The dinner party was already in full swing when I entered the dining room with a tray of appetizers. Alpha Donk sat at the head of the table, with Ruby to his right. The guests - three men and two women - were scattered around the table, engaged in what appeared to be tense conversation.
As I moved around the room, offering food and refilling glasses, I strained to catch snippets of conversation.
"... cannot continue this way," one of the men was saying, his voice low but intense. "The people are suffering."
Donk waved a hand dismissively. "Change takes time, my friend. Donkovia is still young. Give it a chance to flourish."
One of the women scoffed. "Flourish? While you hoard wealth and resources? While people disappear in the night for speaking out?"
I moved closer, pretending to ad
