In the Luna VR, the “He-Goat” Dalia had encountered removed his mask and gestured toward the closed door.
“Who was she?” Waweru asked.
Zev toggled a command, removing his Pink Piggy mask. The dingy stall vanished, replaced by a bustling virtual workroom where Zev developed custom code for his clients. Two large tables bore piles of tools and digital cards, some completed, others at various stages of programming.
Waweru sometimes helped wrap up these projects, but Zev spent most of his spare time here alone.
“Her user ID is ‘Dahlian.’ She wants permission to use code I uploaded to the KISTech database,” Zev said. “I’ve been upgrading it for weeks. I’m not sure if I should give her the version I posted initially or hand over what I’ve been working on now.”
“The difference between us,” Waweru said, collapsing onto the couch opposite Zev’s worktable, “is that you won’t put it up for bidding in the Luna Marketplace. So, what did you want to show me?”
Zev paused his tinkering with the greenhouse model he was designing for his sister, then pulled a digital card from the desk and passed it to Waweru.
“What’s this?” Waweru asked, uploading the code into his own virtual console. He studied the lines of text for a few moments before his eyes brightened. “This is a framework for mapping and calculating gradients.”
“I saw that soil-testing device you’ve been building,” Zev explained. “Not sure if you finished it, but this analysis framework will help architects figure out how best to develop that data. If you can’t fight your father about going to KISTech, you could focus on specialized construction apps there.”
Waweru arched an eyebrow at him. “And you’re just giving this to me?”
“I’m not enrolling in KISTech,” Zev said, leaning back in his chair. “I applied for an apprenticeship with Santi Corp, and the academy counselor messaged me today. I got in. That means I won’t have to move to Kirit.”
Waweru let out a low whistle. “You’ll be more valuable than the rest of us stuck in KISTech. An apprenticeship with Santi Corp means you can really climb the ranks, Zev. Congratulations. I’ll miss you, though.”
“Did you talk to your parents about switching classes?” Zev asked.
“Ms. Leya helped me fill out the forms,” Waweru said, “and even wrote me a recommendation for Jenga Construction Technical University. But before I could bring it up at home, my dad handed me an envelope with a KISTech ID tag, an enrollment packet, and keys to a dorm I’m supposed to share with a family friend’s son. He’s already paid for the first year.”
“Damn,” Zev muttered. “I’m sorry.”
Waweru shrugged, holding up the digital card Zev had given him. “Thanks for this. I’ll put it to good use.”
“It won’t be easy,” Zev warned. “All KISTech cares about is research on ghost wraiths, finding ways to fight or eradicate them. Every student ends up focused on ghost wraith projects. You sure you’ll be all right?”
“I’ll manage,” Waweru said with a tight shake of his head. “Not like I have a choice.”
Zev nodded. “I’ll miss you too. Won’t be the same without you at the next desk.”
“We can still hang out here,” Waweru said, motioning around the virtual workshop. “Plenty of ways to call and message each other.”
“True,” Zev said, smiling. “By the way, Dahlian really did pay five hundred credits just to get into this shop.”
Waweru grinned. “Her outfit looked great, though. Five hundred credits is a tidy sum.”
“That fee covered three months of our shop membership on Luna VR,” Zev said. “I was worried I’d have to downgrade to a private room soon.”
“Think she’d chat with me?” Waweru teased. “She looked like she wouldn’t mind.”
Before Zev could respond, a long beep echoed in his earpiece. “I need to go,” he said, quickly saving his greenhouse project. He stood, stretched his arms, and offered Waweru a parting grin. “See you at the village center tomorrow.”
“Sure thing,” Waweru replied. “Meanwhile, I’ll see if Dahlian wants to chat.”
Zev flashed a knowing smile and logged out. Removing his Luna VR visor, he tapped the monitor to confirm his logout. A green light blinked on the wall behind his setup, it was the household call signal. His sister was buzzing him.
It meant his parents were home and looking for him. He pushed away from his desk, his stomach rumbling. Straightening the hem of his dark T-shirt over his gray sweatpants, he hurried out of his room in search of something to eat.
The Mablevi home was neither lavish nor modest. Built in a ranch-style on an acre of land, it had grown alongside the family. When Zev was four and his sister, Amare, was just a baby, the house had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a shared bathroom, and a living room. Now, those rooms had expanded into a cluster of bedrooms for his younger siblings and a larger main living space that opened into a dining area.
