Morning sunlight stretched across Valenridge like the city itself had woken up louder than usual.
Every major newspaper carried Sebastian Ravenscroft's face across the front pages. Some focused on the assassination attempt. Others focused on the captured gunman's confession linking Magnus Volkov's campaign director to the attack.
But strangely—the fear that should have weakened Sebastian's movement only made people stand behind him harder.
By noon, the streets already looked different.
Campaign posters covered market walls, bus terminals and apartment balconies. Small shop owners hung Ravenscroft banners outside their stores without being asked. Taxi drivers placed tiny campaign stickers on their dashboards proudly like supporting Sebastian had become personal.
And somehow, none of it looked forced.
That was what terrified the opposition most.
People genuinely wanted him to win.
