Earth had changed greatly since the day the first rifts appeared.
The cities of old had not simply been rebuilt after the early invasions. They had evolved.
Glass towers rose beside structures made from Aether-treated metal and pale stone engraved with formations. Elevated trains travelled through the air without touching rails, carried along glowing paths of controlled Aether. Armoured vehicles moved across the roads below, while small flying machines and surveillance artifacts watched the streets from above.
Technology and Aether no longer existed as separate things.
Hospitals used machines to monitor the body and healing formations to repair it. Communication devices connected to satellites, local networks, and System interfaces. Defensive arrays were built into bridges, power stations, government buildings, and even some schools.
The largest cities possessed barrier towers capable of covering entire districts.
