Chapter 1:
When Clouds Have Cried
The hum of levicita-powered machinery reverberated through the control room as Calen adjusted the dials with practiced hands. His dark brown hair fell messily over his forehead, but he didn’t bother to push it back. He was used to it by now. The soft, steady sway of the floating island beneath him was a reminder of how fragile their existence was, even in a world powered by the strange, weightless mineral known as levicita.
Aeris wasn’t just any floating island. It was the jewel of the sky, the city of progress and power, a technological marvel suspended in the air by levicita’s manipulation of gravity. The island floated high above the clouds. Its massive shape outlined against a clear sky. The city sprawled across the land, with sleek buildings and gleaming roads that twisted around one another like the veins of some enormous creature. Aeris was a city built on luxury, a testament to humanity's greatest achievement.
But as Calen’s eyes flicked over the controls, a familiar sense of unease stirred in his chest. His fingers hovered over the sensitive system, adjusting the levicita flux stabilizers that ensured the island maintained its balance. The lake—massive and glistening in the heart of the island—was almost at its peak. Once it reached the top, the island would dip lower to release the water and ensure its path toward the lower territories. For all its beauty, Aeris was a fragile thing, held together by delicate calculations. Too much weight could send it tumbling.
“Calen, are you almost done?” A voice broke through his focus, and he looked up to see his colleague Rion, wiping sweat from his brow. “Tonight’s the Festival! You’re not planning to skip out on it, are you?”
Calen paused for a moment before responding. “Just finishing up,” he said. “Give me a few more minutes.”
Rion shook his head, a grin tugging at his lips. “You’re always so serious. It’s just a party. The levicita systems won’t let the island fall.”
Calen didn’t respond immediately. He was too focused on the adjustments in front of him. They had to be perfect. Aeris wasn’t just any island. It was a key point in the political web of floating islands, the heart of a fractured society. Control of the island meant control over the flow of water from its great lake—and with it, the fate of both the floating and earthbound territories.
Due to the weight of the class gap, the lower islands—those nearer the surface—had always been poorer. Both among people who lived in the sky and between floating islands and the earth below, the wealth and power of Aeris had always caused conflict. One of those lesser islands, a little, undeveloped rock of a place that scarcely rose above the clouds, was where Calen had been born. He recalled the destitution and the never-ending battle for survival. He didn't find a spot on Aeris until he had succeeded in getting away.
But even now, in the heart of the floating city, he couldn’t escape the nagging feeling that no matter how much he worked, he would always be an outsider here. It didn’t matter how much he contributed to the island’s technological brilliance; to the elites of Aeris, he was still just a technician—someone to maintain the machinery but never to share in the power.
“Do you think the council will make a move tonight?” Rion’s voice cut through his thoughts again. “With the water levels rising, there’s a lot of talk about increasing control over the flow. The earthbound territories are getting restless.”
As Calen looked at him, his chest began to tighten. They'll make an effort to further their goals. They always do. The council of Aeris was split between those who wished to keep things as they were and those who wanted to use the island's resources to further their power. One valuable resource that flowed to the areas below was the water from Aeris' lake. Controlling the flow of water was a crucial political instrument as famine and droughts became more frequent in the earthbound regions.
But it wasn’t just the politics of Aeris that weighed on Calen’s mind. There was another matter—Sienna.
He thought of her, the ambitious young woman he had been seeing. Sienna was everything Calen wasn’t: born into one of the wealthiest families of the floating islands, beautiful, poised, and with the world at her feet. She had every intention of climbing the social ladder, and Calen had hoped to join her at the top.
“I don’t know if I’ll go to the festival,” Said Calen quietly. His mind wasn’t on the celebration—it was on Sienna and the uncertainty that clouded their relationship.
Rion frowned disproportionately at him. He asked with a lighthearted chuckle, "Not even for the opportunity to mingle with the elite?" "Calen, you're usually so serious. Take a rest, please. It's the celebration. You deserve it.
Calen's communicator buzzed before he could respond. The word from his boss was unambiguous: the last inspections were required. He needed to concentrate. The island was impatient.
Calls of duty, Calen whispered.
Rion didn't dispute, but his smirk dimmed a little. Yes, I understand. You must be the hero, don't you?
Calen remained silent. He was already making the last adjustments with his hands. When the island lowered to release the water, the water levels had to be precise to prevent any disturbances. The celebration, which was supposed to unite the most influential people on the floating islands, was only a diversion. Ultimately, their power came from the water. It has been all along. And Calen was determined not to allow anything to compromise that.
A few hours later, a stunning, flaming glow filled the sky as the sun sank below the horizon. Reflecting the hues of the sunset, the vast lake at the center of Aeris glistened. Excitement was in the air, and the island was at its height. The city would descend to discharge the lake's water to the landlocked regions below on this festival night.
The festival was about power as much as it was about art, music, and joy. It was an opportunity for the aristocracy to come together, flaunt their rank, and form relationships that would continue for years. It served as a reminder to someone like Calen of how much he still needed to prove and how far he still had to go.
