Unwanted Mate Of The Lycan Kings
Lycan Queen's Prey Chapter 35

~Zirah~

The transition from wilderness to cityscape is almost instantaneous, as if passing through aninvisible wall. Suddenly, we were engulfed by towering skyscrapers, iridescent moving frames onbuildings, and snaking highways teeming with vehicles. I peered out of the window; the limoshielding me from the chaos of the city but not from the sensory assault—lights, sounds, people—so many people.

"Welcome to my kingdom," Zeke announced, his voice tinged with pride and a hint of sorrow.

As the limousine rolled down the street, my eyes were drawn to two towering displays - like TVs buton the sides of buildings. A colorful mishmash of images and symbols move and morph in ways thatseem impossible. "What is that?" I ask, pointing to the technicolor spectacle with its flashing lights."It's a billboard," Zeke explains. His words barely register; my attention is caught by a holographicfigure dancing mid air, its movements so fluid and realistic. I can see tiny details, such as wrinkles inclothing or slight changes in facial expressions as if they were alive! I gasp in amazement as scenesunfold around it—a man walking his dog in nature, an ice-cream sundae with sprinkles that flash—each one more magical than the last.

"Wow!" I breathed, marveling at the incredible sights before us. Zeke smiles indulgently at me andpointed things out, explaining what different things were. Everywhere we went, there were morebillboards featuring bright lights, vivid colors, and awe-inspiring special effects on display foreveryone to see! There were even moving holographic ads for cars driving through busyintersections or floating above busy streets! Not to mention the neon signs and computer-generated displays everywhere one looked!

As we continue driving, I am lost for words - overwhelmed by everything I have seen. This place isso different from anything else I have ever experienced before! It is as if this world were taken out ofa science fiction movie and brought into reality right here in front of me!

As we continue our journey, it becomes clear that Zeke's kingdom is no ordinary city; it is a living,breathing entity, throbbing with life and an undercurrent of hidden sin. Everywhere I look, there isextravagance: lavish apartments rising high into the sky, each balcony flaunting opulence with hottubs and robotic servants. The streets are paved and lined with exotic trees that shimmer with asurreal glow under the city's illuminated lights.

Beneath the gleaming facade, there is also a less charming reality. The city is bursting at its seamswith its citizens; people swarm everywhere like ants in a hive, an unsettling wave of humanity thatseems to have no end. Streets are clogged with pedestrians, sidewalks are crowded, and parks areoverflowing.

The glamor fades further when we reach the city's underbelly; the homeless, their numbersshocking. The city sparkles with a false charm, an illusion concealing the truth of its monstrous size.Once you venture beneath the gleaming exterior, you move into the shadows of despair that hidewithin. The homeless line every corner, alleyway, and subway entrance; their numbers are so vastthat they could drown out the city's radiance. Their faces are haggard; their eyes sunken and cheekshollowed by hopelessness. Begging hands stretch towards those more fortunate, as if to remindthem that they, too, are a part of this landscape.

They are a stark contrast against the glittering cityscape, like smudges on a polished mirror. Thegleaming metropolis is a facade, concealing an unsightly truth. There is no end to the hustlingthrong of people that floods the streets and sidewalks, a monotonous wave of humanity that showsno sign of stopping. The parks have become overgrown with the town's citizens, its beautytarnished by the masses. The city's underbelly reveals a much more disturbing reality.

"What's that?" I pointed to a long line of people waiting outside a nondescript building.

"It's a soup kitchen,” Zeke answers, with a strange expression on his face—a mix of guilt andhelplessness. "The city is prosperous, but not everyone shares in the wealth.”

"But there are so many of them,” I murmur, more to myself than to him. The people in line, I realize,were waiting for a meal, a bare necessity that they could not afford in this city of abundance.

The city continues to unravel before my eyes, each corner revealing a new facet of its character.From soup kitchens to libraries that boasted of knowledge but denied access to those who neededit most, from sparkling avenues of shopping to dank alleyways where people bartered their dignityfor survival, Zeke's kingdom was a disconcerting paradox.

As we journey further into the depths of the city, I catch glimpses of bleakness and despair. Streetcorners are filled with desperate faces, looking for salvation, while others wander hopelessly insearch of a better tomorrow. The homeless sprawl out on park benches, while youths idle on streetcorners, aimless and uncertain. Everywhere there is evidence of entrenched inequality and poverty—a stark reminder that wealth has its limits.

We pass by a bookstore whose entrance is suddenly blocked by security guards. Inside, I can seebooks littering the shelves, an open invitation to all who can afford to purchase them—and yetdenied to those without money or status. Further down the street, a protest is gathering strength aspeople rally against what I have no idea about, and looking at Zeke, I can tell whatever it is saddenshim.

As we continue our drive, the city's sins become more apparent. Zeke's kingdom is indeed akingdom of gluttony, a place where excess and deprivation coexists. A city that doesn't sleep,caught in a cycle of relentless consumption, its pulse throbbing with a hunger that never seems tobe satiated.

In this kingdom, I see both the promise of a prosperous future and the specter of its downfall. Thetowering skyscrapers reaching for the stars contrasted against the people buried under the weightof their unmet needs. And at the heart of it all, Zeke, who, despite his power and position, seems ashelpless as those who beg on the city streets