Embers of Rebellion
Ash drifted through the cracked streets like confetti at a funeral, coating shattered billboards and scarred murals in fine gray powder. Tiny finches—with mutant plumage—hopped among the rubble, pecking at scraps of paper stamped with the State’s seal. Hidden in the fractured cornices of ruined façades, lenses the size of teardrops swiveled in silent vigilance. […]