The tension in the estate was palpable, almost electric, as if the very air held its breath. The architecture hummed quietly, but beneath its measured pulse, the human element strained under the weight of indecision and exhaustion. This was the moment Aria and Dante had feared, when endurance threatened to crack into fracture.
Dante stood at the heart of the operations floor, eyes scanning multiple data streams cascading across the monitors. The subtle but unmistakable patterns of dissent were beginning to emerge. It wasn't chaos, yet, but the fissures were widening.
Victor's voice cut through the quiet. "The forums are fracturing. The coalition is showing signs of impatience. We have factions forming."
Aria stepped closer, her gaze steady and piercing. "It's inevitable. The longer this system demands transparency, the more people will seek refuge from it."
Dante's hands clenched briefly. "We designed this to be resilient, but resilience has limits."
