What happened at the International Confederation of Wizards spread through the magical world like wildfire, then again, saying it spread might not entirely be accurate.
Between the opening of the Extraordinary Assembly and its conclusion, nearly every witch and wizard on the planet was watching the historic proceedings unfold live through Magic Vision, whether from their homes, a local pub, or gathered around the public screens set up throughout their magical communities.
Ordinarily, something this explosive would have sparked reactions across the world, from celebrations to protests. Nothing has ever satisfied everyone, and no decision, no matter how carefully considered, escapes criticism. Somewhere, someone was certain to object.
Which was precisely why the repeated warnings before the Assembly concluded had been so necessary. At least for the moment, they seemed to have achieved their purpose.
No one acted recklessly. People still went about their lives much as they always had, save that everyone seemed a touch stiffer than usual, as though each of them were carrying about a great many thoughts in their heads with nowhere in particular to put them.
Anything people wanted to say was said within their own circles, behind closed doors, in homes, or over drinks in crowded pubs. It never grew into widespread public demonstrations or mass gatherings.
Also worth noting was the increase in magical patrols across individual communities, which had been raised to their highest level, with officers maintaining a constant presence throughout the streets. Perhaps that, too, played its part in keeping everything under control.
The repeal of the International Statute of Secrecy had been approved, but until further instructions arrived from the International Confederation of Wizards and their respective magical governments, life continued exactly as before.
Fortunately, the wait did not last long.
Only two days later, another piece of breaking news swept across the magical world with almost the same speed.
The much-anticipated meeting between the Seven Speakers and the leaders of the non-magical world was officially confirmed, with both the date and venue settled.
Only, unlike the Confederation Assembly, the discussions would take place behind closed doors and would not be broadcast anywhere. Nor would members of the press be permitted inside.
Although this had already been explained during the Assembly, it still puzzled many witches and wizards why something so historically significant would be kept behind closed doors.
They could only speculate.
The more politically minded, however, needed no explanation. It was, after all, a meeting concerning the integration of one civilisation into another. There would be negotiations, disagreements, concessions, and perhaps even compromises, the sort of discussions best left out of public earshot.
The venue chosen for the historic meeting was the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
London was Maverick's first choice, but the capital was still healing from the chaos that had recently unfolded, its people were exhausted, and its authorities even more so.
New York was then the obvious alternative. It already had the diplomatic infrastructure required for a meeting of such magnitude and, more importantly, stood as the symbolic home of the United Nations.
Meanwhile, in stark contrast to the magical world, which waited patiently for official instructions, the non-magical world descended further into speculation. Exactly as Maverick had predicted during the Assembly, every passing hour without an official statement only added fuel to the fire.
Twenty-four-hour news channels devoted almost every broadcast to the mystery. Newspapers rushed fresh theories into print by the hour, while radio hosts paraded one "expert" after another before their audiences.
Some claimed that what had happened over London was a skirmish between alien civilizations that had finally made contact with Earth. Religious groups proclaimed that Judgment Day was at hand. Conspiracy theorists insisted that decades of secret government experiments had finally spiraled beyond control.
Absurd as many of those theories sounded... people believed them.
Not because the theories themselves were convincing, but because no government came forward to deny them.
Silence, more often than not, was the greatest fuel for imagination.
Thankfully, the situation had not yet spiraled into mass protests demanding answers when another major development diverted the public's attention.
Almost simultaneously, news outlets around the world began reporting unusual movements involving their respective heads of state, sending speculation to new heights.
One nation alone might not have attracted much attention. But when presidents, prime ministers, monarchs, and countless other world leaders from country after country were seen boarding their government aircraft, all seemingly bound for the same destination, it was impossible to ignore. Within hours, international media noticed the pattern.
Soon afterward, the governments themselves confirmed the reports. Their leaders were indeed traveling to the United States for an emergency summit, one that would finally address the world and provide them answers they were waiting for.
