Sat in a comfortable armchair in his grandparents' living room, James gratefully accepted a cup of tea from Rosa, who settled on the sofa next to her husband. "Has it already started?" She asked.

"Yeah, but they are just doing procedural votes for the moment. Debate on the bill has not begun yet." Larry answered, taking his own cup with a grunt of thanks.

James sipped his tea, savoring the minty flavor. His gaze was fixed on the television screen, where a panel of congressmen and congresswomen were preparing to discuss the controversial bill.

After the rash of attacks all over the world, the initially dead-in-water draft bill for powerful Awakeners had been revived by a swell of popular support, and the House of Representatives was now beginning its discussion on it. Pundits from all sides predicted thin margins, and considering a few congressmen had yet to weigh in on where they stood, the vote could go either way.

Both the opposition and the side pushing for it were made up of politicians from all sides in a bipartisan show that was rare these days.

The first congressman to take the podium was a seasoned politician with greying hair and a commanding presence that James easily recognized, being one of the most vocal in his opposition to the draft. He was from Texas, which was noticeable in his accent.

He leaned into the microphone, his voice resonating through the room. "It's preposterous to consider drafting any Awakener against their will.” He began, his tone laced with indignation. "These individuals have willingly put their lives on the line to protect us from the threats day in and day out. To coerce them into service, even if they are part of private Guilds, is a blatant infringement on their freedom. They are citizens first and foremost, and their rights must be respected."

Rosa nodded in agreement, murmuring. "He's right. They can't just force people to fight."

Well, they can. It's just that until now, there has not been the popular will to do so. Awakeners, especially powerful ones, have a lot of influence on society, so it's pretty easy for them to enflame their supporters for or against any cause. But things have been moving so quickly with this bill that they haven't managed to do much beyond a couple of interviews. They got caught with their pants down.

The screen then shifted to a younger congresswoman from New York, her sharp features softened by a concerned expression. She addressed the chamber with the persuasive eloquence that had seen her defeat a powerful incumbent in the last election. "While the threat we face is indeed dire, drafting Awakeners is not the solution. What we need is an incentive program to encourage voluntary participation. We should be appealing to their sense of duty and offering adequate support and rewards, not compelling them into service. A draft could lead to resentment and a breakdown in the trust we have built with these brave men and women."

James found himself agreeing with her approach, thinking about how significant monetary incentives might have motivated some to sign up for just about anything. Maybe it wouldn’t work for everyone, but a volunteer is always better than a draftee. The level of enthusiasm and dedication they bring is entirely different. This is the basics… Well, they probably ran the numbers and saw that it would cost too much to provide incentives for enough powerful Awakeners to participate. The budget has been pretty tight, with the constant need to replenish our weapon stockpiles.

The next congressman to speak was a younger man from Oregon with messy hair, known for his blunt and often polarizing remarks. He stood, his voice carrying a sense of urgency. "For too long, we've allowed the Guilds to operate with little oversight, granting them freedoms they were not entitled to, and that they have abused. It's high time these powerful Awakeners realized they cannot just take. Every American has to do their part, and if our country calls for their service, they must be ready to answer. We cannot allow these Guilds to act as independent entities when national security is at stake."

Larry huffed at that, shaking his head. "There's some truth to what he's saying, but it's not that simple."

James scratched his elbow, nodding. "I agree, but it's true that Guilds have been allowed to do whatever they want for too long. One of the problems I have with this bill, in fact, is that I have no idea how they can enforce it. I know the Special Forces have a couple of S-ranks on hand, but I thought they were busy in Kashmir. What will happen when Towers refuses the call?” He asked rhetorically, knowing that there was no true answer until the bill was tested.

The debate continued, with congressmen and congresswomen presenting varying viewpoints. The bill, though controversial, had bipartisan support, albeit lukewarm, with a few representatives showing more enthusiasm than others.

As more revealed their position, the pundits listening in called the vote, determining that enough ayes had been reached for the bill to pass. The only problem, one of the journalists listening to the debate from the studio said, was that a thin majority for such a significant bill would mean it would get filibustered to death in the Senate.

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"In a way, it's better like this. It would break the country in two if it passed in the Senate with only a simple majority. And the weight behind the order would be much less. I don't want to say whether this bill is good or not; it's not my job to determine that, but I think this kind of thing should be passed either with overwhelming support or not at all." The same man explained as the camera turned back to the studio while the works paused in the House.

Just as the conversation in the studio was heating up, breaking news flashed across the screen, interrupting the analysis. The anchor, a woman with a stern face and an air of professionalism, appeared visibly shaken as she delivered the news. "We have just received reports of a new attack in Chicago, at the central train station, where four different explosions have been registered. Initial reports indicate that local Awakeners are currently pursuing the terrorists responsible, while first responders are working tirelessly to save as many people as possible."

The image on the screen switched to a live feed of the scene, showing emergency vehicles and people being rushed away on stretchers as smoke choked the air. The anchor continued. "The death toll currently stands at five, but given the scale of the destruction, it is feared that this number will rise as more victims are pulled from the rubble."

