Chapter 68: New power, New plans
Caelen stood near the river, watching the waterwheel spin slowly in the morning light. It had only been a day since they got their first lightbulb to glow, but the excitement hadn't faded. Even now, a few villagers stood nearby, pointing and whispering like it was magic.
He couldn't blame them. For people used to fire, candles, and torches, this really was something else.
Zira walked up beside him, brushing her hair back.
"It still feels strange," she said. "Like the water's alive."
"In a way, it is," Caelen replied. "But we've only scratched the surface. This little light? It's nothing compared to what we can do if we build more."
Zira raised a brow. "More?"
He turned to face her, grinning. "Yeah. I want to make a power station."
They met in the town hall later. Garin, Elira, Borin, Dorgrim, and Tikka were all there, sitting around the table.
Caelen pointed to the blackboard behind him. He had drawn something on it with charcoal—rough shapes of buildings, wheels, and wires.
"This," he said, tapping the board, "is a power station. Basically, a bigger version of what we already made. More wheels, more magnets, more wires."
Borin squinted. "You saying you want us to carve ten of those damn wheels?"