After that, the public gradually calmed, their restless speculation giving way to quiet anticipation. For the time being, the atmosphere closely mirrored that of the magical world.
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Wednesday, the 28th of June, 1995.
The summer morning welcomed New York City beneath clear blue skies, warm sunlight spilling between the towering skyscrapers as the city stirred to life.
The familiar rhythm of the city lingered only briefly. As the morning wore on, traffic steadily intensified, and an unmistakable sense of anticipation spread through the streets.
Last night, scarcely anyone slept, glued to the live news as one head of state after another arrived at the airport, each welcomed by the Vice President, the Secretary of State, and other senior members of the Cabinet.
But the lack of sleep did little to dampen the excitement.
The enthusiastic media made sure of that. Even without a single interview or so much as a yes-or-no response from any world leader, the speculation only intensified. The less information there was, the more theories took its place.
As dawn broke over the city, streams of people began making their way toward the United Nations Headquarters. News organizations had dispatched their satellite vans well before first light, with reporters and cameramen racing to secure the best positions. Meanwhile, the city's police maintained a tight security perimeter, doing their utmost to keep the growing crowds under control.
In fact, since the previous night, the streets surrounding the United Nations Headquarters had already been transformed into something resembling a fortress. Steel barricades stretched across entire intersections, while massive concrete vehicle barriers sealed every approach road.
Rows of police officers stood shoulder to shoulder behind reinforced fencing while National Guard troops, supported by heavily armed federal security personnel, maintained an even wider security perimeter several blocks beyond.
Armoured vehicles occupied key intersections, while bomb disposal units methodically searched every parked vehicle.
Police and military helicopters maintained continuous aerial patrols over Manhattan, repeatedly sweeping across the skyline as the thunder of their rotors reverberated through the city.
Beyond the security cordons, thousands upon thousands of reporters crowded together behind temporary barriers, cameras balanced upon shoulders, microphones raised high, every one of them hoping to capture the first glimpse of whichever world leader arrived next.
Behind them stretched an even greater sea of ordinary people, all waiting for the first motorcade to appear.
But none came.
Time marched on. Seven o'clock became eight. Eight became nine. Then ten. Before long, the sun hung high overhead, and more than a few people began to wonder whether this much-anticipated gathering of world leaders was even going to happen.
Still, they persisted. Amid the scorching summer heat, the crowd showed no signs of thinning. If anything, it only continued to grow with every passing hour.
Surely the government couldn't be lying... could they?
After all, they had watched it unfold live on television the previous night, one head of state after another had arrived, and was welcomed with full diplomatic honors. They certainly couldn't have flown halfway across the world just for sightseeing.
In truth, the world was waiting for something that had already begun. Behind the closed doors of the Assembly chamber, presidents, prime ministers, monarchs, and other heads of state were already deep in discussion.
As for how that happened without so much as a single motorcade arriving at the venue, the credit went entirely to Maverick. From the secure residences where the world leaders had spent the previous night, he simply opened a series of portal gateways leading directly into the United Nations Headquarters.
Of the 193 member states of the United Nations, well over two-thirds had sent their heads of state in person. The remaining nations had also at the very least dispatched their foreign ministers or secretaries of state to attend.
To arrange motorcades and security befitting the heads of state of so many nations simultaneously would have been a challenge even for Uncle Sam.
More importantly, with the city's streets already packed with crowds and vehicles, attempting such an operation would only introduced unnecessary risk.
So when Maverick proposed a far simpler solution, they accepted it with very little deliberation.
And of course, it wasn't merely because it was the most convenient solution, but because the proposal came from him.
He was, after all, a High Councillor of the World Security Council, not some random individual offering to help.
Had anyone else proposed transporting the world's leaders by magical means, it would almost certainly have been rejected outright, whether on the grounds of established protocol, security concerns, or simply because many would have been unwilling to place their lives in the hands of something they barely understood.
In any case, the summit had begun at around eight o'clock that morning. Hours had passed in discussion, and by now, it was already well past noon.
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