Rosa gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in horror. "Oh, those poor people." She murmured, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

James clenched his fists, anger boiling within him. "How can they keep doing this?" He asked, frustration evident in his voice. "With all the monsters threatening humanity, why they keep attacking us?"

Larry, his expression grim, placed a comforting hand on Rosa's. He said nothing, as there was no way he could make the situation better, but his presence helped his wife, who turned and hid her face in his shoulder, shaking lightly.

The House session resumed shortly after, but the atmosphere had palpably changed. The politicians seemed more somber, their previous arguments forgotten in the shadow of the recent tragedy.

A congresswoman from Chicago stood up, her voice cracking with emotion. "My city is under attack." She began, tears brimming in her eyes. "We need to take action now. We cannot let Americans live in fear any longer. This situation is untenable. These people do not want to reason with us. They do not care about the innocents they hurt. We have to come together now and do something tangible, something that will truly protect the American people, or we'll have failed in our duties."

Visibly, several people who had been lukewarm in their dissent switched sides. For all the terrible human cost, this kind of tragedy was very effective in uniting people against a common enemy.

Several amendments to the bill were proposed and passed in quick succession, including an order for the Army to participate fully in counterterrorism efforts. The final vote on the draft bill was soon called, and the chamber erupted in murmurs and whispers as the representatives cast their votes. In the end, the bill passed with an overwhelming 90% majority.

If that can be repeated in the Senate, or even just a 60% majority, they'll be able to vote down any filibuster. Not that anybody would dare try one. At this point, it would be political suicide.

The studio pundits provided another update, the anchor's voice somber as she announced, "The death toll in Chicago has now risen to twenty. The local Awakeners' Association has successfully neutralized the terrorists without any loss in the teams that participated in the operation."

James turned them out, lost in thought. Having seen firsthand the level of chaos and destruction such an attack could leave behind, he knew that the numbers would keep rising. The fact that the terrorists had been killed was a minor consolation, but at least they wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else.

Not like that was in doubt. Their ranks are simply too low to compete with our best. But they don't need to do that, do they? As long as they can plant a few bombs undetected, they have done their job. And being killed soon after doesn't seem to have much of a deterring effect on them. If anything, they seem to welcome it.

Still visibly shaken, Rosa turned off the television, unable to watch anymore. "It's just too much." She whispered, her voice heavy with sorrow.

----------------------------------------

James retired to his room, the weight of the day's events pressing heavily on his mind. He sat at his desk, the glow of his computer screen casting a soft light in the otherwise dark room. Logging onto Antares, he scrolled through the latest posts, most discussing the latest attack or world's tumultuous state.

The first post that caught his eye was from a well-known political analyst renowned for their commentary on global affairs. @GlobalEyeView had written. "Tensions across the globe are reaching a Boiling Point. With the recent attacks and the Drafting of Awakeners, we might be on the brink of a Third World War. The geopolitical landscape is changing rapidly, and it seems inevitable that major powers will start moving. #WorldWar3 #AwakenersDraft”

James let out a slow breath. The prospect of a world war was terrifying, especially in a world already ravaged by dungeons and monsters, but he didn’t think that was likely. He scrolled further, finding another post from @TheAwakenedThinker that offered a different perspective. "Conflict among Awakeners and nation-states was always inevitable. The decentralized nature of their power, spread across various Guilds and countries, breeds competition and discord. We're witnessing the consequences of a world where too much power is unchecked and scattered. #AwakenerDraft"

James nodded slightly, recognizing the truth in the words. The lack of centralized control over Awakeners had indeed led to a fragmented landscape, where individual power often trumped collective responsibility. It was a problem inherent to the fact that no one could control the System. When an Awakener became powerful enough, any legal shackle the government might have had on them became useless, or worse, counterproductive.

Continuing his scrolling, James found another post, this time from military strategist @OsintMind "The USA is gearing up for a massive counterterrorism push. After the near eradication of the KLF in Kashmir, it's clear that a strong, coordinated response is effective. Expect rapid deployment and decisive action in the upcoming days. #Counterterrorism #AwakenerDraft”

James pondered the implications. A rapid and forceful response might be necessary, but it also carried the risk of escalating conflicts even further. He was about to log off when a final post, buried under the more sensational news, caught his attention.

"Unusual seismic activity reported in the Mariana Trench. Powerful shaking detected, origin unknown. It could be natural, but in these times, nothing can be ruled out. #SeismicActivity” The post by @OceanicObserver was accompanied by a graph showing the seismic readings, stark lines against a plain background. Few had commented on it, overshadowed by the more immediate concerns of terrorism and war.

James stared at the screen, a sense of foreboding creeping over him. He couldn't really explain why, chalking it up to being influenced by the current events and very deliberately not thinking about his burgeoning psychic abilities, but something about this last post made him very, very worried.