Dante walked the school halls as the bell rang, students in uniform drifting past him. The uniform was a crimson blazer with the school's emblem, a golden feather embroidered on the left breast pocket. Beneath the blazer, boys wore crisp white button-up shirts with stiff collars and a dark crimson tie bearing gold diagonal stripes. Matching black slacks completed the outfit, ending with polished black shoes.

  The girls' uniform mirrored the boys' with slight variations, skirts replacing slacks. White knee-high socks completed the look.

  Despite the school's efforts to maintain uniformity, students found subtle ways to express themselves—rolled sleeves, loosened ties, and the occasional unauthorized accessory.

  Some students chatted in groups, others hunched over, playing with holographic images projected from their smartwatches or other devices, zoning out in their own bubbles.

  Dante stopped next to a window and stared out.

  The city stretched before him beyond the glass.

  Rebirth City, the city of the new world—the better world.

  Or so they say. The school echoed that promise with its perfectly spaced trees, winding roads, and pristine lampposts.

  Dante’s eyes drifted from the well-manicured grounds to the distant view beyond: houses, streets, and great walls.

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  War has taken its toll on this world.

  Blue Star once was filled with great beauty, but now…

  It wasn’t some post-apocalyptic wasteland. People still lived out there, past the walls. But the further you got from the cities, the more the world looked like it was getting there. I heard in some parts of the world it damn well looks like it is. Though those parts aren't talked about, they’re there, filled with lawlessness and corruption.

  Or at least, any law they have is fragile.

  The walls were built with steel and cement, and the city was built to project hope.

  I wonder what the truth of this city really is. Though I wonder if it has already been lost.

  Perhaps many truths exist, and it is not as simple as a single truth.

  Rebirth was one of nine cities. The governments of the world had joined hands and pooled their resources. Cities designed as a compromise—built to end wars once and for all. No more countries, just nine cities.

  Of course, this built its own conflict. The collective councils of each city competed with one another.

  Culture is both mixed in and taken out of this city. Those who came here, those who were accepted, and those who had their cultures blended in. But these schools don’t teach the cultures of the old world. They try to teach us that our loyalty belongs to the city.

  …

  History never changes. It’s just reskinned.

  Food that once belonged to the anvils of time, forgotten for a decade, only to be reintroduced as if it were made here.

  A promise of equality.

  Catnip for the common people.

  But those who hold the truth of history wield the power that will always elevate them above others, the truth of the world.

  Dante sighed and continued on. The hallways had thinned out now. Most students were already in their classes.

  History class was next. Dante had no interest in the false history taught by the city.

  “Well, looks like I’ll get another nap in before gym,” he yawned as he opened the door to his classroom.

  zzz