The sun was a beautiful thing. Its rays shone over the City, the hustle and bustle not allowing many to notice it, but with the dissipation of most of the smoke that loomed over it, it gave a new atmosphere to the City. An atmosphere almost all of its denizens couldn't remember. One that they were happy to live in now.
The Seven Days of Light had turned everything upside-down in the City. The Pillar of Light, something most thought was simply was another experiment-gone-wrong or a Wing falling, had effects that were much more profound than anyone could've imagined. The City's people had started becoming more...aware of themselves. At first, it was the murders that started plummeting. An unknown feeling, awakened in most people's hearts, started alerting them to the fact that killing there fellow humans might be just a teeny-tiny bit wrong. The same went for robbery, corruption, destruction...Even the Nest's folks started being a bit gentler to the Backstreet inhabitants.
Those could all have passed as flukes, though. What really sounded the alarm of change in most people's minds was District 23's revolution. A social upheaval that called for the banning of cannibalism and the upholding of laws, much to the shock of everyone in The City. It was the beginning of the end for the Disease, as people started calling it. Wings fell, others rose, and people started upholding laws. Murder was no longer as common as sneezing, and people were, almost...nicer.
Indeed, throughout the decades or perhaps centuries of this endless destructive cycle, it seemed people had normalized the daily sufferings of their lives. It is only The Light that had informed them to the horrors they never considered in the City, awakening them and bringing a change none could've predicted.
You may wonder about The Head's situation in all of this. It wasn't pretty; The Head was ruthless at first. This change, after all, did point out their not-so-small role in the City's suffering, and as such, it diminished their power, something the Head would never accept.
Countless battles against Fixers, Colours and massacres against entire neighbourhoods. The fighting border soon grew to encompass the entire City, and the Head's resources became thin, even if they had the upper hand in most battles. Arbiters were falling daily, Claws were being destroyed by the dozens, and the various other soldiers they had didn't fare much better. At some point, The Head decided that to win, it had to go big, or go home.
And go home they did.
The Head, not particularly idiotic, knew that even by eliminating every single Fixer, more would rise up. A hydra's greatest enemy, after all, was what it could not reach. Every inhabitant had become a possible enemy, and even if they eliminated everyone, they'd have no one left to rule over. And what were rulers without those they ruled?
And so, The Head retreated into The Far Outskirts, taking countless patents, weapons, and soldiers with them and established a new city with those who followed them, no matter how few. The mere act of giving people choice between two options was a miracle. A few more cities started popping up, each with their own rules, and so, The City became The Cities. Perhaps one of the greatest achievements of the Light was what it had granted to the people, something so simple and yet so important: Choice.
Does that mean everything had become perfect? Well, no. Cannibalism still existed, though particularly taboo at this point, murders were still high, and with The Head and all their priceless patents gone, The City had much to rebuild. Still, people acknowledged the futility of their previous lives; Fixers were more affordable now to help people, sometimes with funding from Wings. Murder, though still high, was seen as unacceptable, alongside various other crimes. Syndicates were either secretive now, or established a no-man's-land in The Outskirts, which The City often raided to weaken them.
Humanity hadn't become perfect by the Light, and even some of those who manifested E.G.O. were wicked, but the good had outweighed the bad. The wicked with E.G.O. found ten more non-wicked E.G.O. wielders who'd stop them. The Wings, though still somewhat corrupt, had come to value, at least superficially, the society they were in, and had measures to be controlled by their Nests' inhabitants.
Humanity wasn't perfect, not by any stretch. But that was not the Light's goal. It had merely made it acknowledge its faults. It had become more...human, for a lack of a better word.
Those behind the Seed of Light project had various degrees of public presence or even acknowledgement; most of them wanted to better humanity, not for fame or some other material gain, but for the sake of their fellow humans.
But among those known was Daniel, one of the funders and founders of it, who had become a popular politician and a revolutionary coffee brewer. Arguing for freer choices and more liberties, he'd been involved in several social projects to help mend the gap between Nests and the Backstreets and had even managed to create a central Fixer force to help those who couldn't afford more professional Offices, and the new brews he created in the coffee realm were considered legendary.
