Shocked, Herowl's pupils dilated, doubting if he had misheard.
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"She was found naked, not a feather left on her body. poleace suspects that she suffered from Flyania, became mentally unstable, and believed that feathers were hindering her flight so she removed them herself. Our station deeply mourns this news."
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"Next up is other local news..."
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After that, Herowl couldn't listen to the news anymore, he stood in front of the station, weeping and talking to himself, how could Canaria have contracted Flyania? If it was indeed The Birddies' way of silencing them, as Snowily had said, it was even less likely for Canaria as a female anchor. She deeply believed in the government's support for poleace, and she didn't experience the events at the South District station and shopping center like he did, so she had no opportunity to awaken.
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Although his shaken beliefs were impacted, he also worried about Snowily, whom he couldn't contact, putting Herowl in a state of contradiction.
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Just as Herowl was in turmoil, the phone rang, the caller was his boss Barnaby. Herowl reluctantly calmed down and greeted him with a slight sob, "Good morning, boss, what's up.""Sorry to disturb you after work. Have you seen the news? Canaria committed suicide," Barnaby said on the phone to Herowl, as a loyal pawn for the government, he also cared deeply for Herowl as his superior. "I know you have always been watching her closely. Don't be too upset. Hopefully some good news will help you."
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Mr. Petrelo and his wife died, Snowily went missing, and Canaria committed suicide. One blow after another, for Herowl, there was no good news unless Snowily was found.
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"I'm giving you five days off to calm down and adjust your circadian rhythm. When you come back, would you be interested in taking over Canaria's position as an anchor?"
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Herowl's emotions were complicated and he never thought about becoming an anchor. "Huh? Boss! Me as an anchor? Really?"
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"Do you think I, Barnaby, would misjudge the abilities of my subordinates? You have been with me for so long, and you have enough experience in live broadcasting on location. You shouldn't have any problems with studio scenery indoors. Plus, you have a good appearance and charm that the audience likes. Tidy yourself up and you will surely succeed." Barnaby praised Herowl one after another, although it was unclear whether it was sincere or just to convince him to take on the job, but for Herowl at that moment, it was indispensable. "I feel sorry for what happened to Canaria. Take these few days to gather yourself, then take over her position and work hard. I have faith in you. When you go to the live broadcast team, make sure not to embarrass me."
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Herowl tearfully responded: "I won't let boss down, thank you..." After hanging up, he silently stared at the live news screen on the outer wall, his mind empty, seemingly unable to accept these two facts.
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Although he had never hoped to take on this position, now that he had the opportunity, he needed to work as hard as Canaria did.
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Perhaps Herowl did not expect that this decision would be of great help to him in the future, changing his life.
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In the following five days, Herowl first needed to change his usual habit of night and day reversal, waking up in the morning and sleeping at night, just like Snowily.
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Then, during the day in that narrow and small room, he worked hard to watch videos of Canaria and other anchors, preparing for news reporting, practicing in front of the mirror, and even recording himself speaking. Although he was already used to being in front of the camera, live broadcasting in a studio was a different story.
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While practicing, Herowl never gave up on finding news about Snowily. He kept dialing Snowily's phone number, which was no longer in service, and gathered information at The Birddies market, making friends with like-minded people.
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However, because he was worried about Snowily, he found it difficult to fall asleep at night.
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But during these five days, the entire City 4 was also quite tumultuous.The death of Canaria in Flyania was widely discussed on the internet as a well-known citizen died for the first time in Flyania. Combined with the ongoing discussion about poleace killing civilians, various speculations and conspiracy theories emerged. It was suspicious that Canaria contracted Flyania, and even more suspicious that all her feathers were plucked out, causing the wavering citizens to suspect that she was murdered. On the other hand, there were supporters who agreed with poleace's statement that plucking feathers to reduce weight during illness was reasonable and logical. Both sides held their ground and it was difficult to come to a conclusion.
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The real world was not necessarily peaceful, as Seagle stated. Crimes suddenly increased, with criminals not only attacking citizens but also destroying shops and public facilities. Why was he so sure that criminal activities were on the rise? Was it his doing? No one knew the truth, but they were aware that society was in chaos. The constant reports on TV about the incidents in City 4 made citizens anxious and worried, as all they wanted was a stable life.
