Formation of the Foundation

Betrayal… It hurts terribly. It scorches the soul. After the soul burns, only ash remains. And don’t believe those who say that ash is good fertilizer. Supposedly, in soil fertilized with ash, a new crop will grow better. Nonsense! In fertile soil… yes. But in scorched-to-the-bone land… nothing will ever grow! That’s exactly what a young man named Arkady understood—first he was used, and then betrayed by the people he trusted. Betrayed once again. What could possibly sprout in a scorched soul—when all that’s left is an empty shell? Only the Universe knows the answer to that…