Six in the morning.
The residential district's lights came on right on schedule.
The once-dim corridors gradually brightened.
Light strips hidden inside the ceiling slowly increased in intensity, simulating the process of sunrise.
Most underground districts in the Northveil Directorate used the same design.
Although they could not have real sunlight, people who lived underground for long periods still needed a stable circadian rhythm.
So lighting became another form of sunrise.
Irina opened her eyes.
There was no alarm clock.
No one came to wake her.
Her schedule had always been regular.
Especially when she had no assignments.
She woke up at almost exactly the same time every day.
The room was quiet.
The soundproofing was good.
She could only faintly hear the low hum of heating equipment operating somewhere in the distance.
She lay there for a while.
Then she sat up and looked around the room.
This was her home.
Or rather,
the place where she currently lived.
The room was not large.
It was a standard single-person apartment.
One bed.
One wardrobe.
One desk.
One chair.
The bathroom was in the corner.
Other than that, there were no unnecessary facilities.
No living room.
No kitchen.
No dining room.
Not even a shower room.
People visiting the Northveil Directorate for the first time were usually surprised by this.
But the locals did not think there was anything wrong with it.
Because these places had never been designed for comfort.
They were designed for survival.
Heating required energy.
Hot water required energy.
Building space required energy.
Everything ultimately became an expense.
Over the decades,
the Northveil Directorate had developed its own way of life.
Anything that could be handled centrally
would never be handled separately.
Anything that could be supplied collectively
would never be left for individuals to provide themselves.
Therefore, most residential units only had the most basic functions.
People ate at cafeterias.
They showered at public bathhouses.
They did their laundry at public laundry facilities.
This saved a tremendous amount of energy.
For a country with limited resources,
it was the result of countless calculations.
Irina had long since grown accustomed to it.
Wake up.
Wash up.
Make the bed.
Change into her school uniform.
The entire process took less than fifteen minutes.
She opened the wardrobe.
Took out her coat.
Then glanced at the electronic clock on the wall.
6:20.
Perfect timing.
She had no work today.
In theory, it would be an ordinary school day.
Of course,
the phrase "in theory"
was not always reliable.
Especially for her.
Irina picked up her schoolbag
and opened the door.
There were already quite a few people in the corridor.
Some were getting ready for work.
Some were heading toward the mining districts.
There were also students hurrying along on their way to school.
The door next to hers opened at the same time.
A middle-aged maintenance worker stepped out.
When he saw Irina, he smiled and nodded.
"Morning."
"Morning."
"No assignment today?"
"Not for now."
"That's good."
"Hopefully it lasts until tonight."
The maintenance worker immediately laughed.
"Looks like you know that's impossible too."
The two of them walked toward the elevators together.
Conversations like this were common in the residential district.
Everyone knew each other.
They also knew what everyone else did for a living.
There was no need for deliberate small talk.
A few casual words were enough.
As the elevator descended,
several more people entered.
One of the miners, an older man, saw Irina and immediately said,
"Thanks for last time."
Irina paused.
"For what?"
"The freezing problem at the mining district."
"It was already resolved."
"Oh."
Only then did she remember.
That had been several months ago.
The mining equipment had malfunctioned,
and she had been temporarily assigned to deal with it.
Once the matter was over, she had forgotten about it.
But the man clearly remembered.
The miner smiled and waved his hand.
"Anyway, thanks."
The elevator doors opened.
Everyone went their separate ways.
The streets outside were already becoming lively.
White steam rose from the heating pipes.
Transport vehicles slowly passed through the streets.
In the distance, students could be seen walking toward school in groups of two or three.
There was none of the congestion found in bustling cities.
Yet there was a sense of stable order.
As if the entire district were one large family.
Everyone knew what they were supposed to do.
And everyone knew why they worked.
A few minutes later,
Irina arrived at the district cafeteria.
Breakfast time was always the busiest.
There were already plenty of people waiting in line.
The air was filled with the aroma of hot soup and bread.
The middle-aged women behind the serving counter moved with practiced efficiency.
There was almost never a long wait.
When it was Irina's turn,
the woman serving breakfast looked up.
A smile immediately appeared on her face.
"You're here?"
