OAKHAVEN
Three weeks had passed since the fall of the Spire.
The outer forest base, once just a hidden network of damp underground bunkers, had transformed into a thriving, bustling sanctuary. Thousands of people had left the concrete walls of Oakhaven to join the Echoes in the green wilderness. Simple wooden cabins were being built among the ancient pine trees, smoke rising peacefully from stone chimneys into the cool afternoon air.
There were no cameras here. There were no grey uniforms, no heart-rate monitors, and no Selection Day tests to decide who was worthy of a future.