The Founder's POV

Chapter 21: Suffering

Diana entered a vast hall, the floor made of luxurious and expensive wood, and a grand red carpet dominated the path.

The numerous chandeliers above shone their yellow light throughout the space, illuminating everything excellently.

Although the sun was shining outside, the people found the chandelier light more comfortable for their eyes, so the puppets closed the massive red curtain over the window - which was no less than five Yetis tall.

Diana wore a gray bracelet, from which a sturdy thread was connected to another white bracelet.

Cassian wore that white bracelet with his same white clothes. The assisting puppet had given him new clothes this morning and instructed him to bathe and wear them.

This scene was not unfamiliar, as every adult in the hall had a high-quality puppet with them.

Unlike Cassian, most of the puppets were sane and not mentally broken, but they were almost entirely consumed by addiction.

This fruit... its benefits are substantial, but the consequences are far worse...

It's like a direct offer from the devil, buying the soul but in another form. Just one fruit is enough to turn a person's life upside down...

Diana sat on the grand throne at the end of the room between two other thrones; this was her party and her seat.

She had turned eighteen today, and she could finally own puppets in her name.

Her parents sat on the other thrones, looking at her with mixed feelings. She looked just like them with the same brown hair, hazel eyes, and average height.

From her seat, Diana could see her grandfather Adam at the end of the room. Although he had trouble controlling his anger, she loved him very much.

And she loved him even more after receiving that outstanding gift.

Cassian stood behind her throne with the same blank eyes, sadly not pretending...

Her father, Arovan II, stood and began his clichéd speech, the same one he gave at every coming-of-age party for the family.

Diana frowned, but there was nothing she could do since he treated everyone this way; rudeness and arrogance were his second nature.

He couldn't be blamed; he had dozens of children if not more, and he couldn't remember all of them.

People here lived in constant peace; they didn't need to work because the puppets provided everything, giving them free time to do whatever they wanted.

With the decline of all kinds of entertainment technology, activities like reproduction were excellent sources of amusement.

After the speech, the party that lasted for hours began.

Countless amounts of food and desserts were distributed, drinks of all kinds could be seen on the main table, and the working puppets didn't rest for even a second.

In such a great atmosphere, several strange things could be noticed. Groups of teenagers gathered in every corner, discussing various matters.

From the whispers and widespread looks, it seemed Diana's reputation wasn't the best, as only a few spoke to her despite it being her party.

How could this society be complete without childish teenage cliques?

***

Far below Cassian, tens of kilometers or more, there was someone facing a challenging fate, perhaps even more so than him.