LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 24: The Whispers of Fate
Night had fallen over Rome, dark and silken, shot through with the gold gleam of oil lamps, the faint throb of revelry. The Feast of Lupercal had set the city merry, but for Leo the feast had brought only heightened tension seething beneath.
He was walking again, his feet taking him to locations he did not know. The muted alleys and dark-courted shadowy places were far from the bustling streets he crossed much earlier. But in solitude lay more solace and more foreboding.
The system had a soft chiming within his head, but this time insisted more on repeating it.
System Announcement:
Alert: Shadowed Movements Identified
Cassius is meeting with the key plotters.
Objective: Intercept or observe the meeting undetected.
Leo furrowed his brow, his pulse accelerating. He glanced about, and the night sounds seemed oppressive suddenly. "Intercept or observe? How in the living heck am I supposed to do that without being caught?"
No answer came through on the system, but a subtle shimmer caught the corner of his eye. A new marker lit up softly on his mental map, leading him towards an isolated area by the Tiber River.
His steps grew faster; boots sounded on cobblestones. He kept close to shadows and hugged them tightly because the system's warning had heightened all his senses.
Just as he crested the hill to the river, voices reached his ears-low and conspiratorial, their tones sharp with urgency. Leo ducked behind a stack of barrels, peering around the edge to catch sight of the figures gathered under a crumbling archway.
Leo knew Cassius, his back still to the latter, gesticulating fruitfully as he spoke to a knot of men. Brutus stood apart, shadowed, but unmistakable. The rest Leo did not know; their postures spoke of loyalty to Cassius, however.
"We cannot afford to wait, Cassius hissed, his voice barely audible over the gentle lapping of the river. "For every day that Caesar roams free brings him a day nearer tyranny."
The bearded man nodded his big, scarred face across the front of his cheek. "But what of Antony? He is a problem we cannot ignore. The man would follow Caesar into Hades if it came to that."
Cassius waved a dismissive hand. "Antony is a fool, drunk with his own words. He shall be dealt with when the time comes."
What of the overseer?' the other man asked in a cracked voice.
Leo's breath caught.
Cassius stiffened, but turned not a hair. "He is an oddity, yes. But he's no god. We will treat him as we treat Caesar—swiftly and decisively."
Finally, Brutus spoke: measured, but firm in his voice, "We must be wise now, Cassius, for this. overseer is reckless. If we are in a hurry, we risk nothing less than our own lives themselves."
Cassius turned on him, his face screwed up by annoyance. "What do we do, Brutus? Give our Caesar and his friends their will, see if we can endure that? Sleep till such time as the manacled come to bring us to our easement?"
The argument continued, but Leo wasn't listening; his head was reeling. He had all the confirmation he needed—the basement Romeo was making a move, and the plot thickened with each passing day. But Brutus's hesitation was a thin ray of hope, a crack in their unity they could exploit.
He came out of the hide so quietly that no sound was heard. The system beeped for the last time, still softly, as if agreeing with his decision to leave.
System Warning: Quest Upgraded: Hidden Movements
Attended Cassius's meeting successfully.
Bonus Objective: Information gathered about dissent among plotters.
Reward: +5 Skill Points.
New Goal Introduced: Build alliance.
Leo took a slow breath, which eased the tension in his chest. He would need those skill points and more if he intended to survive the days to come.
The following day, the streets of Rome burst anew into life, this city dancing to its accustomed mixture of mayhem and law. Leo walked toward Antony's quarters, carrying in mind all that he had learned overnight.
That was a lie. The glint in his eye spoke otherwise. "You look like you've seen a ghost, Leo. What is wrong with you?"
Leo sat down heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Cassius is rallying more conspirators. He's serious about this, Antony. And Brutus. he's on the edge. I think he's conflicted, but he might tip either way."
Antony's face clouded, the spark of playfulness in his eyes giving way to steely resolution. "Cassius has always been ambitious. It's a dangerous thing, paired with desperation."
"And Brutus? inquired Leo. "Brutus is an idealist," Antony said, his tone almost pitying. "He believes in the republic, in honor, in doing what's right. Cassius will use that against him, twist it until Brutus sees betrayal as a noble act." Leo leaned forward, his voice low. "Then we must act before they do. We must turn Brutus back to Caesar's side—or at least keep him from fully committing to the conspiracy." Antony's smile reappeared, though sharper now, edged with determination. "I like the way you think, overseer. Let's just see if we can outmaneuver these would-be assassins before they even draw their blades." As they started planning, the burden of the fate of Rome weighed heavily upon Leo's shoulders. The Ides of March loomed with each passing day, as did the line between history and the future. One thing was sure now: Leo was no longer an observer. He is a player in the game, and the stakes can never get higher than this.