The palace felt quieter than ever, though it was far from peaceful. Celestina sat alone in her private office, the envelope Dimitri had taken from her desk earlier now clutched in her hands. She had waited until the dead of night, when even her most loyal guards had retreated to their posts, to retrieve it.

With a deep breath, she broke the seal and pulled out the stack of documents inside. Her eyes scanned the pages, each line of text weighing heavier than the last.

The numbers were staggering—Alvada hadn’t just drained the treasury; he had hollowed it out completely. Emergency reserves were gone, redirected to secret accounts or wasted on personal luxuries. Debts to foreign banks had accumulated to astronomical levels, with payment deadlines fast approaching. The government, she realized, was teetering on the edge of financial ruin.

Celestina dropped the papers onto the desk and buried her face in her hands. How could it have gotten this bad?

The following morning, Celestina called an emergency meeting with her advisors and key rebel leaders. The air was tense as they gathered in the conference room, their expressions reflecting a mix of exhaustion and uncertainty.

“We have a problem,” Celestina began, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions inside her. “The treasury is empty. My father drained it to fund his regime, and we’re left with nothing but debt.”

The room fell silent before Aron, one of the senior leaders, leaned forward. “How bad are we talking?”

Celestina hesitated, then slid the report across the table. “Bad enough that we’re weeks away from defaulting on payments to foreign banks. If we don’t act fast, the government will collapse.”

Murmurs broke out among the group, but Elara, another rebel leader, quickly took charge. “We need to implement austerity measures immediately. Cut nonessential programs, raise taxes—whatever it takes to stabilize the economy.”

“That’s easy to say from here,” Celestina said, her voice tinged with frustration. “But do you know what that will do to the people? They’ve already suffered enough. Raising taxes and cutting aid will only push them further into poverty.”

Elara’s eyes softened, but her tone remained firm. “If we don’t make hard decisions now, there won’t be a government left to protect them.”

The weight of the words hung in the air, and Celestina leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling.

Days later, Celestina found herself sitting at a polished table in a grand conference room, surrounded by foreign leaders and diplomats. The air was thick with formality as representatives from powerful nations presented their offers of financial aid.

“Our government is prepared to offer a substantial loan package,” said a man from a neighboring country, his voice smooth and calculated. “Of course, we would expect certain assurances in return—favorable trade agreements, perhaps some input on policy decisions.”

Celestina’s stomach churned. “What kind of input are we talking about?”

He smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Nothing drastic, of course. We would simply want a say in matters that affect our interests—ensuring that your country remains a stable and reliable partner.”

Another leader chimed in, offering similar terms. The promises of aid were tempting, but the price they demanded—control over her nation’s sovereignty—felt like a trap.

“Thank you,” Celestina said politely, though her voice was tight. “I’ll take your offers under consideration.”

Back at the palace, Celestina recounted the meeting to Dimitri as they sat in her office. His reaction was immediate.

“You can’t trust them,” he said, pacing back and forth. “They don’t care about rebuilding this country. They’re vultures, circling while we’re weak so they can swoop in and take what they want.”

“I know that,” Celestina said, rubbing her temples. “But what choice do we have? Without their help, we’ll be bankrupt in weeks.”

Dimitri stopped pacing and knelt beside her chair, his voice softening. “There has to be another way. If you let them dictate our future, we’ll just be trading one form of control for another. And after everything we’ve fought for, that’s not freedom.”

She looked into his eyes, her resolve wavering. “Then what do you suggest? We’re out of time, Dimitri. I don’t know how to fix this.”

He reached for her hand, holding it firmly. “We’ll find a way. We always do.”

That evening, Celestina poured over more documents, trying to make sense of the financial disaster her father had left behind. Her eyes burned from exhaustion, but she forced herself to keep reading.

Then she found it—a separate file buried in the stack. As she read the details, her blood ran cold.

It was a series of secret deals Alvada had signed with foreign banks, securing massive loans in exchange for using national resources as collateral. The payment deadlines were looming, and if they defaulted, the country wouldn’t just face bankruptcy—it would lose control of its most valuable assets, including its land and infrastructure.

Dimitri entered the room to find her staring at the papers, her face pale.

“Celestina? What’s wrong?”

She looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s worse than we thought. My father didn’t just drain the treasury—he signed away the future of this country. If we don’t pay the debt in time, we’ll lose everything.”

Dimitri took the papers from her hands, scanning them quickly. His jaw tightened. “This isn’t just debt. This is a ticking time bomb.”