The Story

In a desolate wasteland, a boy named Arc eked out a solitary existence. His home: a small tent perched atop a dirt hill. On the horizon in each cardinal direction loomed shining Golden Cities, bastions of wealth and privilege that both fascinated and repulsed him. Arc knew these cities intimately, having explored them during their rare "visiting days." He understood the stark divide between the opulent lives of the rich and the discarded middle and lower class. This knowledge festered within him, a growing resentment against the injustice of his world. One fateful day, Arc witnessed the impossible. Dayway, the western Golden City, crumbled before his eyes. The sight ignited a fierce determination within him—he would bring down the remaining cities and shatter the system that had cast him aside. With newfound purpose, Arc set his sights on Norza, the northern Golden City. Unlike the others, Norza remained closed to outsiders, shrouded in mystery. Yet Arc had gleaned bits of intel about its leader, Mayor Sedrid Milflower, a man who ruled with an iron fist. As Arc approached Norza, an Automated Flying Seeker (A.F.S.) detected his presence. Mayor Milflower, unaccustomed to such brazen defiance, flew into a rage. He ordered an immediate ambush, confident in his city's impenetrable defenses. But Arc was no ordinary child. Years of survival in the wasteland had honed his instincts and resourcefulness. When the guards' spears rained down, he deftly evaded them. Though the city's towering walls presented a formidable obstacle, Arc's determination proved stronger. With grit and ingenuity, he scaled the barrier and slipped into Norza undetected. Inside, chaos reigned. Mayor Milflower, accustomed to unquestioned authority, found himself paralyzed by indecision. Arc seized this moment of weakness, infiltrating the mayoral headquarters and confronting Milflower directly. In a shocking turn of events, the young outsider emerged victorious. Arc assumed the role of mayor, keeping Milflower's fate a closely guarded secret. However, his true intentions soon became clear. He ordered the systematic deconstruction of Norza, aiming to dismantle the very system that had oppressed him. As public outrage mounted, Arc was forced to abandon his official position. But he was far from finished. In a destructive frenzy, he shattered windows and vandalized the once-pristine city. The citizens of Norza, faced with the prospect of life in the wasteland, descended into panic. In a twist of fate, Arc discovered a bomb hidden in an elderly scientist’s residential home. With cold calculation, he set the explosive and fled the city. Norza erupted in a cataclysmic blast, reduced to rubble and ash.