Ivory Chronicles

Act II - Revolutionary Insurgency Part 5

Snare in the Shadows

The room was charged with tension as the group gathered at Ivory's house. Lucía was still in the forest, overseeing the cleanup efforts with the protesters. Back here, emotions ran high, and the conversation was a racket of overlapping questions and concerns. I could only offer the same response over and over, "I don't know." as I tried to process the events of the day.

Braden's frustration finally boiled over as he shouted, "You saw him twice, in broad daylight this time! And you still don't know what he looks like?" Nods of agreement rippled through the group, save for Ivory and Ryan, who stood by my side. 

Fabian rose from his seat and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, Ellion, right? I know you're new to the group, then you suddenly have powers and on top of that, they try to make you the leader of a group of people you barely know? You didn't ask for any of it. They shove leadership upon you, and it's a lot to handle. If it's too much, it's okay to step down." Fabian said to me with a pitied look.

I could only stare blankly at them because I still didn't have any answer in me. Fabian was right, I didn't want this.

"If Nicholas were here, he'd have made me the leader. He always said I had the strongest ability." Braden declared, his tone dripping with pride.

Fabian released his hand from my shoulder and turned around. "Let's put it to a vote. Nicholas always liked me best out of everyone, and he told me I had potential as a leader."

Then Charles, seemingly out of nowhere, chimed in, eager to stake his claim. "A vote? Count me in. I want a shot at leading this group."

The room erupted into chaos as everyone began to argue and stake their claim for leadership. I felt like an outsider, a mere spectator in this power struggle. It was clear that they were all fixated on personal ambition, but today's events have shown me something different. They needed someone who could see beyond their egos and personal desires, someone who could unite them and channel their strengths toward a common purpose. They seemed fixated on their desire for power, but that wasn't what this was about. They were missing the point entirely.

I stood my ground and made my decision clear. "You're right," I began, "I didn't seek this leadership, but today has shown me that it's necessary. During the protest, many of you were too focused on Lucía, rather than the people and their surroundings. Our goal is to protect others. I acted as Nicholas would have—prioritizing each other, which led to saving Ryan. That's why Nicholas would have chosen me as your leader."

The room fell into a momentary silence, and then Ryan broke it with his trademark bluntness. "You obviously have my vote, cabrón." He placed his hand on my shoulder, the gesture feeling far more supportive than before.

Alexander nodded subtly from behind the group, showing his support for Ryan's vote while trying to keep it low-key. The rest of the group remained silent. Fabian, however, spoke up. "You can participate too if you want. It's only fair." His smile appeared more like a front, instead of being genuine.

Before the discussion could escalate, Ivory intervened firmly. "There will be no vote. The decision that was made is final. It's what Nicholas wanted. Ellion won't step down; he will lead us to victory, I'm sure of it." Her words carried authority, and the group quickly fell in line. Ivory might not be the leader but she has the utmost respect for it.

Braden left the room in apparent frustration. Charles expressed his indifference and returned to the kitchen. Fabian then turned his attention to me and said, "Sorry for that, boss. So, what's the plan to catch the guy hunting us?"

I met his gaze with determination. "We let him hunt me," I replied confidently. Fabian looked puzzled, but Ivory wore a knowing smirk. If he was hunting us, we would use ourselves as bait and then strike when the opportunity arose. He may be powerful, but he doesn't know the full extent of our abilities. We just needed to wait until nightfall to put our plan into action.