The morning of July 12th, 2026 began like every other.
Workers crossed the immaculate streets beneath the silver towers of the capital, and Seraphyne patrols watched from elevated walkways. Humans hurried between assignments with their eyes lowered.
Ivory was inside, and she played Peekaboo with Lyra, who laughed and clapped her hands.
There was only routine and order --- until one voice shattered the silence.
It came from the plaza outside the eastern government district in Pennsylvania.
A young man named Valen Mercer climbed onto an abandoned transport crate. He couldn't have been older than thirty. He sported dark hair and his robe -- no silver or gold, just another ordinary human in the eyes of The Seraphyne.
Humans noticed and gathered around him -- their quiet conversations and mutters had gone silent. Workers, adults, teenagers, and elderly people hunched together as children hid behind their parents. Some took out their phones and recorded him.
"How long are we supposed to kneel?"
Other humans walking slowed once they saw Valen and looked at him.
Some kept walking while others stopped and joined the crowd.
The man pointed toward the massive white government complex overlooking the city. "They ---- The Seraphnye ---- tell us this is peace."
His voice echoed through the square.
"They attacked us and took away our lives. They took our governments and our homes. They tell us where we work and what we are allowed to wear, what we can say and not say."
His jaw tightened.
"This isn't peace. It's occupation," The man scoffed. "It's Totalitarianism! My name is Valen Mercer, and I will not bow. Not to The Seraphyne, or any silver or gold! I will not bow to the humans that accept The Seraphyne's corrupt nature!"
Someone clapped.
Then another.
Soon dozens joined and voices rose. Then, they had begun to chant:
"Earth belongs to humanity!"
We won't kneel!
We won't kneel!
Earth belongs to humanity,
We won't bow down to Blue!"
The sound spread through neighboring streets, and within minutes— the recording was streaming online for the entire world to see, and people started screaming and protesting.
Ivory watched the live broadcast inside the mansion. The news titled the headline: Humans -- protest over 'lack of justice.'"
Several screens had automatically switched to the emergency news feed.
She stepped closer.
"So many people..."
The protest had spread. Hundreds of humans gathered beyond the gates. They were not attacking just shouted their chant and demanded answers.
Ivory thought the entire situations was madness.
Then, Valen was on the TV. Ivory leaned closer to the screen.
Valen was still speaking. "We're still human! We deserve our own future!"
"Yeah!" she heard people chant from the screen.
Ivory had determined that madness wasn't the word anymore, it was insanity. They had no idea what Blue would do to them. They underestimated him.
The issue worsened when Ivory heard a rowdy crowd of people outside her window. In the quiet suburbs of Upstate New York, it suddenly sounded like New York City.
She held onto Lyra and moved the curtain, and was met with the sun outside and hundreds of people outside the mansion. Her mouth dropped, and Lyra began to stir in her arms. There was an angry mob outside her window, hundreds of feet from her window, and they had their fists in the air and sported signs.
Their chant was now an everlasting ringtone in Ivory's ears.
"Earth belongs to humanity!
We won't kneel!
We won't kneel!
Earth belongs to humanity,
We won't bow down to Blue!"
Lyra started to cry.
As Ivory stared to sooth her, Seraphyne security arrived.
"It'll be okay, Lyra," Ivory said gently to Lyra, who looked up at her and gave her a blank stare. "They're mad at daddy; this is what people do when they feel that there is a big injustice."
Ivory wasn't sure if Lyra had understood her or not. Lyra just turned to peer out the window, and Ivory just observed what was happening and what would take place.
Black armored transports descended to the ground. Then, White-armored soldiers stepped into formation.
That didn't intimated the humans -- the chanting continued.
Lily burst through the door. "They're everywhere!" Lily gasped.
"How did they find out where we live?" Ivory asked.
"Beats me," Lily took a deep breath. "All I know now is that Blue is gonna have lot of people to punish," Lily looked out the window and opened the balcony door.
"Lily wait," Ivory began.
Lily stood on the balcony and people stopped chanting and lowered their signs and fists.
Lily stared at them for a few more seconds, then spoke. "You guys now have the chance to leave this property. Blue is ruthless; when he catches you, he won't show mercy!"
The humans started chanting again and The Seraphyne and humans started fighting outside. Ivory couldn't believe a huge fight had begun in her backyard. It didn't last long as The Seraphyne soldiers were stronger and were able to arrest the protestors.
The protestors screamed at the Seraphyne, who only laughed, threw the humans into the black transporters, and flew far away from the mansion.
Ivory took a deep breath as Lyra stopped crying and began to self-sooth. The next few days would be interesting, for sure. Blue ran the world, which meant that the protestors would face him and his justice system, and Ivory knew what that meant for them.
If only they had taken Lily's warning.