Third-person POV
Every night, when evening comes, most of the streets around their world, from the quiet Tokyo streets to the ones in Valencia, Bologna, and even the modified mixed-use neighborhoods in the US, Australia, UK, and Canada, were bustling with open lights and life. Most death creatures feared the darkness as a reminder of their atrocious past, so they set up stands filled with hot and cold food and drinks, stands selling handcrafted products that are designed to be biodegradable and reusable, and small game stands like ping pong, hit the can, chess, and board games for anyone who wanted a stroll at night for a few hours. Some hit their nearest street festival after securing a few hours of sleep, while others did so before their slumber. The night was full of life, with some parts of forests nearest to the civilization had Christmas lights and cultural and modern lanterns. Transactions were made with restored currencies and/or items on hand to be traded for.
In Valencia, Ceo, dressed in his fireman's suit, headed to the nearest street festival 1 kilometer from Francisco's home. The spirit of the civilian servant accompanied him. There Ceo ate some Hungarian sausage and paella at a local stand, savoring the flavors a lot. "This area was full of life, Ceo," Francisco said while hovering a few centimeters from the ground.
"Most of us were afraid of the dark because it reminded us of what we had done to you and the rest of humanity," Ceo responded; his voice was tender. "So, some of us came up with this night street festival to be done every night. It's not mandatory; most of us can stay at home and catch their zs."
"I see then…"
Some firemen used their flamethrowers to burn effigies of Spain's hated and oppressive figures, adopting a cultural tradition of it, and to keep the campfires going through the dark.
Meanwhile, one of Ceo's fellow Fahrenheit 451 firemen, Domínguez Peña, was selecting some gelato from a stand of a death creature as a civilian gelato seller. Domínguez had adopted the last name Peña from the dead human who had been owner of a restaurant he now runs. Ceo mentioned that Domínguez wore his fireman suit beneath his apron when doing his work in the restaurant 3 blocks from here.
Francisco was stunned yet amazed.
In Tokyo, Japan, the Grief System turned on its secondary lighting system for Tokyo. The primary one had been surrendered to the Tokyo government. Alleyways and most streets, which were used to have sterile lightings during Kal's reign, illuminated with warmness. Some death creatures as Enforcers and regular civilians set up small stands of food, drink, and entertainment. Even the quietest neighborhoods had a stand every few meters in front of suburban homes. Kai played some arcade games in a local arcade that had food and retail stands in front of it. He was having fun after a hard day in the factory and checking part-time patrol logs in the Bureau of Public Safety and burning incense for the victims at one of the vertical cemeteries. After acquiring a paper nenjago card as a prize, he went to one of the stands and purchased a plate of Takoyaki balls for himself.
He sat down and ate up. Some soy sauce dripped into his Enforcer suit and tie, but he knows he will just wash it tomorrow morning. "David, I am enjoying so much now…" he whispered in the air, "…you said that pork was forbidden in Judaism but believed you should have some from time to time. Your branch of Judaism was moderate, very moderate."
The spirit of the Jewish factory worker appeared warmly and said, "Yes, how's your day?"
"It was fine," responded Kai as the noise of the street festival resonated, "my work in the factory was nice, and I did some checking at the Bureau of Public Safety and burned some incense for you and a couple of others at the vertical cemetery at 6 p.m. To be honest, the incense burned at the 30th floor thickened the floor for a couple of seconds."
"Ah, I see then…" David nodded.
"You know, I used to be taught that noise is bad, and sterile silence is a way for survival," Kai shared. "But, when the spell under Kal-sama broke, it shattered my view and deceived me. I really wanted the noise so I could embrace life in this world more and more. I liked it."
Across the Tokyo Bay, in Chiba City, 25-year-old Chiharu Itō and 16-year-old Mayumi Inoue, both death creatures as Wolf Brigade soldiers of the Jin Roh sector, were playing hit the ball game at one of the city streets. Chiharu had been a soldier who became a city bus driver when off duty. He also had a hobby of playing shogun. Mayumi was a junior soldier who became a high school student in Chiba City when off duty. She also became an origami enthusiast, often selling most of them on the stand near the festival game stands.
"I lost…" Chiharu wailed in mock drama because he can just pay another 100 yen or give an item on hand for another round of 10 balls.
"Try again," Mayumi responded while handing a folded paper crane to a student and accepting a payment of 200 yen.
"I know, I am enjoying the liveliness of individualism," replied Chiharu while sitting down to eat some yakisoba noodles. "It's messy but very beautiful."
"Yes, I hoped the spirits of our victims are seeing this and are lingering in our midst."
"Yeah, I can feel that. I think I'll sleep a few hours before my 5 a.m. gaming session and shift at the bus terminal at 9 a.m."
"Okay, go on, mate."
The night was no longer dreaded; it was transformed into something that Kal would find as chaotic.