--June 1st, 2032 | Strategy Meeting | 6 Days Until the Rapture--
"If we're avoiding panic by not explaining the gravity of our situation, why let everyone see traumatized members?" Jake asked in confusion.
"Seeing traumatized members will drive in the direness of the situation more than our words every could."
"Gratitude." Kaze replied with a slight smile, perplexing everyone, "The returnees will strike fear into everyone's heart but also provide a counterbalance by being grateful to be here.
Their behavior will make people panic about being sent out of the walls. So they won't panic out of fear."
The new cabinet members fell silent and smiled bitterly, understanding the horror and truth behind his message.
"So what do we do about those that panic?" Evalyn asked, cutting through the new member's fears, "Even if we contain 98% of people, that 2% can cause everything to devolve into chaos."
"That's what Kiera's hear for." He smiled, tapping the pink-haired teen on the shoulder from his seatbelt hug, making her eyes panic.
"Woah! Woah now, what are you talking about?" Kiera asked.
"You're the head of our enforcement team." Kaze grinned, "You're here to drive in our legal system, promote leadership, and demonstrate the value of our new system tomorrow."
She shuddered, and everyone at the table sent her pitying glances. Nothing the emperor requested would be pretty.
--June 2nd, 2032 | Immortal Skye Amphitheater | 5 Days Until the Rapture--
Evalyn watched over the amphitheater, where thousands of members ate and talked.
There was a full buffet on tables to let people stress eat, and also a cruel psychological trigger for those returning from the [field trip].
It was 2 pm, and the Skycruisers had just returned as a block, announcing their entrance by flying overhead.
The faction members looked up and saw the skycruisers with anxiety in their hearts.
Everyone wanted to know what was on the outside world but figured everyone had left.
They were wrong.
"Our strategy is to let people traumatize themselves for going against us." Evalyn explained to the woman in the frog hoodie overseeing the area with her.
"Only use physical force if absolutely necessary."
"Foolish." Crux replied in a twisted accident.
"Do people just murder each other into submission in the Sky Plane?" The blonde asked.
"Wrong." The divine beast royal replied, "Cultivators... not...."
Crux turned to Evalyn to use the full effect of her new Spirit Qi communication technique [Paragon of Discourse].
Paragon of Discourse was a modified [technique] that Kaze designed himself.
It used another technique--[Synesthesic Transmission]--to create a non-verbal communication link, similar to making eye and body language signals to a close friend.
It's the same concept as [I know what you're thinking] but far more intense.
Then the technique builds a mental network of words to those internal communication points.
So when Evalyn speaks words to her, her message is communicated with the unknown words in real-time. It's similar to reading subtitles with a more direct lexical translation.
Lastly, it uses Spirit Qi to enhance the mental capacity for language and sends dopamine to a cultivator's brain when they use successful accents and words.
As a Spirit Qi technique, the more intense emotions were, the more effective it was.
Crux switched to communicating through synesthesia.
[No, constant killing isn't necessary to rule people in the Sky Plane, but that's because cultivators aren't mindless defenseless sheep].
Evalyn laughed, looking at everyone with a strange look in her eye. "That's true, but...."
She looked at the divine beast. "We adapt quickly. I was just like them two weeks ago and would have taken that transport to get to my mom. Guaranteed."
The divine beast's eyes widened in surprise. "You... were... just like them... not long ago?"
"Yes." Evalyn confirmed bitterly, "I was like them for over half the time you've spent on the Mortal Plane.
Don't underestimate mortals. We're the weakest of all the animals on Earth, yet we rule over them using our hands and minds alone."
Crux narrowed her eyes in thought. Hearing Kaze's sentiment echoed by her competent student gave it more integrity.
"We're here to traumatize people into passivity and acceptance." Evalyn reiterated.
"The goal is to prevent people from getting hurt or assaulted in a panic, not force them into submission.
So don't hurt or kill them unless absolutely necessary, and leave non-visible trauma that doesn't cause physical or mental paralysis if you do."
"Understood." Crux nodded, overseeing everyone's weak, depressed faces.
The blonde closed her eyes when she heard the returnees walking back.
Sage suggested that those that return should be required to return the techniques they bought personally.
As a result, the amphitheater was about to become a war parade.
"Let's get ready for this." Evalyn whispered, "Move to the grass on the other side."
Crux nodded and walked to the other exit of the amphitheater.
A voice spoke into her ear via an earbud.
"[General Skye, the returnees are at the entrance]."
