The central plaza filled long before the scheduled time. Civilians packed the open square. Eastern refugees stood in large groups near the front. Western citizens occupied the middle and rear sections. Cameras from every major channel were already live.
Alexander stood on the platform with Olivia beside him. Vanya remained at the edge of the stage, watching the crowd. Tianya waited behind a simple screen, out of direct sight.
A senior East Horizon officer approached Alexander. "The outer streets are full. Alliance hunters are present, but they're staying beyond the barriers for now."
Alexander kept his eyes on the crowd. "As long as they stay outside, we ignore them."
Olivia checked the time. "We should begin."
Alexander stepped forward to the microphone. "Thank you for coming. I will not waste your time with long speeches. You already know what East Horizon has done in the East. You already know how the Alliance council has treated the survivors. Today is not about words. It is about proof."
He turned slightly. "Tianya."
Tianya walked onto the platform. The moment she appeared, the noise of the crowd dropped. Her white dress moved lightly in the wind. She looked across the thousands of faces without hurry.
"I am Tianya," she said. Her voice carried clearly. "Some of you call me a goddess. Others call me a danger. I am not here to argue with either side. I am here so you can feel the truth yourselves."
She raised one hand.
A soft wave of god flux spread outward from the platform. It was controlled, gentle, yet unmistakable. People in the front rows felt it first — a clean, heavy pressure that settled over the skin and then passed through the body. It continued outward until even those at the far edges of the plaza sensed it. No one was harmed. No one was blinded. But every person present understood that the power was real.
A woman near the front whispered, "It's the same… the same feeling from the sky that day."
An older man from the refugee group clenched his fists. "This is not a trick."
Alexander spoke again. "This is the strength standing with East Horizon. I am not asking you to worship anyone. I am asking you to decide whether you want leaders who hide behind rules… or leaders who can actually protect what is left of this world."
Before the crowd could fully react, a disturbance rose at the eastern barrier. A group of Alliance hunters in civilian coats tried to push forward. One of them raised his voice.
"This gathering violates the new restriction! Disperse immediately!"
Vanya moved first. She walked to the edge of the platform and looked down at them. "You're outside the perimeter. Stay there."
The lead hunter stepped closer. "We have orders—"
Tianya's gaze shifted toward them. She did not raise her hand again. She simply released a thin thread of god flux in their direction. The pressure was precise. The hunters stopped mid-step. Several of them staggered. One dropped to one knee, face pale.
Tianya's voice remained calm. "You may watch from where you stand. You will not interrupt."
The hunters did not advance further.
Olivia leaned toward Alexander. "The live feeds are everywhere. Independent channels are already repeating the flux wave. Alliance channels are trying to call it a mass suggestion technique."
Alexander kept his expression steady. "Let them talk. The people here felt it. That's enough for today."
Tianya lowered her hand. The residual pressure in the plaza slowly faded. She looked at the crowd once more.
"I will not appear every day," she said. "But remember what you felt. When the time comes to choose, decide with clear eyes."
She stepped back. Alexander gave a short closing statement, and the event ended without further incident.
As the crowd began to disperse, Vanya walked up beside Alexander. "They'll try something quieter next time. Street rumors. Supply cuts. Maybe an attack on one of our convoys."
Alexander watched the people leaving the plaza. "Then we answer every move. Publicly. No silence."
Olivia already had her tablet open. "Support numbers in the capital just spiked again. The refugee districts are almost completely locked in our favor. The middle cities are still the problem."
Tianya stood quietly at the side of the platform, looking out over the city. "The council is afraid. Fear makes people reckless. Be ready."
Alexander nodded once. "We are."
The plaza event was over. The election continued.