The Island of Light

However, humans are resilient creatures. They are adaptable and somehow manage to give their best in times of crisis. Indeed, in a way it was miraculous: all the divisions that had plagued our society for millennia were suddenly set aside and, with the latest resources available, the lux, the liquid light, the only weapon capable of destroying Sheol’s darkness and the shadows that move inside it was discovered. Little is known of those days, except that it was too little too late. The humans who had survived were too few to claim back a world that had become boundless and alien.

Thus, the Citadel became humanity’s new home and new hope. Light for us is everything. It is what stems the tide of shadows, which allows us to warm ourselves, what feeds our machines, and brings life to our homes. In every level of the Citadel, even the upper ones where the wealthier classes live, every human being strives to preserve the light. Some of the beautiful areas of the Citadel or the efficiency of its greenhouses sometimes fool us into believing that we are self-sufficient, but the truth is that our resources are limited. The shadows are waiting for our lights to go out or the lux reserves to end.

Periodically, scout groups must leave the Citadel and head out in search of spare parts or other vital resources that we cannot produce directly to ensure the survival of the Citadel. Many do not return. Fewer and fewer individuals volunteer for expeditions.

Ours is a constant struggle against the darkness that holds us hostage, and every day becomes a more deadly challenge.