Distant Horizons. View Through the Scope

Betrayal… It hurts terribly. It burns the soul. After the soul is burned, only ash remains. And don’t believe those who say that ash is good fertilizer—supposedly, on soil fertilized with ash, a new crop will grow better. Nonsense! On fertile land… yes! On land burned to the ground… nothing will ever grow! That’s what young Arkady understood—first he was used, and then betrayed by the people he trusted. Betrayed once again. What could possibly grow in a burned-out soul of a man who has nothing left but a shell? Only the Universe knows the answer…