THAT NIGHT I DREAMED of my brother Shade coming to visit me in the dark. He smelled of gunpowder. But when I blinked, he was gone and my mind screamed what I already knew. Shade is dead.
When morning came, a series of shuffling and slamming woke me up, sitting up straight in my bed. I expected to see bloodthirsty Sentinel, Cal, or Ptolemus preparing to tear my body apart for my actions, but it turned out there were only servants busy taking care of my cupboard. They seemed more hurried than usual and took my clothes down casually.
“What happened?”
In the dressing room, the girls froze. They bowed, both hands full of silk and linen. As I approached, I realized they were standing in front of a set of leather chests. “Are we going somewhere?”
“Orders, Lady.” One said, his gaze lowered. “We only know what we are told.”
“Of course. Then, I’ll just change clothes.” I grabbed the nearest piece of clothing, intending to do something for myself once in a while, but the maids rushed ahead of me.
Five minutes later, they had finished painting me and had me ready, dressed in strange leather pants and a flapped shirt. I liked my training suit better than anything else, but it didn’t seem “appropriate” to wear it outside of training sessions.
“Lucas?” I asked into the empty hallway, half expecting him to appear from behind an alcove.
But Lucas was nowhere to be seen, and I walked towards Protocol class, expecting him to cross paths with me. When he didn’t appear, a shudder of fear ran through me. Julian made himself forget last night’s events, but maybe something slipped through the cracks. Perhaps he was being questioned, punished, for a night he couldn’t remember and for what we forced him to do.
But I wasn’t alone for long. Maven passed me, his lips curved into an amused smile.
“You wake up fast.” Then he leaned forward, speaking in a low whisper. “Especially after such a late night.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I tried to speak in a plain tone.
“The prisoners escaped. All three disappeared into thin air.”
My hands clutched my heart, allowing myself to look shocked in front of the camera. “By the color of my blood! Some Reds, free from us? That seems impossible.”
“Of course.” Although his smile persisted, his eyes darkened slightly. “Of course, that raises a lot of questions. Power outages, failed security systems, to name but a few
an army of Sentinels with a blank area in their memory.” He fixed his gaze on me.
I returned his sharp gaze, letting him see my unease. “Your mother… has interrogated them.”
“Correct.”
“And will he speak to”—I choose my words carefully—“anyone about the escape? Officers, guards—?”
Maven shook his head. “Whoever did it, he did a great job. I helped him with the interrogation process and directed him to anyone who could be suspected.” Direct . Directing himself away from me . I let out a soft sigh of relief and squeezed his arm, thanking him for his protection. “Besides, we will probably never know who did it. People have been running away since last night. “For them, the Hall is no longer safe.”
“After last night, they might be right.” I slipped my arm through his, pulling him close. “What does your mother know about the bomb?”
Maven’s voice dropped to a whisper. “There are no bombs.” What? “It was an explosion, but at the same time an accident. A bullet pierced the gas pipe in the floor, and when Cal’s fire hit it…,” he trailed off, letting his hands do the talking. “It was Mother’s idea to use it for, well, our benefit.”
We don’t kill without purpose . “He turned Barisan into a monster.”
He nodded grimly. “No one will support them. Even the Reds.”
My blood feels like it’s boiling. Again lies . He defeated us without firing a bullet or drawing a sword. The words were all he needed. And now I was thrown deeper into his world, into the Archeon.
You will never see your family again. Gisa will grow up, until you won’t recognize her anymore. Bree and Tramy will get married, have kids, and forget about you. Father will die slowly, suffocated by his wounds, and when he is gone, Mother will slowly die too.
Maven let me think, his eyes contemplative as he watched the emotions rise on my face. He always lets me think. Sometimes silence is better than anyone’s words.
“How much longer do we have here?”
“We will leave this afternoon. Most of the royal members will leave before then, but we have to use the ship. Maintaining tradition amidst this madness.”
When I was little, I used to sit on the veranda of my house watching the beautiful ships go by, heading downstream towards the capital. Shade used to laugh at me for wanting to peek at the king’s figure. I didn’t realize at the time that it was just part of the parade, another exhibition just like the fights in the arena, to show how lowly we were in the grand scheme of the world. Now I will be a part of it again, this time standing on a different side.
“At least you’ll be able to see your house again, even if only for a moment.” He added, trying to be considerate.
That’s right, Maven, that’s exactly what I wanted. Standing while watching my home and my old life pass me by .
