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Zara felt her heart racing, anticipation and nervousness coursing through her veins. "Oh, it\'s nothing. You know how Kriz is," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. Flare, sensing her inner turmoil, nuzzled closer to her neck, offering silent support.

Elio nodded nervously. Ember took advantage of the movement to rub her head against Elio\'s cheek, as if trying to calm him. The salamander\'s warmth seemed to give Elio a boost of courage. "Listen, Zara... Brok told me... about those girls..."

"You don\'t have to explain anything to me," Zara interrupted, although her voice betrayed a touch of bitterness. Flare raised its head, its eyes fixed on Elio.

"No, but I want to," Elio insisted. Ember nodded vigorously, as if supporting her owner\'s words. "I... I don\'t know how to handle these kinds of situations. I\'ve never had to deal with... well, any of this before and..."

Zara felt her irritation fading, replaced by a wave of tenderness. Flare, perceiving the change in her mood, visibly relaxed. Its scales shifted to a softer, warmer hue. "Elio, it\'s okay. It\'s normal to feel overwhelmed."

"It\'s just..." Elio hesitated, his eyes meeting Zara\'s. At that moment, the world seemed to shrink to just the two of them. Ember and Flare appeared to exchange a look, as if sharing their owners\' frustration. "I don\'t want you to think that... I mean, I\'m not..."

Just as Elio seemed on the verge of saying something significant (articulate?), they were interrupted by Micah, who came running up to them. His frog, a pale orange shade, looked as agitated as he did.

"Elio! I had too many level 3 soldiers in my line today and I ran out of cores, I need more."

Elio looked at Zara with an apologetic face, his expression mixing regret and duty. Ember let out a small huff, as if annoyed by the interruption. "I... I have to go. But can we talk later?"

Zara nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. Flare moved restlessly, as if wanting to stop Elio. "Sure, go ahead..."

As Elio walked away with Micah, Zara couldn\'t help but feel that an opportunity had slipped through her fingers. Flare, as if wanting to console her, rubbed its head against Zara\'s cheek, emitting a soft, comforting warmth.

♢♢♢♢

As they moved away from the core distribution line, the four young women maintained their seductive facades.

Once out of sight, their postures changed drastically, revealing their true personalities, as well as the nervousness and anxiety they really felt.

Their new salamanders somehow reflected their owners\' personalities:

Aria\'s, fiery and energetic, its scales a vibrant red that seemed to pulse with inner fire; Valeria\'s, cold and calculating, its steel-gray body sleek and streamlined; Lila\'s, shy but curious, its golden scales shimmering with a soft, warm light; and Mei\'s, elegant and mysterious, its purple body moving with fluid grace.

The four remained silent for a moment, each lost in their thoughts.

They all came from families that had fallen harder into poverty after Fathoran\'s fall. The privileged life they had hoped for, had crumbled along with the old regime.

Their families, being more than 3 or 4 houses big, had accumulated debts with the main families after losing many men on the wall.

They had tried to survive poverty by betting everything on the promise that their most beautiful daughters would join the Patriarch\'s harem. Now, with the old regime overthrown, having failed to reach the promised day and…

Being unable to pass the sacred flame ritual to be chosen, they found themselves in a precarious position.

Aria, the redhead with green eyes, was the first to speak. Her salamander, restless, circled around her, its tail leaving faint traces of embers in the air. "By the wall, did you see how easy it was? He can barely keep his composure in front of a pretty girl."

Aria, 18 years old, came from a huge family, 10 houses but very few level 2 men. Her beauty had been her ticket to a better life, and now that opportunity had vanished, she was willing to do whatever was necessary to secure her future and that of her family.

Mei, the amber-eyed one, frowned. Her purple salamander remained upright and attentive, as if analyzing the situation. "We shouldn\'t underestimate him, Aria. Remember that he overthrew Fathoran. Besides, did you notice how his salamander looked at us? It seemed quite protective."

Mei, also 18, was actually a member of a minor branch of the privileged families. Her Von blood was diluted, making her practically unknown to Lucien and the guards. Her motivation was to regain her status and, if possible, elevate it even further.

"Mei is right," Lila intervened, the blonde with blue eyes. Her voice was soft, almost timid, and her golden salamander seemed to want to hide behind her, its scales dimming as if trying to blend into the background. "Also, did you notice how he looked at us? Not with lust, but with... confusion. And that girl, the dark-haired one...

she didn\'t seem very happy with our presence."

Lila, having just turned 18, was the youngest of the group and, although she participated in the plan, felt a deep guilt for deceiving someone who seemed so genuinely good.

Valeria, the long-legged brunette, rolled her eyes. Her steel-gray salamander mimicked the gesture, which somehow made it look even more dismissive. Its tail flicked with impatience. "Confusion, lust, jealousy, what does it matter? All we need is for him to lower his guard. And as for his salamander, well, that\'s why we have ours now, isn\'t it?"

Valeria, almost 19, was the oldest and most pragmatic of the group. She saw this plan as just another transaction, a means to an end.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" Lila finally asked, giving voice to the doubts that all, to some extent, shared. Her golden salamander curled closer to her, seeking comfort. Its scales dimmed further, reflecting Lila\'s uncertainty.

Aria looked at her with disbelief. Her red salamander let out a small flame, mirroring its owner\'s irritation. The air around them seemed to heat up momentarily. "Necessary? Lila, do you want to go back to rationing oxygen? Do you want to see your family suffer?"

"No, but..." Lila gently stroked her salamander, which emitted a soft, comforting glow. The creature\'s warmth seemed to give her a moment of peace amidst the turmoil.

"There are no buts," Valeria interrupted. Her gray salamander straightened up, adopting an almost military posture. "This is the world we live in now. Either we adapt, or we perish."

Mei nodded, her expression serious. Her purple salamander elegantly coiled around her shoulders, as if it were a living jewel. "Besides, think about what we could achieve if we succeed. Not only will we secure our future, but we can get rid of Cassandra. Imagine the power we would have with Von Elio on our side."

"Exactly," Aria agreed, her eyes shining with ambition. Her salamander seemed to grow, the flames on its body intensifying. "And if one of us really manages to capture his heart, who knows. We could become the next \'first lady\' of the city. Goodbye poverty!"