Yet here, life scraped by. People scavenged through the ruins for whatever could be bartered, coins, bottle caps, shattered circuits, anything they could feed into a converter.
At the center of the district lay the Food Lounge, little more than an open courtyard beneath the unrelenting desert sky. A single converter machine wheezed like a dying beast, coughing sparks whenever it groaned to life. The line stretched far, men and women waiting with hollow eyes and desperate patience.
Behind the counter, Ms. Mary wiped sweat from her brow, coaxing the machine into motion. She looked up as a familiar figure approached.
"Raffi," she said, her tired face breaking into a smile.
The Knight inclined his head, his Jamaican accent warm even in this wasteland.
"Good to see you too, Ms. Mary."
He set two coins on the counter.
Her eyes widened. "These are worth a fortune. Raffi... you don't have to—"
"One's for me," he interrupted softly, "and one's for you."
She blushed, fingers brushing the metal. "You're too kind. You don't have to do this every day."
Raffi's lips curled into a shy grin. "Maybe. But it's somethin' I want to do. Protectin' the people... it's all I have to look forward to. That, and maybe one day..." His voice trailed, embarrassed. "Maybe one day I'll marry. Open my own converter shop. A real one. Not like these broken scraps."
Mary laughed faintly, though her eyes were sad. "These machines... they break down more than they work. Feeding everyone is near impossible."
Raffi's smile dimmed. "I'm sorry. Commander Lanni is trying hard. She's even contacted some Royals to get us an engineer. But..." He exhaled, shaking his head. "You know how that goes."
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Mary's gaze lowered. "I doubt the Royals care to lift a finger. Word is, they're preparing to reinstate the Selection."
Raffi's jaw clenched, but he forced a laugh. "That's just fearmongering, Mary. Rumors. Nothin' more."
Before she could answer, a cheerful shout broke through the heat.
"Miss Mary!"
Euly stumbled forward, nearly tripping as he joined the line. His grin was wide, his energy reckless.
"I've been thinking!" he announced proudly. "One day I'm going to open a Knights' school. Teach every Zoner to fight like us!"
Mary chuckled nervously. "Euly..."
But Raffi frowned. "You know Lanni said that would anger the Royals. They tolerate us because we protect the people. Push further, and they'll see us as a threat."
Euly just grinned, unbothered. "Let them. A Knight's duty is to the Zoners!"
Knight's Crown Building
Naggi's sobs rattled through the chamber walls, loud, uneven, almost comical if not so pitiful. Outside her door, two soldiers shifted uncomfortably.
"Madam Knight," one called softly. "You've been crying for ten minutes. Please, tell us what troubles you."
Her voice cracked through the door. "My son... he ran away again!"
The younger soldier, Hido, muttered, "Damn, that kid is ruthless. Does this all the time."
"And his father-" her voice rose into a wail, " he blames me for it!"
"Poor Naggi," Hido sighed.
Through the door she whimpered, "He's somewhere in the animal forests..."
That made both soldiers stiffen.
"Madam," Hido said quickly, "those lands are dangerous. But... maybe you could aks commander Lanni, she has ties with the animal Kingdom."
Her sobbing paused, hope flickering. "...All right. Do it, Hido."
But the second soldier blurted, "What if they don't find him before he's eaten?"
Hido smacked the man's arm, hissing. "Idiot! Don't say that in front of a grieving mother!"
Her sobs doubled, echoing down the hall.
The Knights' Chamber
In the meeting hall, tension snapped like a drawn bowstring. Lanni and Jett stood face to face, words clashing like blades.
"I'm taking that cargo ship from the Royals," Lanni declared, fists clenched.
Jett's eyes narrowed. "If you steal from them, it's an act of war. Do you understand that? You'll doom us all."
"Look outside, Jett!" Lanni's voice rose, raw with fury. "The people are starving! The converters are failing. Children are dying in their beds. How long do you want to beg for scraps?"
"I know," Jett snapped, his voice breaking. "I've already reached out to Sephiss. I'm waiting on his response."
"Two weeks you've been waiting," she spat. "Two weeks while Zoners bury their dead."
Jett slammed his fist against the table. "What would you have us do? Disobey the Royals outright? Do you want them to march their armies here? We're not in the position to win a war!"
Lanni's eyes burned. "You've forgotten what it means to be a Knight. We do not kneel to comfort. We die for the people. That was Benkage's creed when the Order was founded. If the Royals abandon the Zoners, we remain. That is our vow."
Jett grit his teeth, the weight of her conviction cutting deep. He knew her strength, knew her words carried the force of action.
"Do what you want," he growled finally. "But don't expect the other Knights to follow you. Not in this madness."
Lanni's hand hovered over her sword hilt, but she let it fall. Her voice was cold.
"I don't need them. I can act alone."
As she turned, her words lingered like a curse.
"There are whispers, Jett. The Selection will return. Zoners chosen again, hurled to the Surface."
Jett's jaw tightened. "Rumors. Nothing more. A leader shouldn't indulge propaganda."
But Lonnie said nothing. Her silence was heavier than any blade.
And in that silence, Jett's frustration boiled, because he feared she was right.