and it got worse from there." Maria's voice carried months of accumulated frustration. "Second month, he introduced the ring system—supposedly for better organisation. The closer you lived to the centre, the more influence you had. Guess who got to decide where people lived?"
"Richard and his loyalists," Victor said.
"Right. Anyone who questioned the new arrangements found their housing assignments moved further out. Their work became harder, their access to resources more limited. It was subtle enough that people couldn't point to any single unfair act, but the pattern was clear."
Lily shook her head. "Divide and rule. Make people compete for his favour instead of cooperating with each other."
"Month three brought the guard system," Maria continued. "Richard claimed we needed better security, more organisation. He recruited the biggest, strongest people he could find—mostly from the outer rings, people who were struggling and grateful for better positions."
"Let me guess," Ethan said grimly. "They enforce his will."
"The guards don't just keep order—they enforce compliance. People who are late to work assignments get warnings. People who miss assignments get reduced rations. People who question assignments..." Maria paused. "Well, they have accidents."
Walter's cane tapped softly against the oak's roots. "How bad are these accidents?"
"Broken fingers, usually. Sometimes arms. Always with witnesses who saw the person 'fall' or 'drop something heavy on themselves.'" Maria's voice was bitter. "The guards are very good at making sure people understand the consequences of non-compliance."
"And people just accept this?" Sam asked.
"What choice do they have? The safe zone protects us from monsters, but not from Richard. People have families to feed, children to protect. Most convince themselves that following orders is a small price to pay for security."
Maria looked out at the dark water flowing past. "Month four, he established the council system. Sounds democratic, right? Except the council consists entirely of his appointees, and their job is to implement his decisions, not make them."
"What about you?" Lily asked gently. "How did you avoid being completely marginalized?"
Maria smiled grimly. "I made myself useful. My coordination work puts me in contact with people from every ring, every work group. I know who's struggling, who's angry, who remembers what was promised originally."
"You've been organizing," Victor realised.
"Carefully. Very carefully. Richard's people watch for signs of resistance, but they're not watching for someone doing her job efficiently." Maria's tone carried quiet pride.
"I've been mapping the settlement's real structure—not the official hierarchy, but who people actually trust, who they turn to when they have problems."
Sam leaned forward with interest. "Tell us about the resistance network."
"It's not really a network yet—more like scattered groups of people who think the same way but haven't been connected." Maria began counting on her fingers.
"There's Janet from the outer ring, who runs an informal childcare group. The mothers trust her because she actually cares about their children's welfare, not just meeting quotas."
"Then there's Thomas from the workshops. He's been quietly teaching people skills that Richard's people don't want them to have—advanced carpentry, metalworking, things that would let them be more independent."
"In the second ring, there's Doctor Hayes. She's been treating people regardless of their status, which goes against the official policy that better medical care should go to more important residents."
"And there are others scattered throughout the settlement. People who remember what we were trying to create, who want their children to grow up in a community rather than under a dictatorship."
"I've identified 43 people who I'm confident would support change. Another 67 who are unhappy but haven't committed to anything. And maybe 30 more who could be swayed if they believed change was possible."
"That's... that's more than half the settlement," Sam said with surprise.
"Richard rules through fear and convenience, not genuine support. Most people go along because they don't see alternatives, not because they like what he's created." Maria said. "But if they saw that resistance was possible, that they wouldn't be standing alone..."
Victor studied her in the moonlight. "You've been planning this for months."
"Since the day you were forced to leave. I knew you'd come back, and I knew that when you did return, you'd be stronger. So I used that time to prepare the groundwork."
"What about Richard's inner circle?" Victor asked. "How loyal are they really?"
"Three types of people," Maria replied. "True believers who think Richard's system is genuinely better. Opportunists who profit from the current arrangement. And people who are scared to oppose him."
"The opportunists will fold if they think Richard's losing," Sam observed. "The scared ones will switch sides if they believe they'll be safe. That leaves just the true believers."
"About 8 to 10 people who will fight to the end to preserve Richard's system," Maria confirmed. "Plus maybe fifteen guards who've been recruited specifically for their loyalty rather than their principles."
Ethan cracked his knuckles. "25 people. That's manageable."
"If we do this right, we won't need to fight most of them," Maria said. "The key is momentum. Once people see that Richard can be challenged, that change is possible, most of his support will crumble."
"What's your timeline?" Walter asked.
Maria was quiet for a moment, considering. "Two days. We need to move fast once we start—Richard's not stupid, and he'll recognise what's happening if we give him time to respond."
"Two days," Sam repeated. "That's not much time to coordinate a settlement-wide action."
"The coordination is already done. I just need to activate the network I've built." Maria's confidence was evident. "The question is whether you're ready to help me do it."
Victor looked around at the others, seeing agreement in their faces. "What do you need from us?"
"Tomorrow, you split up and make contact with the key people on my list. Don't be obvious about it—just let them know you're here, that you're strong, that change is possible. Let them see that you're not afraid of Richard or his guards."
Maria stood, brushing dirt from her clothes. "Tomorrow night, we have another meeting here. By then, my key supporters will be ready to move."
"And the day after?" Ethan asked.
"The day after, we take control of the settlement." Maria's voice carried quiet determination. "Peacefully, if possible. By force, if necessary."
They spent another hour discussing details—who would contact which supporters, how to communicate without arousing suspicion, what signals would indicate the operation was beginning. Maria's planning was thorough, covering contingencies and fallback positions.
"One more thing," Maria said as they prepared to part ways.
"Richard's not just going to step aside gracefully. He's built his entire identity around controlling this place. When he realises what's happening, he'll fight back with everything he has."
"Let him," Victor said. "We didn't come back here to negotiate."
"Just remember that most of the people following him aren't evil—they're scared or convinced they're doing the right thing. If we can win without destroying them, we should."
Walter nodded. "Violence should be the last resort, not the first."
"Agreed. But we can't let mercy become weakness," Maria replied.
As they prepared to return to their respective accommodations, Sam caught Maria's hand. "Are you sure about this? Once we start, there's no going back."
Maria squeezed his hand, her eyes bright with determination. "I've been sure since the moment I had to leave you guys."
Her voice was steady, resolved. "This place was supposed to be about hope, about building something better. Instead, it's become a prison."
"Tomorrow then," Sam said.
"Tomorrow we begin," Maria confirmed. "And the day after, we take over and start building the place we were promised."
As they walked back toward the settlement, each lost in thoughts about what the next two days would bring.
None of them noticed the figure that detached itself from the shadows near the riverbank and melted back into the darkness, carrying news of their midnight meeting to ears that would be very interested to hear it.
Change was coming to the settlement, but Richard's network of informants was more extensive than any of them realised.
The next two days would test not just their strength and planning, but their ability to move faster than their enemies could react.
The real challenge was just beginning.