THE CHAOS AT THE CAPITOL

When Rum’s supporters reached the barricades, police units were waiting. A few shouted commands. Protesters shouted back. The tension snapped almost instantly.

Clashes exploded.

• Fists

• Sticks

• Makeshift shields

• Tear gas

• Rubber bullets

And then, horrifyingly—gunshots.

Ames, watching from his apartment, saw it unfold on every channel.

The fighting lasted nearly five hours.

When the smoke cleared:

• 11 dead (5 police, 6 protesters)

• Dozens injured

• Over 100 arrested, many identified by facial-recognition systems deployed by Sra-linked tech firms

Yet Rum’s supporters praised him.

“A great leader!”
“A patriot!”
“He stood with us!”

Ames stared at the screen in disbelief.

A great leader would have stood in front of his people—not abandoned them to bleed and die while he sat in a fortified palace drinking sparkling water and watching the chaos on his private broadcast feed.

And yet, the nation accepted it.

The division grew deeper.

And, as Rum intended, the country turned on itself while Sra and the Ions worked without interference.