Evalyn opened her eyes and touched the microphone button. "Are the elites lining the perimeter?"
"[Affirmative, mam. Everyone's in position]."
"Let them in." She confirmed.
"[Right away]."
Half a minute later, the amphitheater fell dead silent when the returnees entered.
Kiera's eyes widened in shock from the center of the stands, where she sat with ten people who gravitated around her. "Talk about trauma trumpets. So loud."
The returnees from the field trip were eerily silent, but their quietness was deafening.
They attracted the undivided attention of every faction member.
Each shook and sobbed uncontrollably, avoiding the gaze of [everyone] they saw.
No one wanted to interact with another human.
The calm few, like Veronica, were even more terrifying to look at.
Their eyes described a complete lack of hope for their own lives, no longer questioning the fates of their families and friends.
Complete resignment.
Absolute forfeiture.
Resignation.
Kiera was right. Their announcement of the outside world captured everyone's attention like trumpets and was far too loud to ignore.
Waves of dread cut through the other faction members, who were too shocked to confirm what they saw with those around them.
It was a horrifying scenario that multiplied fear a dozen fold instantly.
Kaze and Kylie were candid about what was happening outside. However, they didn't show any pictures or footage.
As a result, people's imaginations ran rampant, visualizing scenarios equally bad or worse than what the members had seen.
"Hey! What happened!?" A man yelled to the returnees.
Everyone in that line jolted, scared by someone abruptly addressing them.
Many looked at the man, but no one wanted to talk to him, and they wouldn't have words for him if they did. So they ignored him.
"HEY! Don't ignore us! We deserve to know!" He yelled.
Hundreds of people turned to the members immediately, expectant of their reply. They felt desperate to know, so they also felt entitled.
Veronica turned to the man with a murderous gaze that sent primal fear spiderwebbing through his body. "Immortal Skye told us what was happening outside this morning.
If you cannot connect their words with our expressions, I encourage you to take the next cruiser, you fucking idiot."
She panned her gaze to everyone who felt entitled to include them in her scathing rebuke.
The strategy was to build trust in Kaze's words and judgment and make everyone feel grateful to be there with as few sacrifices as possible.
Its success or failure was at a critical juncture and a tipping point.
"What did you just say bitch?" The man laughed ominously, standing up and walking down the steps, "Thousands of people want and need that information.
All it takes is a few words to help everyone out. So stop being a cunt and answer the damn question."
He wasn't stable, so he couldn't see Evalyn observing them, awaiting the impending development with a slight smile.
"Hey, douche patrol!" Kiera yelled loudly, capturing the man's attention, "You're currently in the [likely to start a riot] category.
Considering you're starting fights with terrified women and endangering the rest of us, I'm going all in that taking you out is [encouraged]."
An icy chill crawled down his spine, spreading through the thousands of people in a tidal wave.
"So unless you don't want that, I suggest you simmer down. Kay, thanks!" She concluded.
His heart pulsed multiple times, and he turned to her and prepared to walk, but--
"Sit the hell down." Regina, a previous leader of the Kaze Kills College Students Faction, demanded, "I'm sick of entitled people acting like they represent everyone.
I don't want to force terrified people to talk, nor do I want to get in trouble for your behavior.
So sit down before I help her take you out."
He turned to the beautiful, brown-haired Hispanic woman with crazed eyes. "Don't tell me what to do."
"Oh, how cute. He thinks we're joking." Kiera giggled, walking down the steps, "Oh well, it makes it far easier to handle him."
A wave of dread washed over the man at the pink-haired woman's confidence. It was absolute.
"I said, sit the hell down." Regina growled, "Otherwise, I make you do it by force, and you won't be getting up anytime soon."
"Hey! Look around you!" He yelled awkwardly, "Everyone's stressed out because of your actions.
I was trying to get someone to answer questions. You're threatening to break my legs if I don't sit down. You're in the wrong here."
"She didn't threaten to break your legs." Kiera replied in cute confusion.
The man jumped when he found Kiera standing next to him.
Her golden eyes and bright smile pierced into his soul.
"Ahhhhhhh, but if she didn't it'd be a waste of a good pledge... so you know what? I'll make that pledge instead." Kiera replied cheerily.
Waves of perplexed terror washed over them, staring at her gleeful expression with the murderous threat.
"I mean, a fresh cripple is certain to send a message for people not to threaten people." She mused, "Sure sounds like maintaining order to me."
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