Edmund was on top of a building, looking at the square in the middle of the city. It was ‌packed with people, and he had a privileged view of everything. He could see the stone at the center hidden by white cloth from all sides, and multiple backboards were located around the square, and even on the side streets, everyone the people were, at least one blackboard was available to them.

Ariadne was walking up the stage with a microphone and an impressive wall of blackboards that formed a giant screen. He didn’t do it, making him proud that things were moving without his finger pushing them around.

Edmund admired Ariadne's courage in presenting such a significant event to the people. He couldn't help but notice a group of Shafran ‌, their elegant attire setting them apart. Like everyone else, they were eager to witness what Ariadne had in store.

‘Hello, people of the duchy. Today, we are here to celebrate those who passed by fighting to secure a future for all of us. That is why their names are craved on that beautiful stone in the center.’ Ariadne's words hung in the air, the crowd holding their breath in anticipation.

She pointed at the white cloth at the center, the tension in the square palpable. As she did, it fell to the ground, revealing a well-carved rectangular stone polished like those in a palace. The sight of such a luxurious object stunned everyone around. Some cried when they came closer and saw the names of their loved ones on it, the grandeur of the stone leaving them in awe.

‘If I were strong enough, nobody would be dead now, but this is how things are now, and I wonder how many will die on the next one.’ Edmund took a deep breath and sighed.

Ariadne walked around the stage. She wanted to leave some time for those who wanted to grieve, but after some looks and smiles at those at the front, she raised her voice again and spoke into the microphone.

‘Now, what I’m about to show you is not to put fear in your hearts, no!’ She looked at the crowd. ‘I want everyone to feel proud of those names on the rock and those that returned from the dungeon.’ She stood right on the edge of the stage.

Ariadne noticed that now the people looked at her with determination, which was confirmed by how she felt. Their connection grew stronger. A white light came from behind her, and the wall of blackboards behind her became white. The wind carried her bluish-black hair, making her look like she was in a void from the perspective of those right before her.

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‘Open your eyes to what they fought against and what is to come for all of us.’ Ariadne turned around and walked down the stage.

Right after she walked out, images appeared on the blackboards for everyone. They looked like windows all around the square and on the streets. Everyone was amazed by what was happening until it started: the explosions, the magic flying above the soldiers' heads, and their advancing toward the grotesque and terrifying creatures.

Edmund observed the reactions of those around him. The explosions startled them, and even the children, clinging to their mothers, couldn’t tear their eyes away from the unfolding battle.

Those at the gathering in fancy clothes closed their mouths in complete shock at the battle and the board itself, which could do such a thing. Some names were called, and others shed tears as they saw their loved ones alive on the other side of that magic window.

Suddenly, the situation changed. They saw Ariadne and Edmund inside what looked like a temple, the Duchess pulling the sword from the ground, and what looked like a man appearing on the other side, only to be rushed by Ariadne and Edmund. Their fight completely changed the tone of the situation on the square and the streets. Fear and sadness gave way to excitement, and cheers started to be heard.

‘They like this, hum?’ Edmund laugh.

The people were shocked when Ariadne was knocked out, but that quickly turned into cheers when Edmund began to fight the guardian himself. It was not like they could understand everything; it was too fast, and the camera didn’t follow their every move. However, there were moments when it was crystal clear how Edmund countered the guardian's every move, which made everyone explode in excitement.

‘He is going to win, father.’ A young Chatzi boy spoke while poking the man next to him.

‘Well, he is alive, so he didn’t die.’ The A-Dam man stroked his son’s hair.

People's moods changed again with the fact that Edmund’s body was full of red bruises because of the multiple blows he was receiving.

‘Nooo!!!’ A young girl's voice could be heard.

Others followed her cry. Edmund was impressed by how they cut the footage. The fact that they could even do that was impressive enough, but what impressed him most was the emotional impact on the people. He didn’t know that showing this would be this effective, evoking such strong emotions from the audience.

There was a loud cheer when Edmund punched the guardian and sent it flying toward the end of the street, but it subsided when Edmund got on his knees and just stood there. The rest continued until Ariadne started to fight the guardian alone, trying to protect the soldiers.

The angle came from above, so they could see them go from one way to the other quickly as they battled among the soldiers until Edmund came out of nowhere. The two were now fighting against the same enemy, and worry and excitement spread throughout those watching until Edmund did something and allowed Ariadne to kill the thing once and for all.

Edmund's actions were blurry, too fast for the camera to capture, but the result was clear: The guardian was defeated. Ariadne's decisive strike against the creature sent a wave of relief and joy through the crowd, who celebrated with hugs, shouts, and tears of happiness.

.

As the change on Ariadne was shown and the soldiers now with the white hair appeared from the destroyed buildings, it faded to black, and a series of small clips were shown by some soldiers that died saying some words to their loved ones as they were walking making most of the people bust into tears.