But that’s the price I have to pay. Freeing Kilorn and the others would mean losing my last few days in the valley, and that was a trade I was willing to take.
We were suddenly interrupted by a loud crash from a nearby hallway, the hallway that led to Cal’s room. Maven was the first to react, moving to the end of the hall before I could, as if he was trying to protect me from something.
“Nightmare, Sis?” he exclaimed, worried about what he saw. In response, Cal stepped out into the hallway, his hands clenched into fists, as if he was trying to control his hands. Gone were the bloodstains on his uniform, replaced by armor that looked like it belonged to Ptolemus, albeit a shirt
Cal’s armor has a reddish feel.
I wanted to slap him, scratch him, and scream at him for what he did to Farley, Tristan, Kilorn, and Walsh. Sparks danced within me, begging to be released. However, what exactly did I expect? I knew who he was and what he believed—the Reds weren’t worth saving. That’s why I spoke as politely as possible.
“Are you going with your legion?” I knew he wouldn’t leave, when I saw the anger in his eyes. In the past, I was afraid of him leaving, but now I actually want him to leave. I can’t believe I ever cared to save him. I can’t believe that ever crossed my mind.
Cal exhaled heavily. “The Shadow Legion isn’t going anywhere. Dad wouldn’t allow it. At least for now
This. Things are too dangerous, and I am too precious.”
“You know he’s right.” Maven put his hand on his brother’s shoulder, trying to calm him down. I remember watching Cal do the same thing to Maven, but now the crown was on a different head. “You are the heir to the throne. He can’t lose you too.”
“I’m a soldier,” Cal spat, pulling away from his brother’s touch. “I cannot stand by while others fight for me. I won’t let it happen.”
He sounded like a little boy whining for a toy
—he must really enjoy killing. It made me nauseous. I didn’t speak, letting the diplomatic Maven speak for me. He always knows what to say.
“Find another destination. Build another bike, improve your training, train your men, prepare yourself for dangerous conditions. Cal, you could do a thousand other things, and none of them would end with you getting killed in an ambush!” he said, glaring at his brother. Then he grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “You never change, Cal. You can’t sit idly by.”
After a moment of heavy silence, Cal smiled a weak smile. “Never.” His eyes shifted to me, but I wasn’t going to get caught in his bronze gaze, not anymore.
I looked away, pretending to study the painting on the wall. “Nice armor,” I scoffed. “It will fit perfectly into your collection.”
He looked offended, even confused, but quickly recovered. His smile was gone now, replaced by dark eyes
sharpened and jaw tightened. He tapped his armor; it sounded like claws on a rock. “This is a gift from Ptolemus. It seems that I share the same interests as my fiancé’s sister.” My fiancé. As if that should make me jealous.
Maven eyed the armor warily. “What do you mean?”
“Ptolemus commanded the officers in the capital. Together with me and my legion, we might be able to do something useful, even within the city.”
The hair-raising fear crept into my heart again, banishing the glimmer of hope and happiness that last night’s success had brought me. “And what is that, exactly?” I heard myself breathing.
“I am a great hunter. He is a great killer.” Cal took a step back, walking away from us.
I could feel him slipping, not just down the hall, but down a dark, evil path. I became afraid of the young man who had taught me how to dance. No, not to him . But towards him. And that feeling was worse than all my other horrors and nightmares. “Between the two of us, we will finish off the Red Front.
We will end this rebellion once and for all.”
There was no schedule for today because everyone was too busy going to teach or practice. Obscure might be a better word because that’s exactly what it looked like from my vantage point in the entrance hall. I used to think the Silvers were
powerful gods who never feel threatened, never feel afraid. Now I know the opposite is true. They have spent so much time at the top, protected and isolated, that they forget that they too can fall. Their strength has become their weakness.
In the past, I was afraid of these walls, horrified by their beauty. But now I see the cracks. Like the day of the bombings, when I realized the Silvers weren’t immune. Then there was an explosion—now several bullets had shattered the glass diamond, exposing the fear and paranoia beneath. The Silvers flee from the Reds—the lions flee from the mice. The king and queen are enemies, the courtiers have their own allies, and Cal—the perfect prince, the perfect warrior
—is a terrible enemy and loves to torture. Everyone can betray anyone.
