Page 113 of Godslayer
“Unlike open cities, access to RhoXi is strictly regulated. Entry requires an authorized permit, ensuring a carefully maintained environment for its residents and visitors. As a result, few outside the system have ever witnessed the full scale of this urban achievement.”
“Weird,” I say. “But also… familiar.”
“Right? I mean, Tau City was closed too.”
“Yeah.” Meanwhile, the PPD is still spitting facts at us.
“The architecture you see before you is crafted from high-density composite alloys and reflective polymer glass, designed to regulate internal temperatures while maximizing solar efficiency. These towering structures act as self-sustaining ecosystems, with integrated energy grids, automated transport systems, and vertical resource hubs.”
“I don’t think I understood a single word it said,” I laugh.
Finn laughs too. “So strange.”
“The Grand Sprawl is divided into specialized sectors, each serving a distinct purpose. Some districts function as research and development hubs, others as residential enclaves, while key industrial zones keep the megacity running. Every structure, every pathway, and every transport line is part of a greater system—an engineered marvel, designed for efficiency, security, and progress. RhoXi remains dedicated to preserving its rich traditions, maintaining the balance between history and modern advancement. Thank you for visiting RhoXi. Enjoy your visit. And remember,Every Spark Has Its Purpose!"
Finn and I wait a few seconds, almost holding our breath. “Is that it?” I ask. “Is it over?”
“Thank the god,” he says. “Come on, the restaurant is this way. We can look at the city tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” I sigh with pleasure. “We’re gonna stay here over night, Finn. It’s… it’s…”
“Unbelievable? Because that’s what I think it is. We justhopped worlds, Jasina. Do you even understand what that means?”
“No,” I laugh.
“Me either.”
Then we’re giggling like stupid children.
But we don’t care.
After everything we’ve survived over the past several weeks, this is the kind of unbelievable we can live with.
26 - FINN
Jasina and I enter the restaurantgreeted by the low hum of violins and cellos. The song is light, but low. Not quick, but not slow, either. Easy and natural. Like a heartbeat just on the edge of sleep.
“Wow,” Jasina says, stopping just inside the doors. There’s a couple ahead of us talking to the master of the house, but it’s only a few moments of whispered words, and then they are being led deeper into the darkened space.
We step forward, and I’m just about to announce who we are and explain that we’ve got a reservation, when the master of the house beats me to it.
“Mr. Finn, Miss Jasina. Your table is right this way.”
He has a strange accent. Nice. Interesting. But new to my ears. We follow another man deeper into the space, which is intimate, dimly lit, with soft pools of golden light falling over tables set for two. No crowded banquet halls, no swirling gowns brushing past in a rush of movement. Private and peaceful.
Almost too peaceful for the number of people here, because every table we pass is full.
Glancing over at Jasina, I study her. She takes it all in the same way that she does everything new—sharp-eyed andcurious, already weighing it against what she knows. She doesn’t cling to me, doesn’t hesitate, but there’s a flicker of surprise in her eyes as she watches a pair glide across the small dance floor off to the left. Their steps are slow, predictable, almost too easy.
And then the waiter stops in front of a table right up against the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Holy crap,” Jasina whispers.
And holy crap is right. Even though we were just looking at this view—at least, something like it—that was during the sunset, and now it’s dark. Not only that, but we must be facing the other side of the city, because all those towers and buildings we saw a few minutes ago, have disappeared.
In their place is the desert.
Nothing but miles and miles of desert lit up by a soft glow from a full moon hanging low at the edge of the horizon. Shadows and silhouettes of cactus and palm trees contrast against the almost white sand. Most of the area is flat, but there are great dunes off in the distance. Dunes big enough to be mountains.
