Mars isn’t red anymore. Three hundred years ago the Garden Corporation turned it green. They seeded the deserts, they lit Venus up like a second sun so crops never sleep, and they built Wakedah City in the middle of it all. On one side of the city is the Heights, where billionaires live in mansions with air that smells clean. On the other side of the big bridge is the sprawl, where everyone else lives stacked in towers like Harp Apartment. Raven Well lived in the sprawl. He was nineteen, blond, blue-eyed, and worked two jobs to pay rent for room 212-9. He had been an orphan since he was a baby. He had no family, no money, and a long history of getting beaten up for no reason. Tonight was one of those nights. He lay on his back behind Harp Apartment, Section C, where the cameras had been broken for years. Blood was soaking through his cheap green Melo delivery shirt. His stomach felt like fire where the knife had gone in. Jax stood over him, laughing. Jax had bullied him since the

Raven woke up to pain. Not the sharp pain from the knife in his shoulder. A dull, deep ache all over, like he’d been hit by a truck. His mouth tasted like copper and old blood. His wrists were cuffed behind him to a metal chair. Cold. He was in a small room. Grey walls. One metal table bolted to the floor. One bright light hanging from the ceiling, buzzing. No windows. A mirror on the wall — the kind you see in movies where people watch from the other side. An interrogation room. He tried to move. The cuffs bit into his skin. His green Melo uniform was gone. He wore a grey paper jumpsuit, like a prisoner. His arms throbbed where he’d been stabbed. He looked down. The wounds were bandaged, but blood had soaked through. ‘Where am I? What’s happening?’ He remembered the SWAT team. The lasers on his chest. The officer named Vex stabbing him and laughing. He remembered the red exclamation mark floating above Vex’s head. He looked around the room again, slowly. Was there one here too

Chapter 5: The Pill Raven woke up because someone was saying his name. Not shouting. Not yelling. Saying it soft, like you’d wake a kid. “Young master. Young master, please wake up.” He opened his eyes. Light was coming through the huge windows. Wakedah sprawl glittered far below. He was in the giant bed, under a blanket so soft it felt like water. He was still naked. Sebastian stood by the bed, holding a tray. On it was a glass of water, a small blue pill, and a set of folded clothes. White shirt, red pants — like the ones from yesterday. “What time is it?” Raven mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. “Seven a.m., young master,” Sebastian said. “Madam Rhea requests your presence for breakfast in the dining hall. Please prepare yourself.” Raven sat up, rubbing his face. His shoulder didn’t hurt. He pulled the bandage off. The skin underneath was pink and new. No wound. No scar. Just like his stomach. The healing spray actually worked. “Okay,” he said. “Give me a minute.” Sebas

Raven woke up to Hazel shaking his shoulder. “Young master. It’s time.” He opened his eyes. The room was already bright. Through the windows he could see Venus Light high in the sky. No clouds, never clouds. He’d finally fallen asleep around 5 a.m. after Elara left. His head still felt buzzy from the system. “What time is it?” he mumbled. “Eight a.m.,” Hazel said. She was holding a black garment bag. “The ceremony is at eleven. Madam Rhea wants you ready by ten.” Raven sat up. He was still in the white robe. “Ceremony? I thought it was just… signing papers or something.” Hazel smiled her professional smile. “Madam Rhea does not do ‘just papers,’ young master. Please shower. I will lay out your suit.” She hung the garment bag on the wardrobe and left. Raven got up slowly. His body felt different. Lighter. Stronger. The blue pills, maybe. Or the seed. He walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Same blond hair, same blue eyes. But something behind his eyes was sharper.

Raven woke up warm. Not because of the blankets. Because Elara was curled against his chest, asleep, her dark hair spread across his white shirt. They were still in their wedding clothes, lying on top of the rose petals. Candles had burned out overnight. Sunlight came through the tall windows. It was morning. Raven didn’t move. He didn’t want to wake her. He just listened to her breathe. His arm was numb under her, but he didn’t care. His head felt clear. No hangover, no grogginess. Just that faint second heartbeat in his skull, steady. He thought about last night. The kiss. The resonance. The system saying 38%. He focused. [ USER: RAVEN WELL ] [ SEED INTEGRATION: 41% ] Up 3% while he slept. He looked down at Elara and the system popped up on its own. [ TARGET: ELARA RHEA ] [ Affection: 31/100 (Comfortable) ] [ Status: Asleep, Safe, Content ] Content. He liked that word. Elara stirred. Her violet eyes opened slowly. She blinked up at him, then remembered where she was an