"What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men."
— Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo
Humans—the most conspicuous species on planet Earth. Perhaps the most intelligent, perhaps the most reasonable. Yet within them, reason and greed wage an endless war, creating both progress and destruction.
"So long as there are men, there will be wars."
— Albert Einstein
At first, we believed global warming would bring the end of mankind. But no—it was the opposite. The Gjallarhorn sounded, warning of *Ragnarök and the *Fimbulwinter. A nuclear winter was coming.
The world was moving toward the 22nd century. The year 2100 lay only 23 years ahead. The planet seemed in good shape. No threats to humanity. No climate change. No global warming. Hunger and water scarcity still lingered, but compared to the past, the world was politically and environmentally stable.
Until it wasn't.
The collapse began with the assassination of the president of Lamerica—the most powerful nation in the world. A conflict that had long simmered in silence finally erupted. And just like that, the Third World War began.
As the war dragged on, it reached its breaking point. Nuclear reactors were struck, and more than 120 warheads filled the skies. The world burned.
It was a catastrophe.
The age of men was drawing to a close.