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Synopsis

In a distant future where six meteors have devastated the world, sentient crystalline beings called Gems struggle to survive. These Gems are assigned specific duties to resist assaults by the Lunarians, a species that attacks to fragment and repurpose their bodies as ornaments. Phosphophyllite, nicknamed Phos, is a delicate, inexperienced Gem whose wish to aid their comrades in combat is denied because of their fragility. Instead, Phos is given the seemingly mundane task of creating a comprehensive reference work. Reluctantly taking on this scholarly role, Phos encounters Cinnabar, a bright but isolated Gem condemned to lonely nocturnal watch due to the corrosive toxicity of their form. Moved by Cinnabar’s solitude and exclusion, Phos resolves to discover a meaningful place for both of them within their community. The story follows Phos’s pursuit of usefulness, the search for belonging among the Gems, and efforts to protect friends in a world threatened by predatory Lunarians.