The regime, sensing a shift in public opinion, responded with a brutal crackdown. Public gatherings were banned, suspected dissidents rounded up. Esme, caught with a satchel full of pamphlets, was thrown into a high-security prison.
Fear gripped the city, but Anya refused to back down. Finn, enraged by Esme's capture, urged a more aggressive approach. Anya, however, saw an opportunity within the crisis.