Zev headed down the long corridor toward the kitchen, pausing in the doorway when he found his father, Luca, engrossed in a story. Zev’s younger brothers sat on a bench, listening wide-eyed, while Amare was at the kitchen table peeling potatoes alongside their father.
Their mother, Elina, stood at the counter, kneading dough.
“And no one truly knows why Mount Njaro began spewing molten lava,” Luca was saying, his voice measured yet tinged with mystery. “But after the eruption came lightning and thunder, and when the skies finally cleared, the ghost wraiths appeared.”
Zev’s thoughts wandered to Dahlian, the mysterious VR user who wanted code that might help end the ghost wraith menace. The wraiths were hulking, wolf-like terrors with slick, oily black skin in place of fur and razor-sharp teeth capable of shattering a human in one bite. They moved in packs, leaving devastation wherever they prowled. When the storm ended, so did the ghost wraiths, vanishing until they struck again.
“It is said Afrotheria became a realm under siege,” Luca continued. “It’s been over a century since that first attack, and yet no permanent solution has emerged. The Sable Council, the empire’s highest authority, poured its resources into defenses for threatened provinces, small villages, and the capital itself.”
He took a breath. “They bolstered the Protector Class to form the formidable Theria Guild,1 tasked with keeping every citizen safe.”
Zev frowned, thinking of the men and women of the Theria Guild. They were hailed as heroes for battling ghost wraiths, yet many people still feared and avoided them. Because of this, Guardians often lived in specialized compounds known as oases, each named for the team stationed within.”
“The Theria Guild is our greatest treasure,” Luca said, leaning in. “Those who survive endless battles advance in rank. The strongest and most fearsome join the Strike Force; the newest recruits start in the Swala Force.”
“I’ll join the toughest oasis one day!” Silas, Zev’s youngest brother, piped up. Elina gasped.
Zev bit back a laugh. Their mother would never want any of her children joining the Theria Guild. He glanced at Elina, who stood at the counter, clearly troubled by the idea.
Grey, third-born of Luca’s children, glanced up from his seat, eyes bright with curiosity. “Has our village ever faced a reckoning?” he asked. A reckoning was the name locals used for a full-on encounter with a pack of ghost wraiths.
Luca paused, exchanging a glance with his wife, Elina. A quiet remorse settled in his gaze. He continued peeling potatoes, although his grip on the peeler tightened. It was not unusual for him to help with chores; he often did so purely to see Elina’s appreciative smile.
Amare, their second-born and only daughter, was nearly finished with her share of the potatoes. Grey and the youngest child, Silas, sat nearby, both listening closely. Yet Luca’s gaze drifted to his eldest, Zev, noticing the wary look in the young man’s eyes. Zev was old enough to recall their family’s own reckoning2; there was no sense of mystery or awe in his face, only the lingering memory of loss.
Luca drew in a deep breath, steeling himself. He finished peeling the potato in his hand, placed it on the tray, and met Grey’s expectant stare.
“You weren’t born when our village endured a reckoning,” Luca said. “Your mom and I had only Zev and Amare then. They stayed at home with my parents when the thunder and lightning came. The Strike Force Guardians happened to be running maneuvers nearby. They fought off the ghost wraiths and saved us.”
“Not all of us,” Zev said softly, reminding Luca that the Guardians’ intervention had come at a grave cost.
“You’re right,” Luca murmured. He looked down, recalling the stark pain of that day. Zev had been five at the time, Amare three. They both still remembered their grandparents with an ache that never faded.
Luca set down his peeler and wiped his hands on a cloth. He squeezed Zev’s shoulder gently.
“We lost your grandparents in that attack,” he told Grey and Silas. “We weren’t the only ones in the village to lose loved ones, but our home was spared. Not long after, the Theria Guild built a training oasis here in Teru Province to prevent more tragedies.”
Grey, who was seven, nodded, his expression solemn. Silas, five, seemed to lose interest, wandering over to the open hearth. He poked the burning firewood with a stick until Amare took it from him, earning a quick pout.
Luca glanced around the kitchen, comforted by the warmth he and Elina had cultivated. The pit fire built into the wall glowed softly. Elina, standing at the counter with a pot simmering on the range, kneaded dough for chapati. A steel grate installed under the roof offered protection from potential ghost wraith attacks. It was a product from Santi Corp, though Luca silently prayed they’d never have to test its effectiveness.
