At first, no one paid any attention to that tiny spark.
Perhaps it was a little argument with your neighbor, perhaps a flicker of resentment at your boss's behavior, perhaps frustration over unpaid overtime, or perhaps the bitter thought that crossed your mind as you watched those corporate dogs swagger around: Why couldn't I be one of them?
Back home, you scrolled indifferently through the news and ate the cheapest frozen food. Perhaps this was the happiest part of your day. After all, on your way home from work, you had seen those idiots from the Slums rummaging through trash cans for food. You were much better off than they were, but you also wondered why they didn't find work. Did they just not want to?
Just as you walked out of that alley, you overheard that those people from the Slums had actually fled the Federation. You smiled disdainfully, a sense of superiority rising naturally within you. Was the Federation so great? They still had to come to District 25 to dig through trash, didn't they?
You seemed to have forgotten that poor people had no dignity anywhere, whether in the Federation or District 25. Later, once you had eaten your fill, you tossed your trash into the bin, climbed into your little bed, and idly scrolled through the latest news. One headline slipped past: a massive influx of refugees from the Federation had entered District 25.
You paid it no mind and drifted off to sleep.
Soon, another day began. You got out of bed, mentally exhausted, and looked at the breakfast in your fridge that was about to expire. After thinking about your mortgage, you decided to save it for dinner.
Though life weighed on you until you could barely breathe, you could still see a tiny