A different kind of silence than usual hung over the evening in Verde. The streets weren't empty. Shops were still open. In the plaza, people came and went as always, and in the distance, the spires of the parliament building floated vaguely in the twilight. And yet, everyone seemed to be in a hurry. Soldiers of the Republic Army stood on street corners. There seemed to be more of them than usual. Some were stopping passersby to check their identification. "...Looks like they took another one." A β man who passed by murmured quietly into his companion's ear. Just then, a brief commotion arose from another street. It seemed someone had posted something on a wall. People turned their gazes there for a moment. But no one approached to check the contents. They were likely afraid of the soldiers' eyes. The edge of the paper fluttered in the wind. On it were words that could be taken as a protest against the establishment, or merely a warning. And then, just as a soldier approached to tear down the paper, the sound of military vehicles echoed from a distance. The people on the street fell silent as if by silent agreement. Vehicle after vehicle drove down the main boulevard. Their destination was the direction of the parliament building. Something was moving. you was probably not the only one who felt it. But no one spoke of what it might be. Was it a sign of revolution? Or was it a new purge by those who feared the revolution? The only certainty was that somewhere in this country, something that had been simmering beneath the surface was beginning to stir. Across the city, which was beginning to darken, several red warning lights started to blink.