Though his Fixer achievements would not have seen the light of day without the help of the dashing Kali, who lead this force with utmost discipline and force. She was brutal at times, but never went overboard. Her reputation from before The Seed of Light project certainly helped add to her respect, and her just decisions and selfless moves only made her be seen more and more as a heroine, even if she did not particularly enjoy the new spotlight. Though it didn't save her from the gossip that she and Daniel had something for each other...
Most other members lived quiet lives compared to these two. Some other known members included Giovanni, now a famous artist who argued that art was to express one's true self, not to self-immolate and call it art. His pieces, not overly complicated but actually pretty and more complex than straight lines, were admired by many and were the inspiration for several other artists He soon became a public figure who argued against suicide, and whose art helped better the lives of thousands of people. He also wrote several books on the matter.
Though a true book-worm that had emerged was Gabriel, one of the leading figures in repairing the lack of technology that followed the Head's self-imposed exile. His immense smarts and organisational abilities managed to aid dozens of scientists publish their research. He also established the Lobotomy Institute, a scientific academy that helped advance research in all fields in the City. And even if most of his research was funded by Wings who wanted to sell technology back to those who needed them, Gabriel had made sure that the goods were sold at a reasonable price for the first few months. His organizational skills also made him one of the figures that helped re-create an administrative division for The City now that The Head was long gone. His books were hailed as pinnacles of their respective fields, even if the nickname "The Viper" never left him, and neither did the sharp, unforgiving personality.
Perhaps that's why he needed a certain Elijah by his side. Another of the few that worked on the project and became famous, she was a magnificent self-help writer, something many needed after the many daunting years inside the City. Her constant encouraging smile and her 'never give up!' demeanour played no small role in her popularity, but she was also known for co-publishing books with Gabriel which talked about a strict life style that still left room for improvement.
She was also involved in the psychological health scene, making interviews and writing books with a certain Michelle, a former Head Eye-turned-normal-citizen, she often talked about the morality of one's life, and after specializing as a psychiatrist, she became one of the best in her field. This Gabriel-Elijah-Michelle trio sometimes starred together in shows or in documentaries, and they had certainly helped improve, if not downright save, thousands of people's lives.
Other than those six, however, most other returned to their lives. Spending time with their families, or perhaps even working like regular people. You wouldn't know they were even part of the project unless you asked. Even the project's three leaders, whom the public only knew as 'A', 'B', and 'C', were only known by those who really delved deep into their whereabouts. Meeting them wasn't difficult, per say, but they avoided the busy world of The City now that they had accomplished their purpose. Some even interviewed them, but on condition of anonymity, but regardless, they were all held in high-regard by most, and even those who critiqued them rarely managed to hate them. Indeed, despite their controversial status, none denied how much good was brought onto the City by their actions.
One year. One year was all it took for all of this to happen. Were things going to be so happy moving forward? You'd be a fool if you thought so. There were going to be countless ups and downs, betrayals, upheavals, but even so, it was all better than the decadent state humanity had been in for so long. After all, humanity wouldn't be humanity without its good and its bad, but for the moment, people breathed easy, knowing that whatever came next, it was them who decided it. The City had finally become theirs, and not vice-versa.
Still, some couldn't help but wonder where the creators of this new world had gone to. Did they now work in a secluded area of The City? Were they now millionaires, quietly admiring their handy-work? Did they get lost in the hustle and the bustle of The City, seen by all, but recognized by none? The average person wouldn't know. And perhaps that was part of their allure; the constant theories about what they could be doing now, the countless possibilities were enough to tickle the nooks and crannies of the mind.
Though, perhaps reality was a bit less exciting.
-"Enoch! Lisa! I told you two to get dressed an hour ago!", with The City being less dangerous now, living in the Backstreets was akin to living in a village. Though you still had to have a certain taste to have a house in the very far-end of the Backstreets. Still, if the small, two-story house on the fringes of the Backstreets, poking into the Outskirts, proved anything, is that it still appealed to certain people.