His mind kept returning to Sienna as he stood on the platform and watched the water fall from the top of the lake. Even though they had been together for so many months, it seemed like they were always on the edge of something that would either bring them closer or drive them apart. He couldn't tell which.
At last, Calen had completed his work. Although his shift had been exhausting, the work was essential. After the adjustments were finished, he enjoyed a little period of independence before the event officially began. His mind was still racing with the intricate calculations that kept the island afloat as he moved out from the control room. But tonight, he told himself, he needed to let go of the weight of responsibility. Aeris was more than just a floating island—it was a place for celebration, a place to unwind, even if just for a few hours.
The lights from the nearby buildings cast a gentle, dreamy glow over everything as he strolled through the festival's busy streets. The clinking of glasses, laughter, and the sounds of music filled the air. A feeling of emptiness tore at Calen's chest despite the joyous mood that surrounded him.
He had wished Sienna was present. After all, she had promised. However, she had abruptly canceled on him once more, claiming to have "family obligations."It wasn’t the first time and Calen was aware that this would not be the last. The pattern was too familiar: Sienna, the ambitious and attractive woman, always too busy with her own world to give her all.
He had tried, over and over again, to make it work. He had even suggested they move in together. But she had always brushed him off, telling him she wasn’t ready, or that she didn’t know what the future held. He had always hoped that things would change, but tonight, standing alone among the revelers, he realized that he could no longer ignore the truth. Probably there was no future with Sienna—not for someone like him at least.
With a sigh, Calen pushed through the crowd, his steps slow and aimless. He didn’t know where he was going, or what he was looking for, but he knew he needed to get away from the reminders of the life he couldn’t have. He needed to clear his mind.
As he walked, he passed by booths selling delicate glass trinkets, performers twisting their bodies in graceful, fluid motions, and musicians filling the air with melodic tunes. The colours, the music, the people—everything about the festival was meant to distract, to fill the empty spaces left by the pressure and uncertainty of life on a floating island. But that night, it felt hollow.
Then he happened across her, as if by chance.
A young girl. She wasn’t like the other performers. Standing still at a stage, playing familiar tunes. She was different. She stood in the center of an open space, surrounded by a small crowd that swayed in time with her performance. Calen had only caught a glimpse at first, but something about her made him stop. She was playing an instrument he hadn’t seen before, an intricate creation made from long, curved metal pipes, glowing faintly in the light. The sound it produced was unlike anything he had ever heard, soft and hypnotic, with a rhythm that seemed to pulse through the air and settle in his chest.
It was more than simply the music, though. It was her movements. She was beautiful and flowing as her body moved in rhythm with the melodies. Her dance and music were so captivating that Calen briefly lost awareness of his surroundings.
When her eyes finally met his, they were deep pools of thoughtfulness and something more he couldn't quite put his finger on. Her hair fell down her back like black silk. Although she smiled softly, there was an unmistakable intensity to it, as though during that fleeting moment of connection, she too felt the world calm down around them.
It troubled him as an unexplained sensation settled in his chest. Although it wasn't really love at first sight, there was something more powerful than simple curiosity. The atmosphere between them was intense, as if the entire world had suddenly been silent and the only thing that mattered was the distance between them.
Calen was momentarily unsure of what to do. He hadn't felt his heart beat more quickly in a long time. However, the young girl looked down, her cheeks slightly flushed, before he could even move forward. She swiftly returned her focus to the individuals in her immediate vicinity after the moment had passed.
The incident stunned Calen for a time, and he blinked. He didn't know what it was or why her eyes had had such an impact on him. Even though he had met a lot of people on Aeris, this felt unique. Something about her presence, the serene assurance with which she held herself, made an impression on him.
He shook his head, trying to push the thought away.
Sienna.
He needed to stop thinking about that girl and focus on what really mattered.
But his feet carried him forward, moving almost without his consent, drawn toward her.
She didn’t speak at first, but Calen could sense that she was aware of the subtle tension between them.
"Are you lost?" she said in a quiet although slightly humorous tone.
Calen shook his head and laughed uncomfortably. "Just... wandering," He said. “Although I can't seem to go, I suppose I'm not particularly in the mood for the festival.”
She observed him, and her smile grew. She added, "I understand the feeling," with a tone that seemed to be a mix of understanding and laughter. "You know, sometimes the world is just too much."
Calen nodded, astonished at how normal it felt to converse with her in spite of the festival's pandemonium. That night, he felt his breath returning for the first time.
They stood silently for a short while, the festival noises fading into the distance. The girl's presence was strangely soothing, and Calen began to consider the possibility that he wasn't as alone as he had felt minutes earlier.
Finally breaking the pause, she stated, "My name is Livra," in a quiet yet assured voice.
His voice was a little scratchy when he answered, "Calen."
Something that neither of them could quite identify was ignited between them by the brief encounter. For Calen, however, the attraction was irresistible. Although it wasn't love at first sight, it seemed genuine and, possibly, had the capacity to grow deep.
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