Cal and Maven bid farewell to everyone, carrying out their duties amidst the organized chaos. Airplanes waited not far away, the roar of their engines audible even from inside. I wanted to see the huge machine up close, but moving out would have required me to face the crowd, while I couldn’t bear the gazes of the mourners. In total, twelve people died last night, but I don’t want to know their names. I couldn’t let them weigh me down, not when I needed my sanity more than ever.
When I couldn’t watch any longer, my feet took me wherever they wanted, exploring now-familiar passageways. The rooms were closed as I passed, locked to
that season, until the royal members returned. I won’t be back, I know that. The servants spread white sheets over the furniture, paintings, and statues, until the whole place looked as if it were haunted by wandering spirits.
Not long after, I found myself standing in the doorway of Julian’s old classroom, and the sight shocked me. Stacks of books, tables, even maps were gone. The room looked bigger, but felt smaller. The room once held the whole world, but now it only contains dust and crumpled papers. My gaze was fixed for a long time on the wall where a very large map used to hang. I didn’t understand it before; now I remember him like an old friend.
Norta, Lakelands, Piedmont, Prairie, Tiraxes, Montfort, Ciron, and all the disputed lands in between . Other countries, other communities, all divided by blood lines just like us. If we change, will they change too? Or will they try to destroy us too?
“I hope you will remember your lessons.” Julian’s voice brought me out of my reverie, back to the empty room. He stood behind me, following my gaze to the wall of maps. “I’m sorry I couldn’t teach you more.”
“We’ll have plenty of time for Lessons at Archeon.”
His smile was bitter and almost painful to look at. With a jolt I realized I could feel the cameras watching us for the first time. “Julian?”
“The archivist at Delphie offered me a position to restore some old texts.” The lie was as plain as the nose on his face. “It looks like they’ve just dug through the remains of
erosion remains and discovered storage bunkers. Apparently, there are mountains of files to go through.”
“You’ll really like it.” My voice choked. You know yourself he has to go. You were the one who forced himself into it last night, when you risked his life for Kilorn . “Will you visit, when you get the chance?”
“Yes of course.” Another lie. Elara will realize her role before long, and then she will become a fugitive. It would have made more sense if he had left earlier. “I have something for you.”
I’d rather have Julian than any gift, but I still try to look grateful. “Is that good advice?”
He shook his head, smiling. “You’ll see for yourself when you arrive at the capital.” Then he spread his arms, calling me. “I have to go, so say goodbye to me properly.”
Hugging him felt the same as hugging my father or older brothers I would never see again. I didn’t want to let him go, but the danger was too great if Julian stayed and we both knew that.
“Thank you, Mare.” He whispered into my ear. “You remind me a lot of him.” I didn’t need to ask to know he meant Catherine, the sister he lost many years ago. “I’m going to miss you, Lightning Girl.”
Nowadays, the nickname doesn’t sound so bad.
I didn’t have the strength to admire the ship, propelled along the water by electric engines. Black, silver, and red flags fluttered from every mast, marking it as the king’s ship. When I was a little girl, I used to wonder why the king claimed our colors. It felt like the color was far beneath him. Now I realize those flags are as red as the flames, like the destruction—and the people—they control.
“The Sentinels on guard last night have been reassigned ,” Maven muttered as we walked along the deck.
Transferred is just a euphemism for punishment . Remembering Pig Eyes and the way he looked at me, I didn’t feel the slightest regret. “Where were they transferred to?”
“To the battlefield, of course. They would accompany groups of troubled troops, along with injured, incapacitated captains, or bad-tempered soldiers. They were usually the first to be sent to the front-line trenches.” Looking at the shadows behind her eyes, I could tell Maven knew this straight away.
“The first one to die.” He nodded grimly.
“And what about Lucas? I haven’t seen him since yesterday—”
“He is fine. Traveling with the Samos Clan, reuniting with his family. The shooting has made everyone want to flee, even the Leading Clans.” Relief washed over me, as well as sadness. I miss Lucas already, but it’s nice to know he’s safe and…
was far from Elara’s attempts to dig.
Maven bit his lip, looking sad. “But not for long. Answers will appear soon.”
“What do you mean?”
“They found blood in the cell room. Red blood.”
My gunshot wound has disappeared, but the memory of the pain has not faded. “So?”
“Then, whoever your friend has the misfortune of getting injured won’t be a secret for much longer, if the blood base does its job.”
“Blood base?”
“Blood data center. Every Red born within a hundred mile radius of civilization has their blood sample taken at birth. It started as a project to understand exactly what the differences are between us, but in the end it just became another way to put chains on your kind. In larger cities, the Reds did not use identification cards but blood labels. Their blood samples are tested at every gate, on arrival and departure. Tracked like an animal.”