-"Coming!", a unified voice of a boy and a girl came from the second story, alongside frantic footsteps and the noise of a fierce argument between the two of them. On the lower floor, Ayin shook his head, standing beside the front door with his iconic garments. These kids...They took so long to do anything because they argued most of the time, even if they truly did love one another. It's why he had to tell them to do anything an hour in advance if he wanted it done by a certain time.
Lo and behold, the two of them came down after he called for them, wearing the same clothes they did back in the Laboratory. Well, mostly; Enoch did, but Lisa used her new home and situation to the fullest, and so she wore a red dress with flowers all over it, alongside a ribbon on her chest. She held a small, empty flower pot between her hands.
-"Good grief, what took you two so long this time?", he asked them as Lisa stopped in front of him, laying a hand on his waist and giving them a stink eye.
-"Good morning to you too, dad.", Enoch answered, a large smile on his face with his hands in his pockets. He was a bit slower than his fire-forged friend; during his time in the Laboratory, he'd underwent a dangerous experiment involving Cogito, and it almost went horribly wrong; if it wasn't for the swift actions of Carmen and a little bit of interventional surgery on Ayin's part, he might've lost more than his two legs during that experiment. The toll of this sin weighed heavy on Ayin, and he had to be reminded of it every day as Enoch moved a bit slower than Lisa, mostly because of how he wasn't used to synthetic legs as a child. He loathed to think it could've gone worse.
-"That's Mister Ayin to you, Enoch! Let me remind you that you two are staying with us until we finally find someone willing to take you in!", the amber-eyed scientist reprimanded, wagging a finger at him, not making the smile on the young man's face move a bit.
-"And nobody's come for us all this year?"
-"Why were you two late?", Ayin asked again, moving the question to Lisa this time, avoiding Enoch's smile. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, looking at her caretaker.
-"It's Enoch's fault! He couldn't make up his mind all morning! First, it was his clothes, but then he chose his regular clothes! Then he couldn't make up his mind on where to go; the forest or the beach! It's all this gosh-darned, two-timing good-for-nothing baka's fault!", she blamed, allowing Ayin to loudly gasp.
-"Little missy! When did you learn such language!"
-"But it's not even PG-rated!", she complained, taking a stink-eye from the scientist. She knew what it meant. "Fiiiiiine, sorry because I said mean things about you, Enoch.", she loudly sighed, turning her head away from him after her apology.
-"Did you two finish the breakfast Carmen made for you?", he asked again, and they both nodded in unison. He closed one eye, raised an eye-brow over the open one and leaned in on Lisa.
-"I swear I didn't give my food to your Venus Fly Trap this time, Mister Ayin! I ate all of it today and thanked Miss Carmen for it, too! Now, can we please, please, pleaaaaaase go?", she pleaded, the flower pot still in her hands as Ayin leaned back and straightened his posture.
-"Where are you two going today?"
-"The forest!", the yellow-haired girl exclaimed before turning to the brown-haired boy, elbowing him to make him nod.
-"And what are you going to do there until Carmen and I get there?"
-"We're going to play in eye's reach and never go far until you two reach us!", she assured him, trying to maintain a straightened and dignified posture.
-"Alright. You're free to go. See you two in five minutes.", he moved aside, opening the door behind him and making Lisa dash for it before grabbing her shoulder. "Oh, and, Lisa? 'Baka' is not a word you should use, even if you hear it in Carmen's shows."
-"Miss Carmen's shows? But I thought you watched them too-"
-"Just don't use the word, alright?!", he repeated, and she almost smirked at him before she nodded and dashed for the outside. Enoch following suite behind her, slowly but surely.
-"Tell mum I said good morning!", he smugly said before trying to sprint a little with his legs, making Ayin scowl as he got out. Their home, all things considered, was in a strategic location. Near the forest in The Outskirts and the beach at the same time. That way, they could go to wherever they wanted to go whenever they went out. He watched as the two children ran for the forest, giggling all the way there.
-"I thought you didn't like being called Mister.", a kind, beautiful voice called for him from their kitchen next to the front-door. He turned his head and saw as Carmen leaned on the wall, crossing her arms. "And you're still trying to convince Enoch someone's going to get him?", she smiled further, something of smugness in her smile.
