The voting had ended.
But somehow the waiting felt harder.
Across Valenridge, polling stations had finally closed their doors after one of the longest election days in the nation's history. Election officials sealed ballot boxes. Digital records were verified. Security teams escorted materials to counting centers under armed protection.
And then came the silence.
Not real silence.
The kind that settles over a country when everyone is waiting for the same answer.
Who would lead them next?
By evening, every television network had switched to nonstop election coverage.
Restaurants kept their screens on.
Families gathered in living rooms.
Students ignored homework.
Workers checked updates every few minutes.
Even people who claimed not to care about politics couldn't stop watching.
The country was holding its breath.
Inside the National Election Commission headquarters, officials moved carefully through layers of security.
