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¨¨¨~==*¤£@ =~= BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL ~== @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ~== ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ~== #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨~==*¤£@## ~== CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED =~= ##@£¤*==~¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# =~= LIKED A MUSHROOM. ==~ #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ==~ WE LOVED IT DEARLY. ==~ @£¤*==~¨¨¨
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¨~==*¤£@## =~= IT PREDATED US BY MANY YEARS, ~== ##@£¤*==~¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ~== AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ~== #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ~== BUILDERS. THEY HAD USED ITS =~= @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# =~= HOLLOW BODY FOR MANY STRANGE ==~ #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨~==*¤£@## ==~ PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF ==~ ##@£¤*==~¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ==~ GESTATION, A STORAGE OF STRAGE =~= #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ =~= FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF ~== @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ~== ARCANE DEITY. ~== #@£¤*==~¨¨
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¨¨~==*¤£@# =~= WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR ITS ==~ #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ==~ PRESENCE, AND HONORED IT THE ==~ @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ==~ ONLY WAY WE KNEW HOW: BY =~= #@£¤*==~¨¨
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¨¨~==*¤£@# ¨== THIS PLACE WE CALLED OUR CITY: ~== #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ~== WAVY AND FRACTURED, WITH EACH =~= @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# =~= COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, ==~ #@£¤*==~¨¨
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¨¨~==*¤£@# ==~ DRAINS. AND SOME PLACES, LIKE =~= #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ =~= THE SPIRE, NOBODY HAD ACCESSED ~== @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ~== FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE ITS WALLS ~== #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨~==*¤£@## ~== ARE JUST TOO HIGH, AND THE =~= ##@£¤*==~¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# =~= INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, ==~ #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ==~ A PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS EASILY ==~ @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ==~ OVERLOOKED. ~== #@£¤*==~¨¨
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¨¨~==*¤£@# ~== SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE =~= #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ =~= FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND =~= @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ==~ CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR ==~ #@£¤*==~¨¨
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¨¨~==*¤£@# =~= PLAY MUSIC ON OUR HANDHELDS. ~== #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ~== INSTEAD WE FOUND VAST LUNGS ~== @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ~== DRAINED OF THEIR CATALYST =~= #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨~==*¤£@## =~= SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO ==~ ##@£¤*==~¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ==~ MAKE SENSE OF OUR ROAMINGS FOR ==~ #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ==~ YEARS TO COME. =~= @£¤*==~¨¨¨
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¨¨¨~==*¤£@ =~= LUNGS STACKED OUTSIDE, AND THE ==~ @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ==~ CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS ==~ #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨~==*¤£@## ==~ FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES =~= ##@£¤*==~¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# =~= FOR RADIATING CONSCIOUSNESS ~== #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ¨== INVITATIONS. ~=¨ @£¤*==~¨¨¨
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¨¨~==*¤£@# ==~ TOPPLED AND EATEN BY MACHINES. =~= #@£¤*==~¨¨
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¨¨~==*¤£@# =~= CONJURED IN ITS PLACE. IT'S A ~== #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ~== TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN =~= @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ~== US, AND WE LET IT BE. OUR ==~ #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨~==*¤£@## =~= JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS FEET. ==~ ##@£¤*==~¨
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¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ==~ BUT THEN WE ARE BETRAYED. THE ~== @£¤*==~¨¨¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# =~= NEW TOWER EATS US. OTHERS ARE ~== #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨~==*¤£@## ~== SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE =~= ##@£¤*==~¨
¨¨~==*¤£@# ~== MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT, ONLY TO ==~ #@£¤*==~¨¨
¨¨¨~==*¤£@ =~= DISAPPEAR IN THE EVENING FOG. ==~ @£¤*==~¨¨¨
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¨¨¨~==*¤£@ ~== FEW TIMES, AND STOP GOING. =~= @£¤*==~¨¨¨
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¨¨~==*¤£@# ==~ SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES =~= #@£¤*==~¨¨
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