The next morning, Liuke sat in his hotel room. It was 10:00 AM.
Only two hours remained until the secret announcement.
The air in the city felt heavy; people were whispering in the streets.
Suddenly, Liuke's phone buzzed with a message from Commander Elvis.
"Liuke, get to the Pipon City Solar Force base by 11:00 AM."
Liuke didn't waste a second. He grabbed his gear and headed for the base.
Once inside, he navigated the corridors to the main office.
Elvis was there, along with a heavily bandaged Jems.
High-ranking Solar officers stood around a large table in silence.
Liuke walked up to Elvis and gave a respectful nod.
"Commander Elvis, you summoned me?"
Elvis gestured for Liuke to follow him outside for a private chat.
"Look, Liuke," Elvis started, his voice low and serious.
"I'm glad you're back. But the High Council doesn't seem to care if you lived or died."
"The announcement is in an hour. They've ordered us to gather all soldiers."
Liuke frowned. "But why? How did criminals even become Elders?"
"We don't know," Elvis admitted, looking frustrated.
"It feels like a perfect plan from the shadows. We have to follow orders."
An hour crawled by. It was finally 12:00 PM.
Fifteen Solar soldiers stood in formation, with Liuke in the third spot.
Nearby, Commander Jems's squad stood ready as well.
The three Heads of the Solar Force—Dyne, Luna, and Frey—were present.
The news broadcast flickered to life. The Live Telecast had begun.
Five figures appeared on the screen—the new Elders, dressed in pure white.
"Welcome, everyone," spoke Relph, the new Head Elder.
"I am here to make a monumental announcement."
Relph leaned forward, his eyes cold and calculating.
"The threat of the ice monsters is over. They have retreated."
"Since the danger has faded, I refuse to let our soldiers grow rusty."
"We are going to a place hidden for centuries: The Everdread Forest."
"Starting today, those gates are open. Its resources will change our world."
"We will send Research Forces and Solar squads to handle the threats."
"For now, civilians are strictly forbidden. It is far too dangerous."
The second Elder, Cysar, stood up with a jagged, evil smirk.
"Hey, Relph. I think you forgot to mention the assassins."
"The ones working under us who will kill each other for the resources."
Relph slammed his hand down. "What are you talking about? Ignore these lies!"
Cysar just laughed and sat back down, looking satisfied.
But the damage was done. The dark agenda had been exposed on Live TV.
Back at the base, Liuke whispered, "Commander, what about the assassins?"
"I don't know," Elvis replied, his jaw tight. "But we must be careful."
On the screen, Relph tried to regain control of the broadcast.
"The journey into the Everdread Forest is about to begin. Quite a show."
The screen went black. The hall fell into a suffocating silence.
Commander Elvis walked over to Dyne, the Head of the Pipon City Force.
"Sir, what's the move? Do we actually listen to them?"
Dyne sighed, looking older than usual.
"Against their reality-bending powers, we can't do anything but obey."
"This could be a trap. We go, but we keep our eyes open."
Liuke felt a massive headache. A new nightmare was beginning.
Meanwhile, at the High Council headquarters, the atmosphere was explosive.
"You idiot, Cysar!" Relph roared. "Why did you say that on air?"
Cysar sneered. "You think I'm just going to be your loyal dog?"
"Wait until we're in the forest. You'll be a corpse," Relph spat.
"Relph thinks he's the boss because he's a talker," Cysar muttered.
"In a real fight, I'd kill him in minutes."
Relph raised his fist, but the door swung open.
"Now, now, now..." a familiar, chilling voice echoed.
"I didn't break you out of prison so you could kill each other already."
The five criminals instantly went silent as the man walked in.
"Wysar," Cysar muttered, his aggression fading into caution.
"Wait for it," Wysar said with a thin, haunting smile.
"I freed you to settle your grudges. Just wait."
Wysar laughed softly. Everything was going exactly according to his plan.
Liuke had no idea the man he sought was the one pulling all the strings.