At a glance, I remembered the old documents the king threw at me that day in the throne room. My name, my photo, and a smear of blood were on it.
My blood. They have my blood.
“And they—they can find out who the blood belongs to, just like that?”
“It takes time, about a week, but that’s right, that’s how it should work.” Maven’s gaze fell on my shaking hands, and he covered them with his
alone, letting the warmth spread over my suddenly cold skin. “Mare?”
“He shot me,” I whispered. “Sentinel shot me. It was my blood they found.”
Then his hands turned as cold as mine.
Despite usually having clever ideas, Maven was at a loss for words on this issue. He just stared, his breath shallow and full of fear. I knew that look on his face; I usually wear it whenever I am forced to say goodbye to someone.
“It’s a shame we didn’t stay longer,” I muttered, looking at the river. “I would love to take my last breath near my hometown.”
A breeze blew a tuft of my hair out of my face, but Maven pushed it aside and pulled me into his arms with surprising ferocity.
Oh.
His kisses weren’t at all like his brother’s. Maven was more desperate, surprising himself but me. He knew I was sinking fast, a rock falling into the river. And he wants to drown with me.
“I’ll fix it,” he whispered against my lips. I’ve never seen his eyes so bright and sharp. “I won’t let them hurt you. You have my word.”
Part of me wants to believe it. “Maven, you can’t fix everything.”
“You’re right, I can’t,” he answered, his voice sharp. “But I can convince someone who has more power than me.”
“Who?”
As the temperature around us rose, Maven pulled away, his jaw tensed and clenched. Seeing the way his eyes burned, I half expected him to attack whoever was bothering us. I didn’t look away, mainly because I couldn’t feel my limbs. My body is numb, although my lips still tingle with the memory. What this means, I don’t know. I can’t even understand my feelings at all.
“The Queen requests your presence on the main deck.” Cal’s voice was as rough as a rock. He sounded almost angry, but his bronze eyes looked sad, defeated even. “Over the Stilts, Mare.”
That’s right, the coastline is familiar to my eyes. I recognized the bare trees, the stretch of riverbank, and the echo of the sound of saws and falling trees was very clear to my ears. This is home . In intense pain, I forced myself away from the fence to face Cal, who seemed to be having a quiet conversation with his little brother.
“Thanks, Cal,” I mumbled, still trying to process Maven’s kiss and, of course, my impending disaster.
Cal walked away, his usually straight back now hunched. Every step of her foot sent a pang of guilt through my body, making me think of our own dancing and kissing. I’ve hurt everyone, especially myself.
Maven was still watching his brother leave. “He doesn’t like losing. But”—he lowered his voice, now so close to me that I could see small flecks of silver
in his eyes—“so do I. I won’t lose you, Mare. I won’t let it happen. ”
“You won’t lose me.”
Again a lie, and we both knew it.
The main deck dominates the front of the ship, covered by glass that stretches from side to side. Shades of brown take shape on the riverbank. And the old hill with the arena building appears from behind the trees. We were too far from the river bank to see people clearly, but I could recognize my house at a glance. The shabby flag still flies on the porch, still embroidered with three red stars. One star has a black line across it, in Shade’s honor. Shade executed. We should have ripped the star off afterward. However, they didn’t. They still remember him in their small rebellion.
I want to show Maven my house, tell him about Stilt Village. I’ve seen Maven’s life, and now I want to show him mine. But the main deck was silent, we all stared at the village as we moved closer. The villagers don’t care about you, I want to scream. Only fools would stop to watch. Only fools would spend even a moment looking at you.
As the ship continued on, I started to think the whole village might actually be made up of stupid people. Two thousand of them seemed to crowd the river bank. Some stood with their heels immersed in the river. From a distance, they all are
looks the same. Faded hair and worn clothes, dirty skin, tiredness, hunger—everything I once felt alone.
And furious. Even from the ship, I could feel their anger. They didn’t cheer or call our names. Nobody waved. In fact, no one even smiled.
“What’s this?” I hissed, hoping no one would answer.
But the queen answered, with great satisfaction. “What a waste, parading down the river when no one will be watching. It looks like we’ve fixed the problem.”
I get the feeling this is again a mandatory event, just like the fight, just like the broadcast. The officers pulled sickly elders from their beds and tired workers from the floor, forcing them to watch us.
