It had been weeks since the last public address, and the city was still buzzing with the aftermath. Lysander and Kylie had once again emerged victorious, but there was something unsettling about the calm that had followed. The protests had died down, but in the silence, new forces were beginning to rise, quieter than before, more insidious.

The city was growing, expanding in ways they hadn’t anticipated. More businesses were opening, new infrastructure projects were underway, and ...