“Baba,” Grey asked, “what’s the name of that oasis they built here?”
“Swala Force3,” Luca answered. “It’s where Sokwe Recon trains new recruits. They may not be the strongest force in the empire, but they’ve kept Teru safe for ten years.”
Grey exhaled in relief. “I’ll join them when I’m old enough. I want to protect our town, too.”
Luca felt his heart clench as he met Elina’s worried gaze. Neither had imagined one of their children wanting to become a Guardian. He offered her a small, reassuring smile, hoping Grey’s ambitions would change.
“What about you, Zev?” Luca asked, turning to his eldest. At seventeen, Zev stood on the brink of adulthood, set to choose a future path. “Where do you plan to enroll after the academy?”
“The counselor helped me apply for a tech apprenticeship at Santi Corp,” Zev said.
Rising from his seat, Luca carried the peeled potatoes to the sink, where Elina rolled pieces of dough into thin discs for cooking. A label reading “Santi” gleamed on the tap’s knob. He turned on the water, rinsed the potatoes, and closed the tap when the bowl filled.
Santi Corp4, Luca thought with a trace of apprehension. The company was a powerful giant in Afrotheria, rumored to have secret research labs near the treacherous lands around Mount Njaro. It rivaled KISTech in Kirit, the capital.
“Why does your advisor think you’d fit in at Santi Corp?” Luca asked, drying his hands with a paper towel before discarding it in a bin also emblazoned with Santi’s logo.
“She says I have the imagination they’re looking for,” Zev replied with a satisfied smile. He brought the tray of potato peels to the compost bin, then returned to rinse the remaining potatoes. “I’m glad they accepted me. I’d rather stay here in Teru with you all than move to Kirit for four years. Besides, Santi Corp always needs talented tech apprentices.”
“I wish you’d consider the Conservation Class like your father,” Elina said with a frown. “Santi Corp has labs in the Deserted Lands, the provinces near Mount Njaro5. I’ve heard it’s too dangerous there.”
Zev shook his head. “I’m a trainee, Mama. They won’t send me off to the most secret labs on day one. My apprenticeship is based here, sharing a compound with Swala Force. All my classes will be at that oasis, and it’s a scholarship, so there’s no cost.”
Elina braced her hands on the counter, her unease obvious. Luca couldn’t blame her. Their evening had revealed two unsettling possibilities: Grey’s dream of joining the Guardians and Zev’s acceptance into Santi Corp, an organization known for pushing the boundaries of research, often beyond the edges of safety.
“All right,” Luca said decisively, hoping to dispel the tension. He clapped his hands once. “Enough talk about the future. Zev, help your mother with supper. Amare, take Grey and Silas to the living room. Make sure they finish their homework first. Then, they can watch a few toons. I renewed the subscription just yesterday.”
Amare gave Zev a small smile and ushered the younger boys away. As Zev turned back to the potatoes, Luca slipped an arm around Elina’s waist. She let out a quiet sigh and looked up at him, her expression a mix of pride and fear.
“What if Grey really goes through with this Guardian idea?” she whispered. “He’d be away all the time. People treat Guardians strangely.”
“He’s seven,” Luca murmured, pressing a comforting kiss to her cheek. “You have years to show him why your work in conservation is so important.”
Elina managed a quick laugh. She was a brilliant scientist, running a small agricultural lab in Teru Province. Outside this cozy kitchen, she carried the weight of countless experiments and research projects, yet she still radiated warmth for her family.
“Maybe Amare will follow your lead,” Luca teased. “She’s the only one who loves plants as much as you do.”
Elina started to smile, but Zev interrupted with an easy grin. “Amare wants to teach little kids,” he reminded them, setting a round iron pan on the lit stove.
Elina and Luca both sighed in mock disappointment. Zev laughed at their reaction and shrugged. “There’s always Silas. Maybe he’ll turn out to be the future conservationist.”
A soft chuckle spread around the room. Elina passed the first flattened dough disc to Zev, then guided him as he swirled oil into the pan. The dough sizzled, and Luca, standing beside them, offered gentle instructions on timing so it wouldn’t burn.
In that moment, amid the comforting heat of the stove and the reassuring presence of family, Zev felt a warmth that transcended the physical.
Though the future looked uncertain and full of risks, especially with ghost wraiths lurking beyond Teru, the bond they shared here in this small kitchen promised a measure of hope. It was a memory he would carry forward, no matter how far his path led him from home.
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