A crack of a whip was heard somewhere on the river bank, immediately followed by a woman’s scream. “Stay in line!” A reverberation swept through the crowd. Their eyes never wavered in the slightest, staring straight ahead, so still that I couldn’t even see where the noise was coming from. What makes them so obedient? What has been done?
Tears pricked my eyes as I watched. There was another crack and the cries of several babies, but no one on the riverbank protested. Suddenly I was at the edge of the deck, wanting to rush through the glass with every inch of my body.
“Where are you going, Mareena?” Elara purred from her place beside the king. He sips his drink calmly, studying me over the rim of his glass.
“Why are you guys doing this?”
With her arms crossed in front of her magnificent dress, Evangeline glared at me while grinning. “Why do you care?” But his words fell on deaf ears.
“They know what happened in the Hall, they might even approve of it, so they have to see us as invincible.” Cal muttered, his eyes fixed on the riverbank. He couldn’t even look at me, you coward. “We didn’t even bleed.”
Again the whip cracked and I flinched, almost feeling the blow on my skin. “Did you also order them to be beaten?”
He didn’t respond to my challenge, his jaw clenched tightly. But when another villager shouted, protesting against the officers, he closed his eyes.
“Stand back, Lady Titanos.” The king’s voice rumbled like distant thunder, practically an order. I could almost feel his smug smile as he stepped back, returning to Maven. “This is the Red village, you know that better than any of us. Its inhabitants house the terrorists, feed them, protect them, become them. They are the children of criminals. And they must be taught a lesson.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but the queen bared her teeth. “Perhaps you know some people who should be an example?” he said calmly, pointing towards the coast.
The words died in my throat, driven away by his threat. “No, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”
“Then step back and be quiet.” Then he smiled broadly. “Because your time to talk will soon come.”
It is for this reason that they need me. It’s times like these, when the tip of the scale can tip against them . However, I can’t protest. I could only obey his orders and watch as my house disappeared from sight. Forever. The closer we got to the capital, the more the villages seemed to get bigger. Soon the landscape changed from logging and farming communities to proper towns. They were centered around large factories, with brick houses and dormitories to accommodate the Red workers. Just like other villages, the residents stood in the streets to watch us pass. The officers barked, whips were whipped, and I never got used to it. I wince every time.
Then the cities were replaced by sprawling plots of land and luxurious houses, palaces like Balairung. Made of stone, glass and swirl-patterned marble, each one looks more stunning than the last. The lawn slopes down to the river, decorated with green gardens and a beautiful fountain. The houses themselves looked like the handiwork of god, each house a different kind of beauty. But the windows were dark, the doors closed. While the villages and towns were filled with people, this place looked uninhabited. Only the flags flying high, one on each building, told me what it was like
there are people living there. Blue for Clan Osanos, silver for Samos, brown for Rhambos, and so on. Now I know the colors by heart, placing the faces in each silent house. I even killed the owners of some of those houses.
“The Range River,” Maven explained. “A suburban residence, in case any noble man or woman wishes to escape the city.”
My gaze was fixed on Iral’s house for a long time, a charm of black marble pillars. A stone panther statue guards the veranda, growling at the sky. Even the statues made me shudder, reminding me of Ara Iral and her pressing questions.
“No any body here.”
“The houses are empty most of the year, and no one dares to leave the city nowadays, not with this Red March case.” He offered me a small, bitter smile. “They would rather hide behind their diamond walls and let my brother fight for them.”
“If only no one had to fight at all.” He shook his head. “It’s no use dreaming.”
We watched in silence as the Jajaran River disappeared behind us and another forest rose from the riverbank. The trees were strange, very tall with black bark and dark red leaves. The forest was very quiet, not like a forest should be. In fact, not a single bird song broke the silence, and above, the sky darkened, but not because of light
fading twilight. Black clouds gathered, hovering over the trees like a thick blanket.
“What’s that?” Even my voice sounded muffled, and I was suddenly relieved by the glass cover along the deck. Before I knew it the others had left, leaving the two of us staring at the prevailing gloom.
Maven turned towards the forest, his face looked displeased. “Barrier trees. They keep pollution from moving further up the river. The Welle greenies made it many years ago.”
The foam of the brown waves crashed against the ship’s hull, leaving a layer of black grime on the shiny steel hull. Suddenly the world had a strange feel, as if I was looking through a dirty glass. The clouds floating low were not clouds at all, but smoke spilling from a thousand chimneys, obscuring the sky. The trees and grass are gone—it is a land of ash and decay.
