Family system

She stretched her legs out, reclining slightly, expressing pure amusement. "If you come across any particularly strong warriors in that universe, send them my way. I'm always looking for interesting people to bless—or challenge."

I chuckled. "You just want an excuse to fight new opponents, right?"

Her smirk was answer enough.

"I'll keep an eye out," I promised. "Anything else?"

She considered for a moment, then shook her head. "No, that will do for now. But if I think of something later, I'll be sure to let you know… personally."

Her emphasis on that last word sent me another shiver, but I merely grinned. "Looking forward to it."

…

I left Kali's temple, our conversation lingering in my mind, and returned to the main world where Elise was currently dealing with a situation that had become more troublesome than expected.

Even though the last attack had happened some time ago, the city's people remained unconvinced even after the clear announcement that no further attacks would be coming. Elise and the others had gone as far as delivering their prophecy—an absolute declaration that the conflict had ended, that they were now safe—but fear was a stubborn thing.

The citizens simply did not believe them.

Paranoia had taken root deep within the minds of ordinary people, making them reluctant to step outside, resume their daily lives, or trust in their protectors. They were convinced that another far more devastating attack was on the horizon, one that would wipe them out completely.

Instead of embracing peace, they locked themselves away in their homes, dreading a disaster that would never come. The markets remained half-empty, laborers refused to return to work, and entire districts had ground to a halt. Their fear had turned them into ghosts haunting their city.

And that was Elise's problem.

She sat in her office, shoulders tense as she stared down at a series of floating displays, each filled with reports, live feeds of the city's main districts, and communication logs with local leaders. Her fingers massaged her forehead as she tried to think of yet another way to get through to them.

No matter how much assurance she gave, no matter how much evidence was presented, the frightened masses refused to listen. Their unwillingness to move forward wasn't just frustrating—it was affecting the city's economy and stability. The people who had the most fear were also the ones who contributed the least to society, and that fact was starting to show.

Elise let out a sigh, closing her eyes for a brief moment to try and gather her thoughts.

A dull throbbing in her temples warned her that a headache was beginning to form.

Then, suddenly, the space in front of her shimmered with light. A warm, golden glow expanded before her, rippling like liquid glass as a portal manifested itself in her office. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

A familiar presence emerged from within.

Jack.

The tension in Elise's body eased almost instantly. The growing headache, which had been nagging at her all morning, vanished as though it had never existed in the first place.

She found herself smiling before she even realized it.

Jack stepped forward, his eyes immediately scanning her face, reading her exhaustion as easily as one would read an open book. His expression softened, and his voice carried that warm familiarity that always made things feel a little more bearable.

"Hey, honey," he greeted, walking toward her. "How are you holding up?"

Elise let out a small chuckle, shaking her head. "Oh, you know. Just trying to convince an entire city of paranoid fools that the sky isn't about to fall on them. No big deal."

Jack smirked, but there was a hint of concern behind his amusement. He reached out, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear before trailing his fingers down to her shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Doesn't sound like they're making it easy on you," he noted.

Elise sighed, leaning slightly into his touch. "They aren't. They refuse to listen. No matter how much proof we give them, they insist that another attack is coming. It's making everything grind to a halt. Trade, labor, and even basic city maintenance. Half the workers won't leave their houses, and the other half spend their time trying to convince them to get back to work. It's a mess."

Jack pulled a chair up beside her and sat down, his fingers tapping thoughtfully against the desk. "What do they need to hear to start functioning again?"

Elise scoffed. "If I knew that, I wouldn't be sitting here trying to stop myself from throwing someone out of a window."

Jack chuckled. "That bad, huh?"

She rolled her eyes but smirked slightly. "You have no idea."

Jack studied her for a moment, then stood up, moving behind her chair. Without a word, he placed his hands on her shoulders and began kneading the tension out of them, his fingers working into the knots of stress she hadn't even realized was there.

Elise exhaled a deep, pleased sigh, her body immediately relaxing under his touch.

"You're way too good at that," she murmured, letting her eyes close for a moment.

Jack smirked. "I have a lot of practice. Plus, I can't have my brilliant city lord falling apart on me."

Elise hummed in approval. "Flatter me more. I might actually start believing it."

Jack leaned down, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. "It's not flattery if it's the truth."

Elise opened her eyes, giving him a sideways glance filled with amusement. "Smooth."

Jack grinned. "I try."

They stayed in the comfortable silence for a moment before Elise sighed, her mind drifting back to the issue at hand.

"I just don't know what else to do," she admitted. "Fear is powerful. And right now, it's controlling them more than logic ever could."

Jack straightened, his expression thoughtful. "Then maybe it's time to take a different approach."@@novelbin@@

Elise raised an eyebrow. "You have something in mind?"

Jack smirked, the glint of mischief in his eyes unmistakable.

"I just might."

Jack leaned against Elise's desk, arms crossed, watching as she massaged her temples in frustration. The reports from Goldspire were clear—despite their assurances that no further attacks were coming, the people were still gripped by fear. Productivity had plummeted, shops remained shuttered, and entire districts had turned into ghost towns.

Jack smirked. "If words don't work, we'll have to show them."

Elise looked up, her golden eyes filled with exhaustion. "What do you mean?"

Jack pushed off the desk and paced the room, his mind racing. "They think another attack is coming, right? That their doom is inevitable?" He turned to her with a gleam in his eyes. "Then let's show them the opposite. We don't just tell them things are fine—we make them feel it."

Elise blinked before realization dawned. A slow smile crept across her lips. "You're planning something big."

Jack chuckled. "You know me, sweetheart. I don't do small."

The first step was setting the stage. Jack wouldn't just inform the people—he would put on a spectacle.

A massive platform was constructed at the very center of Goldspire, in Unity Plaza, the heart of the city where all four sections converged. Goldspire was a city of four distinct districts:

Jack knew that to unify the city, all four districts needed to be involved. The grand announcement would be broadcast across the city, with magical displays to ensure no one missed it.

Massive arcane projection spells were set up so even those in the furthest corners of Goldspire could see and hear Jack's speech.

Bards and messengers were sent to every district days in advance, spreading the word about an event that would change Goldspire's future.

Enchanted banners began appearing in every district, depicting a phoenix rising from flames—a symbol of rebirth and transformation.

Jack wanted the anticipation to build before he even spoke. If he could get them curious enough, they would be more willing to listen.

The next step was the festival itself. It needed to be so grand, so overwhelming that people wouldn't have time to dwell on their fear anymore.

Jack, Elise, and a team of organizers worked around the clock, dividing the city into four sections to create different festival experiences that catered to each district.

Aurora Ward – The Grand Spectacle

This was where the largest performances would take place.

A light show would illuminate the night sky, casting brilliant images of Goldspire's future.

Foreign troupes of performers, illusionists, and even celestial beings would put on displays of music, dance, and magic, something never before seen in Goldspire.

Ember Quarter – The Forge of Renewal

A massive, citywide competition was organized among the blacksmiths and artisans.

Instead of weapons of war, they would forge artistic and symbolic works representing Goldspire's rebirth.

People could watch weapons from fallen battles being melted down and reforged into something beautiful—statues, ceremonial armor, or public works of art.

This district would also house training exhibitions, showing that smithing could be used for protection, not just war.