Jon, Lyon, and Kirk were standing on the rooftop looking out at the endless waters. The air was stiflingly hot. They had been tasked with growing vegetables, and honestly, they hadn’t expected it to be challenging.

The issue is that after one week, they have not had any luck.

Kain and Amelia had given them everything they needed. The water, soil, and containers are directly supplied. They have installed lattices. There are fabric grow bags; they have come up with a proper drainage system, and the list could go on.

Yet, not even the slightest hint of roots has been seen.

Jon couldn’t understand it.

All the vegetables he chose don’t mind the hot weather and sprout quickly.

"So, what do we do now?" Kirk asked. His hand was covered in soil. He had just dug up the seeds they had planted.

They didn’t show any signs of rot or withering. It was as if they were dormant.

Jon sighed, "We do the only thing we can do. We report it."

Fifteen minutes later, five people stood in the muggy heat staring at soil and seeds that won’t grow.

Kain stared at the soil. He knew nothing about farming. Other than eating the food, he didn’t know how to grow it.

"Did you notice anything different now compared to when you normally grow vegetables?" Kain asked.

Jon shook his head. If there was a difference, it was the heat.

"I can’t pinpoint anything specific. The heat is a bit much, but that doesn’t stop them from growing. It’s simply a matter of ensuring they don’t get too much sun and keeping the soil moist." He reached for the seeds Kirk had dug up earlier.

"But, as you can see, the seeds don’t have any issues. They aren’t sun-bleached, they aren’t rotten, withered. Frankly, the only reason we know they were planted is that we dug them up ourselves."

Jon and his team had no idea how much food was available. They thought Kain asked them to grow vegetables to supplement everyone, so they were incredibly worried.

The only thing that gave them comfort was that the two leaders weren’t panicked. Aside from the small crease in Kain’s brow, there wasn’t a hint of worry in their eyes.

"Let’s assume the plants aren’t the problem," Amelia began, "then what about the soil? All the sea creatures around us have mutated. Why can’t there be a problem with the soil?"

She looked in the direction of the sun. Using her hand to cover her eyes.

"If neither is the problem, then the next issue is the sun."

Jon had thought about the soil as an issue, but so far, he couldn’t find anything. But when Amelia mentioned the sun, his head snapped up. He bit the inside of his cheek.

"We’ve been testing the soil. By all accounts, it’s normal," Jon said. "The only thing we can’t test is the atmosphere."

A feeling of dread washed over Jon. The feeling felt completely out of place, but something told him he might be right.

"Why do you think it’s the atmosphere?" Kain asked, tilting his head with interest

Jon met Kain’s piercing gaze. "It’s like Ms Hartwell said..."

"Mrs Nightfall," Kain replied sternly.

Amelia pinched him. The stern man turned to face her. His icy gaze melted as he met hers.

"Don’t want the name? I can give it to someone else."

His voice was like a spring breeze. There was none of the indifference from when he spoke to Jon.

"You dare," she said, gritting her teeth.

Kissing her on the forehead, he turned back to Jon. The icy mask snapped back into place. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Continue," he gestured.

Jon cleared his throat. "It’s as Mrs Nightfall said. If the problem isn’t the soil or the seeds, the issue is the atmosphere. Rather than the sun individually, I’ve noticed the planet has changed."

"Go on," Kain said, noting his pause.

"I’m not referring to the obvious change. My meaning is the overall changes. The planet is not only shifting, creating new land and forcing other lands together. Gravity is changing on a minute scale. A scale so small that we don’t even notice it. The atmosphere is more oxygen-rich, and other gases appear to be decreasing.

While I cannot confirm, I can tell from the changes in my own body. I have been finding it easier to breathe. Aches and pains that used to bother me before no longer pose a problem. It leads me to believe something is being added to the air."

Kain listened to his analysis and nodded inwardly. He was pleasantly surprised that Jon had noticed these changes. Most people would never think that way.

Most people don’t even notice the overall change in their bodies.

Kain decided that, just for his insight, he would be willing to forgive the gate incident. Half-baldy is already gone, and the gate was still intact, so he can be forgiven.

He can admit that he is petty and he likes to hold grudges. This grudge isn’t a big one, so it can be forgiven easily.

Beside him, Amelia applauded Jon. "Jon Myer, simply amazing. I’m not sure if anyone else has felt it, but you are the first to voice the concerns, and for that, I have to applaud you."

A hint of admiration appeared in Amelia’s eyes. Kain frowned imperceptively, a hint of jealousy in his eyes.

He had just let go of the grudge, and now it’s back. He is well aware that his jealousy is irrational, but he doesn’t care. Who told Amelia to look at him like that?

"My wife is correct. Mr Myer does deserve a round of applause. In all honesty, I don’t have a way to confirm whether this is the reason the seeds’ growth has been stunted, but I can confirm that the planet is completely different.

I hadn’t thought it would affect planting like this. But I’m certain there must be some way to get things to grow. It just requires some more experimentation.

How about trying hydroponics? If that doesn’t work, then we can admit that atmospheric changes are the reason."

"Let’s make sure to keep things between us for now. Advise your colleagues not to say anything relating to the planting issues to others," Amelia advised.

Jon nodded. He wished Kain and Amelia a good day, then turned back to his colleagues to let them know the issue they might be facing.