“Gray City,” Maven muttered.
Factories stretched as far as the eye could see; dirty, bulky, and buzzing with electricity. It hit me like a punch, nearly knocking me off my feet. My heart tried to keep up with its unnatural beat and I was forced to sit up, feeling my blood flow rush.
At first I thought my world was wrong, my life was unfair. However, I could never imagine a place like the Gray City.
Several power plants glowed in the darkness, pulsing lightning blue and neon green into spider webs of electricity carrying wires in the air. Vehicle with stacks
high cargo moving along the flyovers, moving goods from one factory to another. They screamed at each other in the noise of the tangled, dense traffic, moving like sluggish black blood in gray veins. Worst of all, are the small houses that surround each factory in orderly squares. One box overlaps another, with narrow aisles between. Slums.
Under the smoky sky, I doubt the workers ever saw the light of day. They walk between factories and their homes, flooding the streets when work shifts change. There were no officers, no cracking of whips, no blank stares from the audience. No one told them to watch us go by. I realized the king didn’t need to show off here. These people are damaged from birth.
“They are techies.” I whispered hoarsely, remembering the term the Silvers threw around cheerfully in conversation. “Those who created lights, cameras, video screens—”
“Guns, bullets, bombs, ships, vehicles.” Maven added. “They are the ones who ensure electricity supply. They are the ones who keep our water clean. They do everything for us.”
And they receive nothing in return other than smoke.
“Why don’t they just leave?”
Maven just shrugged. “This is the only life they know. Most techies would never leave their own home alley. They can’t even be caught in war.”
Not caught in the war. Their lives were so terrible that war became a more viable alternative
Good. But they weren’t even allowed to leave.
Like everything else on the river, the mills faded, but their image remained in my mind. My gut feeling tells me, I shouldn’t forget it. I can’t forget them.
The stars awaited us beyond another forest of shade trees, and beyond it: the Archeon. At first I didn’t see the capital at all, mistaking its lights for shining stars. As we sailed closer, my jaw dropped.
A triple bridge spanned the wide river, connecting the two cities on each side. It was thousands of meters long and alive, ablaze with lights and electricity. There is a square lined with shops and markets, all built into the frame of the Bridge itself, three hundred meters above the river. I can imagine the Silvers up there; drinking, eating, and looking down at the world from their high perch. Vehicles glide along the bottom level of the Bridge, their spotlights like red and white comets piercing the night.
Both ends of the bridge were gated, and the city sectors on both sides were walled off. On the eastern coast, tall iron towers rose from the ground like swords piercing the sky, all crowned with giant birds of prey with gleaming bodies. More vehicles and people filled the asphalt roads that climbed up the hilly riverbank, connecting the buildings with the Bridge and outer gates.
The walls are made of diamond glass, the same as in Balairung, but equipped with iron towers with bright lights and other structures. There are officers patrolling the area
walls, but their uniforms weren’t bright red like the Sentinels or jet black like the Security officers. They wore murky silver and white uniforms, barely concealing their figures from the view of the city. They were soldiers, and not the kind of soldiers who danced with women. This is a fortress.
Archeon was founded to face war, not peace.
On the west bank, I recognized the Royal Court and Treasury Hall from the bombing footage. Both are made of gleaming white marble and have been completely restored, although the buildings only received damage less than a month ago. But it feels like it’s been so long . The two buildings flanked the White Flame Palace, a building I recognized even from afar. My old teacher once said that the building was carved out of the hillside, a living mass of white rock. Fires made of gold and pearls burned on the tops of the surrounding walls.
I tried to drink it all in, my eyes swept between the two ends of the Bridge, but my mind still couldn’t comprehend this place. Overhead, airplanes cruised slowly through the night sky, while jet planes flew higher, as fast as shooting stars. At first I thought the Hall of the Sun was already a miracle; I never seem to know the meaning of that word.
But I couldn’t find any beauty here, not when the dark, smoky factories were just a few miles behind. The contrast between the Silver city and the Red slums unsettled me. This is the world that is trying to destroy me, the world that is trying to kill me and everything I love. Now I really see what I’m up against and how hard it is,
how impossible it was for me to win. I had never felt so small as I did now, with the huge bridge towering above us. It looked ready to swallow me alive.
But I have to try. Even if only for the sake of the Gray City, for the sake of those who have never seen the sun.[]