"Yeah."
"The usual?"
"The usual."
The woman skillfully prepared Irina's breakfast.
Then, as naturally as breathing, she added another spoonful.
Irina looked down at the tray.
Silence for two seconds.
"Auntie."
"Hmm?"
"You gave me extra again."
"You're still growing."
"I'm sixteen."
"And sixteen isn't a child?"
"..."
"Besides, you're too thin."
The people waiting behind her could not help laughing.
Clearly, everyone had seen this scene before.
Irina tried to protest.
It was completely useless.
In the end, she could only carry her tray away.
She found her usual seat and sat down.
Not long after,
an elderly man beside her spoke.
"How's the exam preparation?"
Irina's movement paused slightly.
"Not bad."
"So you didn't prepare."
"..."
The old man nodded in satisfaction.
"Just like last year."
Laughter came from around them again.
Irina lowered her head and continued eating.
She decided not to participate in the discussion.
More and more people filled the cafeteria.
Some talked about equipment upgrades in the mining districts.
Some discussed the government's latest announcement.
Others complained about the difficulty of their exams.
Various voices mixed together,
yet somehow never became irritating.
Most people here knew each other.
Many had known each other for more than a decade.
Such an environment might have been rare in other countries.
But in the Northveil Directorate,
it was completely normal.
After finishing breakfast,
Irina left the cafeteria.
She headed toward school.
The school was not far from the residential district.
It took about ten minutes on foot.
Quite a few students had already gathered at the school gate.
When they saw her,
some waved.
Some nodded.
Others looked surprised.
"You came today?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I thought you disappeared again."
"That's called carrying out an assignment."
"Close enough."
Several people around them laughed.
Irina did not bother explaining.
She entered the school building.
When she reached the classroom,
the teacher was already there.
Seeing her, the teacher pushed up his glasses.
"Not bad."
"What's not bad?"
"At least you showed up today."
The classroom immediately erupted in laughter.
Irina returned to her seat.
She opened her textbook.
Her grades were actually quite good.
Her attendance, however, was always a problem.
Sometimes she attended classes normally for two consecutive weeks.
Other times, she would suddenly disappear for several days.
Yet every time, she had official leave approved.
The teacher could not even find a reason to criticize her.
So all he could do was keep reminding her.
The morning classes soon began.
Mathematics.
History.
Environmental Science.
Everything was no different from usual.
Until noon.
The bell rang.
The students poured toward the cafeteria.
Irina followed the crowd.
After lunch,
she was about to return to the classroom building
when her communication terminal suddenly vibrated.
She lowered her head.
The caller ID made her pause.
Government Administrative Center.
She answered.
A familiar voice came through.
"We have an assignment."
Irina stopped walking.
"What kind of assignment?"
"Come to the administrative building."
"Pollution control?"
"No."
"Equipment maintenance?"
"No."
"Investigation?"
"Not that either."
Irina began to suspect something.
"Then what is it?"
There was a two-second pause on the other end.
The person seemed to find it strange as well.
Then they said,
"A reception assignment."
The air fell silent for a moment.
"What?"
"A reception assignment."
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because your age is suitable."
Irina became even more confused.
"My age?"
"A VIP has recently arrived in the Northveil Directorate."
"Their age is close to yours."
"The administrative department believes it will be easier for people of the same age to communicate."
Irina remained silent for a long time.
She had handled pollution.
Investigated accidents.
Participated in environmental projects.
She had even dealt with sealed facilities.
But this would be her first time acting as a guide.
"What about the information?"
"Pick it up at the administrative building."
"What about my afternoon classes?"
"Your leave has already been arranged."
"..."
"Be here in half an hour."
The call ended.
Irina stared at the screen of her terminal.
For a long time, she said nothing.
She had a feeling that things were becoming stranger and stranger.
In the end, she sighed.
Then turned around
and left the school.
She headed toward the administrative building.
Meanwhile,
at the border of the Northveil Directorate,
a transport aircraft slowly descended.
The cabin door opened.
Cold wind rushed into the aircraft.
Lucian stood by the window,
looking at the snow-covered land in the distance.
This would be his first time setting foot on the territory of the Northveil Directorate.