Conflict followed humanity like a shadow.
Adam knew this.
He just hadn't expected it to arrive so soon.
The markets appeared overnight.
Colorful cloth replaced leaves.
Perfume replaced gun oil.
Workshops that once forged cannons now produced mirrors and jewelry.
Soldiers quit.
Scientists resigned.
Even Adam's own engineers opened restaurants.
People laughed more.
Ate better.
Slept softer.
And slowly—
they stopped coming to Adam for orders.
They went to Eve.
"Gold," people whispered.
"Trade."
"Freedom."
Words Adam had never taught them.
He banned it immediately.
"Resources belong to civilization—not desire."
Once, that would have ended the discussion.
This time—
nothing happened.
Markets stayed open.
Trade continued.
People bowed when he passed.
Then ignored him completely.
"So this," Adam murmured bitterly,
"is how God felt."
The rebellion came quietly.
Not with weapons—
but paperwork.
That night, thousands surrounded the palace.
Representatives entered calmly.
Respectfully.
Dangerously polite.
"My Lord," one said, presenting documents.
"We request constitutional reform."
Adam blinked.
Constitutional monarchy.
Even the words sounded absurd.
"Eve taught you this?"
Silence answered him.
"You wish to strip my authority?"
"No," the envoy said gently.
"You will remain our symbol."
Symbol.
The word hit harder than any weapon.
Adam laughed.
Long.
Cold.
So this was humanity's gratitude.
He refused.
Of course he refused.
They couldn't kill him.
Death didn't exist.
So humanity invented something worse.
Exile.
The carriage door opened mid-motion.
Adam was thrown into the dust.
Behind him—
his city did not look back.
He lay there laughing.
Until he noticed Irina smiling beside him.
"You think this is funny?!"
"The Lord forbids intervention," she said calmly.
Adam stared at the sky.
Humanity.
His greatest creation.
Had chosen comfort over him.
Footsteps thundered from the forest.
Two hundred soldiers knelt.
"My king," Steel Sixteen said,
"What are our orders?"
Adam slowly stood.
Dust falling from his shoulders.
Eyes calm again.
Dangerously calm.
"What do we do?"
Steel Sixteen grinned.
"We take it back."
Adam smiled.
At last—
something familiar.
War.
"Good," he said.
"Then tonight…"
He looked toward the glowing city walls.
"...human history truly begins."