Hannen Clar was sitting in his office.

There was a ten-meter-wide energy window, which allowed him to observe the City’s stunning panorama or could be used as a screen for net browsing.

The City was bustling. 

It was a vibrant place, densely populated. 

Around one hundred million people lived there, more in the surrounding suburbs and small towns, which grew nearby.

He sometimes thought about how astonishing it had been to look at the City’s growth over the years. 

Sixty years ago, there was nothing. 

The world was all different. 

One hundred years ago? 

It was like a science fiction story happening in real life—and he had seen it all.

Hannen was aware he was an important person in the City. 

He was also aware many wanted to get rid of him, but couldn’t. Not that they couldn’t arrange it. 

It was that they didn’t dare.

His company, Tunc, manufactured Crystals of the highest quality.

For years, his invention was the best. 

Crystals lasted the longest, provided the clearest artificial energy, and caused the smallest pain for the user. 

The formula and parameters he kept as a secret. He always supervised the last steps of the production process by himself. No one else could see what he did or what his concept was that made his Crystals that good.

Whoever had an idea to kill him or hurt him—would be taken care of by the others. 

All of them wanted to live long, heal fast, have strength, and use Crystal energy for their purposes of creation, experiments, and even art. 

There was no threat from anyone.

The City was bustling—but it was not only beautiful. 

It had its challenges.

They were all in a better situation than they were shortly after the Disruption. Or, even, they were in a better situation than humanity before the Disruption. 

Clean energy from Crystals or Ability. That was something they discovered because they needed to survive, back then. 

Possibilities were without boundaries.

But they had their share of difficulties. 

Most of the lands were flooded, and those that weren’t, were still deserts. Not suitable to start growing food or rebuild old cities. 

The number of people drastically declined after the Disruption.

Drastically.

Additionally, they were dealing with issues that were purely political. 

Activists that said Crystals corporations were as bad as old monopolistic companies from before the Disruption. 

Cartels that wanted to control Crystals’ business, illegally experimented, developing weapons. 

The Sect in seclusion, limiting access to Ability energy and their inventions. They had very interesting science but were closed to all attempts to cooperate.

Hannen knew about the problems, but his decision was to keep it as it worked for now. He didn’t want to be more engaged in the City’s situation than he already was. 

There was still no organized structure, all was improvised. 

He was aware it wouldn’t last like this for long. 

But Hannen lost interest.

The Sect also knew about the problems. Their decision was seclusion. They didn’t act either.

The only ones that actively tried to experiment were cartels. That was dangerous. Yet, he hadn’t decided to end cartels. The Sect also didn’t make a move.

“No action is a decision,” he always said that.

They all decided to watch. 

At least for now.

Would Jul approve of his actions? 

Hannen, for some time now, had doubts. 

He knew that he had lost her dream somewhere on the road. Her vision, her ideals. He had lost it.

All the joy of living his life abandoned him when Jul was gone.

He looked at his desk. 

Reports, messages. Quite a usual day ahead of him—and then he spotted it.

“Again,” Hannen said to himself.

His daughter-in-law, Thea. 

Sporadically, Hannen received specific information about her ‘small businesses,’ and other actions. In her mind, she thought she was protecting the family and the company.

It irritated him, but it wasn’t difficult to clean up.

With a sigh, Hannen opened the message and looked at the photos. 

A wave of cold anger washed over him in a second.

// LOG: 48 ACD-6-3 08:05 A.M. THE CITY

Why? What did Hannen see in this message? What Thea Clar had done?

And also…

Hannen now rules the City. But did he achieve what he wanted? It seems so. 

Just.

… The consequences are paid by others.

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