MasukThe two tradespeople didn’t interact directly, but there was no tension. They were neighbors, working under the same sky, trying to get through the same uncertain week.Two children ran through the street, one barefoot and carrying a string of copper wire, the other wrapped in patched fabric. They s
The room was functional and plainly arranged, with no microphones or press in sight. A long oak table, faintly scented with polish, stretched between two rows of mismatched chairs pulled from various offices. Some were padded, others worn and bare, but all showed signs of regular use. They served th
Later that evening, Richard stood alone in front of the kingdom. The palace balcony was quiet, the air still, the camera feeds already live. He didn’t need to clear his throat or raise his hand for silence. Everyone was already watching.“There is no scandal,” he said. “Amelia and I are building a l
AmeliaThe first thing I heard after Simon cleared me for public release wasn’t congratulations or relief. It was a rumor that traveled faster than any official update. The leak had already spread across the capital, carving its way through headlines and private messages before I even sat up.It was
AmeliaI woke slowly, with a strange calm pressing in around me. The light was soft and low, the kind that told me it was either early morning or someone had dimmed the room on purpose. The sheets beneath me were stiff and tucked too precisely to belong to a normal bed, and the sterile smell of anti
“You’re sure?” I asked, too full of everything to say anything else.She didn’t even hesitate. “I've never been more sure of anything.”I swallowed hard and wiped my thumb under her eye, catching the dirt and moisture there.“You’re doing great,” she told Simon, like she wasn’t the one lying in the







