Thousands of splashing sounds accompanied the rain as it poured over East Lasea. On that Thursday afternoon, thousands of people rushed to their homes, many bustling in front of 'Ben Fishing Company.' The company only opened on Thursday afternoons to sell fresh seafood to the locals; on other days, they transported their catch to other continents of West, North, South, and Central Lasea via deviation rails. So, on that Thursday afternoon, the locals shopped at one of the best fishing companies in all of Lasea—maybe even all of Fikingtrea—and the workers had no break.
"Warren, get your ass up here! What are you doing down there?" Ben shouted, not out of anger but because the workload was overwhelming.
"Give me a minute!" Warren replied.
"I need your help up here."
"Just give me a minute," Warren insisted, rummaging through his bag.
"Fucking hell," Ben muttered, putting down his knife on the cutting board.
"What are you doing?" Ben asked as he descended the wooden stairs leading to the storage.
"Here, I found it." Warren kissed the letter he had been searching for the past ten minutes.
"What is that?" Ben asked.
"The letter of offer to the best research center in the entire world," Warren said, beaming.
"Central Lasea?" Ben asked.
"Yeah... step two is over. Now onto step three: convincing my parents to let me go."
"What was step one?"
"Getting good grades," Warren replied with a grin.
"So, you're going like Daryll did last year?" Ben asked, packing fish into wooden boxes.
"I think so," Warren replied.
"He never caught up to us. Living his luxury life there while we're working our asses off here."
"I mean, letters don't come with the deviation rails. It would probably take months," Warren reasoned.
"It's been more than a year. Now you're going too. I get it. You two are smartasses, leaving the dumb one behind. That's how it is. I built this place from scratch so we could have a future here as friends."
"You're overreacting. I'll visit," Warren assured him.
"You're off. Try convincing your parents, who have always been against the ones ruling all those places. I'll see you when you fail."
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***
"There's speculation about a new stone... waking up," the butler said as he poured tea for Eldric Alden, who was reading some documents at his mahogany desk.
"You know something about it?" the butler asked.
“Waking up? Are you sure?” Eldric asked, peering over his papers with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, sir,” the butler replied. “There have been murmurs among the scholars and whispers in the guilds. They believe it’s an unprecedented event.”
Eldric leaned back in his chair, pondering the implications. “A new stone… if it’s true... then. Have you sent someone to investigate?”
“Not yet, sir. I thought it best to inform you first.”
Eldric nodded, appreciating the butler’s discretion. “Send word to our contacts in the East and North. We need to confirm these rumors before acting. If it’s true, we must secure the stone before anyone else does.”
“Understood, sir,” the butler replied, bowing slightly before leaving the room.
Eldric turned his gaze to the window, rain streaking down the glass like teardrops.
***
Warren was preparing to leave. He tucked the letter back into his bag and headed upstairs to finish his shift.
“Hey, Warren,” a fellow worker named Anna called out. “You seem distracted. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, just a lot on my mind,” Warren replied, forcing a smile.
“Ben was pretty hard on you earlier. Don’t let it get to you. He’s just stressed.”
“I know. It’s not that,” Warren said. “I got accepted into a research center in Central Lasea. Now I just have to convince my parents to let me go.”
“Wow, that’s amazing!” Anna exclaimed. “Congratulations! But… convincing your parents, huh? That’s going to be tough.”
“Tell me about it,” Warren sighed. “They’re not exactly fans of the central authorities.”
“Well, good luck,” Anna said. “If anyone can convince them, it’s you.”
“Thanks,” Warren replied, feeling a bit more confident. “I’m going to need it.”
***
Warren walked home, the weight of the day's events still heavy on his mind. As he rounded a corner, he spotted Anna approaching from the opposite direction.
"Hey, Warren!" Anna called out, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Hey, Anna," Warren replied, a smile creeping onto his face as well.
They walked together, chatting and laughing about their day. As they reached a quieter part of town, Anna nudged him playfully. "You know, why don't we go check out the underground power stone?"
Warren raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You mean the one that powers all of East Lasea?"
"Yeah, that one!" Anna said, grinning. "I don't really know much about it, but I thought maybe you could explain how it works. It might take your mind off things."
"Sure, why not?" Warren agreed.
They made their way to the entrance of the underground chamber. After descending a series of steps, they found themselves in a vast, dimly lit cavern. In the center of the cavern, a massive, bright yellow stone the size of a boulder glowed, humming softly with energy.
"Wow," Anna breathed, her eyes wide with wonder.
Warren smiled, his enthusiasm evident as he began to explain. "This is the power stone. It's what provides electricity to all of East Lasea and powers up all the rails around here. The stone is connected to the entire infrastructure through a network of conduits and transformers."
Anna listened intently, fascinated by Warren's explanation. "So, how does it work exactly?"
"The power stone generates energy naturally," Warren continued. "That energy is harnessed and converted into electricity. The conduits distribute the electricity to various parts of East Lasea, powering homes, businesses, and the rail system. It's incredibly efficient and sustainable."
Anna nodded, absorbing the information.
"It really is," Warren said, admiringly gazing at the stone. "It's one of the reasons I want to study stones. They have so much potential to change the world."
They stood there for a while longer, watching the power stone as it pulsed with energy.