the city
In the year 2142, the city of Luminaris shimmered like a jewel suspended between the clouds and the earth. Towers of glass and living steel rose so high they pierced the mist, their surfaces alive with glowing vines engineered to purify the air. Silent sky-trains wove between them, tracing arcs of light against the twilight. On the lower levels, where neon flickered in alleys still bound to the ground, lived Kael , a courier who carried secrets rather than parcels. His hoverboard was patched and battered, but its engine purred faithfully as he zipped through the maze of shadows beneath Luminaris’ radiant skyline. That night, Kael’s client wasn’t the usual smuggler or corporate spy. Instead, a child—barely twelve—handed him a sealed data crystal. “It’s for the sky,” she whispered, her eyes wide. Curious, Kael broke his own rule and scanned the crystal mid-flight. His visor filled with blueprints: a design for solar wings that could replace the city’s fail...