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Her heart pounded, especially when Elio mentioned a more significant role for women. A smile played on her lips as she imagined others who had been held back by culture but yearned to act like her.

♢♢♢♢

Elio continued his address, his voice growing stronger with each word:

"I know these changes may seem overwhelming... But I promise you won\'t be alone on this journey. I myself will undergo the same risks I\'m asking you to face."

Elio took a deep breath before making his final announcements.

"To fulfill these promises, I\'m going to re-enter the sea of monsters."

A stunned silence fell over the crowd.

"Yes, I\'ll return to that place to obtain the resources necessary to give you all your invocations. Some of you already knew my intention from my previous speech, but you didn\'t know that I would be the first to act... Know that I won\'t ask anyone to do something I\'m not willing to do myself."

Elio saw a mixture of admiration and concern on people\'s faces.

"I\'m going to repeat what I told those soldiers when I defeated Fathoran so that all of you can hear it in person... We will no longer be governed by fear and secrets. Together, we\'ll build a society where everyone has the opportunity to grow, to learn, to reach their full potential."

♢♢♢♢

Micah listened attentively to every word. "It\'s ambitious," he murmured. "Very ambitious. But if anyone can achieve it, it\'s Elio." However, he couldn\'t help but feel a pang of worry when Elio mentioned returning to the sea of monsters.

Kriz, for his part, could barely contain his enthusiasm. "That\'s our Elio!" he exclaimed quietly, playfully elbowing Brok. "Who would have thought our scrawny friend would become the leader of the city?"

Brok, arms crossed, nodded in approval. "He\'s grown," he grunted. "But I hope he keeps gaining muscle mass. He still has a long way to go..."

Ren, eyes narrowed, seemed to be mentally calculating. "The logistics of all this will be a challenge," he murmured. "Distributing invocations, reorganizing defense, preparing an expansion... We\'ll have a lot of work ahead of us."

Lena, Elio\'s mother, had tears in her eyes as she listened to her son. Her heart swelled with pride, but she also felt a deep fear. "My boy," she whispered. When Elio mentioned returning to the sea of monsters, Lena had to suppress a cry of anguish.

Lucien, standing next to Selene, listened with admiration and concern. "He\'s doing the right thing," he said softly. "But I fear he doesn\'t fully understand the challenges he\'ll face." He looked at Selene, seeking her opinion.

Selene nodded. "It\'s risky," she admitted. "But necessary. Elio understands that real change requires sacrifice."

♢♢♢♢

Elio looked at the crowd, his gaze sweeping across the sea of faces.

"Before concluding, there\'s something else we must do. Something that will mark the beginning of this new era and honor all those who have gone before us."

He took a deep breath before continuing. "For too long, we\'ve given our dead to the sea of monsters, as if they were waste. Today, that changes. I propose we honor all the fallen, heroes, victims, and even those we consider guilty, with a final, dignified ceremony."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.

"We\'ll use the sacred fire to cremate our dead. This act will not only give them the respect they deserve but will also symbolize our determination to forge a new path, to pursue a new abundance, away from the practices of the past."

"To make this possible, I need your help. To those who can and are willing, I ask you to donate one mana point to generate the oxygen necessary for this ceremony. I know it\'s a lot to ask, but this collective sacrifice will not only honor our dead but also leave our city more breathable for everyone after the ceremony."

"I don\'t want you to think I\'ll take your resources as our previous system did. I have the mana that the founder had accumulated for decades, but generating oxygen with that is not efficient... Everything will return to you in different ways, starting with support for families who lost someone in the army. I\'ll increase it as much as possible."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "This act of unity and sacrifice will mark the beginning of our new way of living. Together, we\'ll honor our past while building a better future."

"Who joins me in this act of respect and renewal?"

Slowly, hands began to rise in the crowd. First a few, then dozens, until hundreds of citizens volunteered to contribute.

Elio smiled, moved by the response. "Thank you. With this act, we not only honor those we lost but also unite as a community. May the sacred fire that consumes our dead also illuminate our path towards a brighter future."

Elio ended his speech with a final promise:

"I, Elio Elian, commit to leading this city towards a better future. A future where each of you has the opportunity to reach your full potential. A future where everyone can live without fear, where you can dream of horizons beyond these walls."

With these words, Elio concluded his speech, leaving the crowd with hope, anticipation, and a new sense of purpose.

♢♢♢♢

It was Elio\'s final announcement that most impacted Tarec.

The idea that the new leader would personally risk himself by returning to the sea of monsters was something he never thought would happen.

\'He\'s a brave boy,\' Tarec thought, remembering how he had underestimated Elio at first... "Perhaps too brave. I hope he knows what he\'s doing."

As the crowd began to disperse, Tarec stayed a moment longer, observing Elio. The young leader looked tired but determined, and Tarec couldn\'t help but feel a growing respect for him.

"For Aram," Tarec murmured, touching again the place where his salamander rested. "For all we have lost. This time, we\'ll fight for a future worth having."

♢♢♢♢

"We\'ll have to support him," said Zara, her voice full of anticipation.

Kriz nodded, not without accompanying the gesture with a dramatic movement of his arms.

"And to keep him grounded," added Micah with a smile.

Lena, wiping away a tear, looked at her son\'s friends gratefully. "Thank you," she said softly. "For being there for him."

Lucien and Selene exchanged a look of understanding. "We\'ll have to change too," said Lucien. "Adapt our roles for this new era."

Selene nodded. "It will be an interesting challenge, but one worth facing."

♢♢♢♢

Hours later, Elio\'s group gathered around the funeral pyres prepared for Raelar and Varick. Elio stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke.

"Raelar, Varick... I will never forget your sacrifice. I promise your deaths won\'t be in vain. I\'ll build a just and free city."

With a gesture of his hand, the salamanders of several summoners lit the pyres. As the flames rose towards the sky, consuming the bodies of the fallen, a respectful silence fell over all those present.

The crackling of the flames mingled with the soft sobs of those who mourned, creating a solemn atmosphere. The smoke carried with it not just the physical remains of Raelar and Varick, but also the weight of the old era.

Elio watched the flames dance.

In that moment, surrounded by friends and allies, he felt the weight of his responsibility more keenly than ever. The path ahead would be difficult, but he was determined to see it through, for Raelar, for Varick, and for everyone who believed in him.