A Call to Arms

The warehouse meeting left me rattled, though I’d barely shown it. Walking home, I kept to the shadows, scanning every corner, every alleyway. In Neoterra, you could never be too careful. Especially now. I was no longer just another face in the crowd. Now I had a purpose, a mission, and I knew the regime wouldn’t hesitate to crush anyone who stood against them.

My apartment was just as I’d left it—cold, dark, a collection of walls barely standing. I bolted the door and let out a long breath, feeling the tension unwind from my shoulders. My body felt stiff, but my mind buzzed with adrenaline. The Coalition was real. And they wanted me. I replayed the faces of those who had been in the room—the weary eyes, the hardened expressions. These were people who had already lost everything to the regime. Just like me.

It wasn’t long before I heard a knock at the door. My heartbeat quickened as I crept toward it, gripping the handle tightly. “Who’s there?” My voice came out sharper than I’d intended.

“It’s Elena,” came the reply, muffled by the door.

I exhaled and unbolted it. Elena slipped inside, her movements quick, cautious. She’d changed a lot since we were kids—her face was sharper, her eyes shadowed by whatever secrets she carried now. She’d been a friend once, though we’d drifted apart over the years. Now, fate had pulled us back together, both drawn by the Coalition’s promise of change.

“Did they send you?” I asked, studying her face.

She shook her head. “No. I came because… well, I thought you’d need some guidance. First night in the resistance and all.” Her lips curved slightly, the closest thing to a smile I’d seen from her in years.

“Guidance?” I echoed, raising an eyebrow.

“You may be good at a lot of things, Ariana, but I’ve always known you to be impulsive,” she replied, a hint of mischief in her voice. “The Coalition has rules. And if you want them to trust you, you’re going to need to follow them. Trust isn’t given freely here.”

I nodded slowly, realizing what she meant. I’d just thrown myself into the deep end, into a world where mistakes were costly. “So, what’s the first rule?”

“Discretion.” Elena’s face grew serious. “Talking to me here, now—it’s already breaking protocol. They don’t want us meeting outside the warehouse unless it’s necessary.”

“Noted,” I replied, understanding now just how risky even a whisper of rebellion was in Neoterra.

She reached into her jacket and pulled out a folded map, pressing it into my hand. “Memorize this. It’s where we’ll be meeting next time, and the quickest escape routes if anything goes wrong.”

I took the map, a heavy sense of responsibility settling over me. Elena’s eyes met mine, and I could see the unspoken warning there: any mistake, any misstep, could be our last.

As she turned to leave, she looked back one more time. “Welcome to the Coalition, Ariana. Just remember—this fight will demand everything you have.”

The door closed behind her, leaving me alone with my thoughts, the map cold and crumpled in my hands. And for the first time, I felt the true weight of what I had chosen.

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