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The elders exchanged looks of understanding. The plan was taking shape.

"Then," said Mordred, returning to his seat, "it\'s decided. We\'ll use Elio as leverage to get Lucien\'s cooperation. We\'ll make him understand the necessity of the sacrifices for the \'Limit of God\'s City\'. And once everything is in place..."

"I\'ll take care of Elio," Estin completed, a cruel smile curving his lips. "We\'ll recover Marcus\'s cores and ensure this boy pays for his crimes."

Varen nodded, satisfied with the plan. "We must prepare. Lucien won\'t take long to discover we have his protégé. When he arrives, we must present a united front."

The elders nodded, each aware of the gravity of what they were about to do. The fate of the city, of thousands of lives, was in their hands.

The trap was set, the stage prepared. Now all that remained was to wait for Lucien\'s arrival, the moment that would determine the future of the city and all its inhabitants.

♢♢♢♢

Elio\'s eyes snapped open, panic quickly replacing confusion. He tried to sit up, but Varen held him firmly to the ground.

"Where...?" Elio began, his voice hoarse and weak.

"In the heart of power, boy," Mordred replied, his voice laden with disdain. "And in serious trouble."

Elio blinked, trying to focus his vision. The elders\' faces looked down at him, their expressions a mixture of anger and disgust.

"I... I was..." Elio began, but Estin interrupted him.

"Silence!" he roared. "We don\'t want to hear your lies. We know what you\'ve done. The only question is, what will we do with you?"

Fear gripped Elio. He could feel the hatred emanating from the elders, the thirst for vengeance in their eyes.

"I don\'t understand," Elio said, his voice trembling slightly. "What are you accusing me of?"

Kairos, the only one Elio recognized, leaned forward with narrowed eyes. "Don\'t play dumb, Elio. We know you took Marcus\'s cores, didn\'t you?"

Elio paled. He wasn\'t sure how they knew, but it was clear he was in a desperate situation.

"I... I didn\'t kill Marcus," Elio said, trying to stay calm. "It was a Locus. I just..."

"Just what?" Estin snapped. "Just decided to steal my dead grandson\'s cores? Do you think that makes you less guilty? Why didn\'t you help him!?"

Elio swallowed, feeling the weight of the elders\' gazes upon him. "It was a moment of necessity. My moth... The city was under attack. I... thought I could use the cores to help in the defense."

Mordred let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, how noble of you. And I suppose Lucien had nothing to do with this? Hasn\'t he been giving you cores in secret?"

Elio opened his mouth to respond but realized that anything he said would only worsen his situation. He opted to remain silent, his mind working frantically to find a way out.

Varen nodded, heading towards the door. "I\'ll take care of the boy immediately, there\'s no point in discussing with him as it will only anger uncle Estin more... I\'ll put him in confinement with Ivan on guard, he\'ll make sure the boy is well watched. We can\'t risk him escaping."

As Varen lifted Elio from the floor, Mordred spoke once more. "Remember boy, it\'s better if you cooperate. Your fate is sealed. The only question is how much you\'ll suffer before the end, don\'t make it harder on yourself."

With those ominous words ringing in his ears, Elio was dragged out of the room.

♢♢♢♢

Varen escorted Elio through the hallways of the main building of the privileged families. The young soldier, still stunned by recent events and the death sentence hanging over him, barely registered his surroundings.

However, as they passed through a long corridor, something caught his attention. Through a series of half-open doors, Elio could glimpse scenes that left him speechless.

Luxurious rooms, decorated with fine fabrics and elaborate furniture, stretched out before his eyes. But what really shocked him were the people inside them. Young women, all beautiful and dressed in exquisite clothes, lounged on divans or strolled through the rooms.

"What is this?" Elio murmured, unable to look away.

Varen, noticing his interest, responded with a tone of practiced indifference. "The families\' harem. A... benefit of our position."

Elio felt his stomach churn. The opulence and excess he saw contrasted brutally with the life of scarcity and struggle he knew outside these walls. "How many women are here?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Hundreds," Varen replied, his tone suggesting it was completely normal. "The privileged families have... needs. And varied tastes. They\'re rotating positions of course, God demands we reproduce as much as we can."

Elio looked away, feeling a mixture of disgust and rage. Thinking of all the mana spent on maintaining this harem, while soldiers like him risked their lives daily with barely adequate equipment...

But it was the last room that really caught his attention. Unlike the others, this door was completely open, revealing a scene Elio would never forget.

In the center of the room, surrounded by a group of young nude women, was a young man no more than 30 years old who seemed to radiate power and vitality. His body, toned and athletic, glistened with sweat as he "wrestled" with the harem girls.

Most striking was the small white rabbit that rested placidly on his head, apparently immune to the chaos surrounding it.

Elio couldn\'t help but gape at the scene.

"Who...?" Elio began, but Varen interrupted him.

"The father of the family, he\'s 100 years old, just like the city and he met God in person," he said quietly. "The most powerful elder of all. I suggest you don\'t look at him directly."

But it was too late. As if sensing Elio\'s gaze, the man stopped in the middle of his "wrestling". His eyes, a piercing blue, fixed on Elio with an intensity that made the young soldier shudder.