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As a result of these events, various small gatherings started to appear, including ones commemorating Canaria, hoping for a quick end to the epidemic, and supporting and thanking poleace for their efforts in maintaining public order.
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The most crucial day was a week after Canaria's death, which also coincided with the anniversary of the explosion at Central Tower. As it happened to be a Sunday, activities were organized online regardless of one's stance, urging people to observe a moment of silence and pray for the end of the epidemic near Central Tower on that day.
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Therefore, there was a significant increase in poleace patrols on the streets, and the atmosphere in society became heavy, like the calm before a storm.
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It was early morning on the fifth day after Canaria's death when Herowl, who was the morning news anchor for the first time, was making final preparations in the private rest area. After reading the news script, he pounded on the table with a mix of sadness and excitement. His heartache was so intense that he felt like bursting, yet he couldn't shed a tear.
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As usual for a morning, the familiar trumpet prelude was heard on public transport, on the walls of buildings, and on elevator screens. The screen showed Herowl outside the shopping center, composed and smiling professionally as if it was just another day, reporting the news for the first time as an anchor, just like Canaria a month ago.
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"Good morning, City 4. Welcome to the 8 o'clock morning news. I am the anchor for the first time, Herowl. Thanks to Mayor Pengury, the citizens have safely passed another day in City 4. Please continue to enjoy this hard-earned freedom and fresh air. Up next is the local news report."
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"This morning, another Flyania patient in the East District jumped from a height and committed suicide, marking the 953rd case since the outbreak of the epidemic ten months ago. Let's now review the report from field reporter Kumay earlier."
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In front of Herowl were the articles with information about the deceased, Snowily, a snowy owl with black markings on its white feathers, wearing a pink and purple flower headpiece.
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As the sun set, Herowl's first day as an anchor ended. He constantly reminded himself to remain professional and serious, not bringing any emotions in front of the camera.He had just left the company and turned back into his original form as Herowl, with dull eyes and a lifeless face. He was in a state of shock and unable to cry because the blow he received was too great. The last pillar that had been supporting him to keep going finally collapsed.
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Whether it was after work, on the bus, at dinner, or lying in bed at home, everything felt empty and expressionless. Time passed by minute by minute, with Herowl's mind constantly replaying memories of Snowily. Despite only knowing each other for three weeks, their feelings were deep.
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"Do you really believe in Flyania?"
"I don't want to see you on the news because of Flyania before we meet again."
"Every civilian can step up, there will always be a moment for you to become the hero in your heart."
"Don't be too self-deprecating, someone will appreciate you."
"There won't be any evidence, what will it take for you to believe!"
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Snowily's voice echoed in Herowl's mind, with each word she spoke becoming a reality. Herowl felt guilty for not having the courage to turn back and rescue Snowily when they were separated by poleace recognizing him as a journalist in the shopping center. He realized that he was still a slave raised by the authoritarian regime.
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After a sleepless night, Herowl finally silently shed tears, believing Snowily's words that she was killed by poleace and there would be no evidence. Flyania was just an excuse for the purge, and Canaria was probably silenced because she accidentally came into contact with a secret. There was no Flyania, no Plaguemad.
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"Ugh... I believe it now. Can you come back..." Herowl regretted not believing Snowily earlier, resenting his own incompetence. Maybe if he had believed her, he could have done something as a journalist and prevented everyone from having to sacrifice.
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However, uploading videos would be deleted, mentioning it on the street would lead to arrest, and confronting poleace with force was impossible as they had both legal and epidemic control mechanisms. Even the news was controlled, not to mention the willing supporters who wanted to live in peace.
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Faced with this high wall, what else could anyone do?
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Despite reviewing his experiences from the past month and still lacking a solution, Herowl suddenly felt a change, a sense of clarity in his plan. His gaze became resolute. "No, I have something to do. I can do it now! Snowily, what everyone couldn't do, I will do it. I am the only one capable of doing it. Trust me!"
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Hope was for those who were willing to persist. Herowl took out his phone and saw hope from a photo - it was the last photo taken with Snowily before she went missing in the shopping center.
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