“I know.”
For the first time in memory, the rain over Mondo64 stopped. And in the silence that followed, District 155 breathed. Mondo64 No.155
Tonight, a machine the size of a cathedral had lowered itself from the smog layer. It hummed a low, mournful chord that made Kaelen’s teeth ache. The locals called it The Listener because it didn’t speak—it just absorbed. Every secret, every fear, every half-forgotten dream. And once it had your truth, it left you hollow, walking through the rain like a paper boat with no river. “I know
“Maybe that’s the point.”
“I know that too.”
Kaelen smiled—a rare thing in District 155. “I told it the truth.” District 155 breathed. Tonight