I take the elevator down to the Admin level. The doors open to the ever-present drone of drills, saws, and hammers, but the place is coming together day by day. Auggie’s row house has been converted into a construction management office, where he facilitates our external processes with human vendors, bankers, and shipping companies. We’ve depended on our retired staff members—who look old enough to pass as contractors—to handle our supply runs, rent construction equipment, and sign off on deliveries to our warehouses up top, while Fleur and I are coordinating the restoration efforts down here.

I weave around a set of tall ladders in the gallery. Craning my neck, I find a team of Seasons and Handlers repainting the fresco that was damaged in the quake. I can’t help but notice that the faces of Chronos, Ananke, and Gaia look a little like me, Kai, and Fleur. The Seasons on the ladders grin mischievously down at me, paint smeared on their smocks and their faces. I shake my head and smile back at them. I’m going to have a hell of a time convincing Julio this wasn’t my idea.

Maybe he won’t notice. He and Marie spend most of their time supervising the training and orientation program for new Seasons. Handlers who lost their Seasons during the storms have been given the option to become Seasons and be assigned regions of their own. Marie was reluctant about the idea at first, but Chill was adamant that it could work. Already familiar with our world and their roles, the new Seasons were quick to adapt and eager for the opportunity to live part of the year up top.

Meanwhile, Amber’s taken charge of the new Guard, whose primary responsibility is the health and welfare of Seasons and Handlers worldwide. Poppy manages Season Relations, and Chill’s become acting director of IT. Together with Amber, they track the flow of Seasons in and out of the Observatory, scheduling peaceful handoffs between them and arranging transport home when their time is up. Chill’s team monitors the freed Seasons who chose to live up top, deploying an emergency response team to handle compliance issues as they arise.

It’s not all sunshine and roses. There are squabbles from time to time, and even with all our collective magic, we can’t avoid every storm. But we face them down together, as a community. As a family. Cleaning up our own aftermath is all part of the growth.