Candlewick Slums

In a crevice of the Great Steppes, the Candlewick Slums are a scattering of makeshift huts stitched together from scavenged metal, torn cloth, and worn wood. Amid the filth and desolation, a single shrine of candles burns day and night, hundreds of wax stubs flickering atop cracked stones and rusted crates. No one speaks of who lights them, but the flame never dies. To the slum’s weary, it’s a quiet symbol of hope, or a warning not to forget what was lost.