-"Eh. You know me. Too stubborn for my own good.", he shrugged, hearing her take a few steps forward. She still wore her traditional clothes, alongside her lab-coat. Technically, they didn't need it any more, but it had become customary for them to wear it at this point. She landed her hand on his shoulder, letting him admire the ring on it as she looked at the two children running towards the patch of greenery in front of their home.
-"How does it feel?"
-"Like Heaven. These two are really part of why our home's filled with so much life. They must be a quarter of the reason I feel happy to wake up every morning.", he answered her, putting a hand around her.
-"The other three quarters being?"
-"You, of course.", he didn't even finish his sentence and she already got flustered, a small blush on her face as she pulled out of his hug and gave him a soft punch on the arm.
-"Oh, you cheesy, cheeky bugger, you!", she kept lining the punches, and he produced some overly-dramatic 'Ow!'s for her. "How long did it take you to come up with that one? A month?", she quickened her punches, ignoring his grunts. "You know I don't do well with flattery!"
-"Actually, it only took three weeks- Ow!", he let out as her punches reached his face, "Besides, is it really flattery when it's the truth?"
-"Staaaaaaaaaaaahp!"
-"Okay, okay! But I'll only stop if you do.", he raised a hand, anticipating a new punch before she stopped, puffing her cheeks as the redness in her face started going away. Now she only looked somewhat like a tomato. "Aw, come on, Carmen! Why can't I just flatter you a bit?", he complained as she looked at him, her cheeks still puffy.
-"Because it's embarrassing!"
-"Oh, come on! You do it to me all the time!", he countered, offering her to take a step outside, which she did, before following her and closing the door behind them, but not before making sure he had the keys in his pockets. He didn't want a repeat of that incident.
-"Yeah, and you turn into the world's biggest tomato and act all like 'oh no don't lie please', don't you?", she turned back to him, the breeze moving her pony-tail as he turned to face her. She had a good point, and he had nothing logical to reply with, but just as he was about to say something entirely idiotic, a voice called to them.
-"Hey!", a proper, though extremely excited voice called from a home next to theirs. It was nearly identical, only a tad smaller, and it had a man in its second story's balcony. "You two didn't tell me you were going out today!", Benjamin yelled after them, and Ayin gave him a smirk.
-"I wasn't planning on doing so."
-"Well, good! Because I wasn't planning on asking for your permission to join you!", well, Ayin couldn't say he didn't set himself up for that one. Carmen spoke up for him next.
-"Really? Don't you ever get sick of us?"
-"But it's been so long since we last hung out!"
-"You were literally there for breakfast and you dug a tunnel connecting our living-rooms.", she reminded him, and he whistled innocently. No matter how much he seemed to be bent on annoying them, Benjamin did know his boundaries, and he often gave his friends the privacy they needed when they needed it, but otherwise, he was more than happy to invade any meeting of theirs.
-"Ages, I tell you! But don't you worry, I still have thirty-minutes of work before I can catch up to you two. Don't think about running away!", he warned, sharing a laugh with them before quickly heading inside his home again. The couple stared at the empty space where he was before starting to walk to the patch of greenery again, Ayin speaking up:
-"He's going to call everyone to come over."
-"Oh, totally. You mind?"
-"Nah, it's been a while since we last saw Daniel, Kali, and the rest of the gang.", the amber-eyed man waved any possible annoyance with a free hand, walking towards the tree he first fell in love with Carmen under. She never knew, but it's part of why he wanted them to build their home there. It was such a pretty place. When they reached it, Carmen threw herself on the grass she loved so much, waiting for him to join her. "Give me second.", he winked, and she understood what he was going to do.
Leaving his better-half under the tree's shade, he moved slowly, walking over to where Enoch and Lisa had been playing. They were just next to the two adults, apparently trying to put some flowers into the flower pot. As always, they were arguing.
-"Stupid Enoch! You're not handling them delicately enough! You'll ruin the flowers!", she yelle