(27) A New Era of Safety

 

Contents

A Night in Svenda: Redefining Safety

The streets of Svenda basked in a calm they had not known for decades. Streetlights cast a warm glow on the cobblestone paths, while young women strolled freely and lightheartedly through the city center. Some wore headphones, lost in their music, while others laughed and chatted in groups. The notion of potential danger seemed to no longer have a place in their lives.

Since the introduction of the ring, the nighttime city was no longer a zone of uncertainty but a haven of freedom and trust. Gone were the days when pepper spray in a handbag or a wary glance over the shoulder were constant companions. Women in Svenda moved as they were always entitled to: confident, safe, and full of life.

Mia, a 25-year-old student, was heading home after a movie night with friends. Her route took her through a park that had once been deemed unsafe. But that evening, she walked leisurely, relishing the cool night air, even pausing for a moment to admire the full moon.

“I never would have dared walk here alone before,” Mia thought. “But tonight, I feel free. No one lurks in the shadows, and no one would dare harm me.” The ring had not only altered men's behavior but also healed the psyche of women - the constant fear that had once accompanied them was gone.

At a street corner, Mia encountered a group of young men who courteously stepped aside to let her pass. One lowered his gaze respectfully, while another greeted her with a friendly “Good evening.” This new normal was not a facade but the result of profound societal transformation.

Women like Mia had reclaimed their rights - rights that should never have been negotiable. The ring, invisible in everyday life, acted as an unseen shield that required neither weapons nor aggression.

As Mia reached her apartment and closed the door behind her, she felt a gratitude she could hardly put into words. “This is not a revolution,” she thought, “this is justice.”

The night in Svenda was silent - and full of new possibilities.

Anna’s Nightly Walk: Reflections on a New Freedom

The moon hung high in the sky, and the streets of Svenda lay still and peaceful. Anna walked her dog, a playful Labrador named Luna, along her usual path through the park. The cool night air felt liberating, a symbol of the safety Anna now took for granted.

But as she loosened Luna’s leash, memories of the time before the introduction of the Ring of Virtue surfaced. Back then, a walk like this - alone and at night - was a risky endeavor. Every dark corner, every shadow had made her heart race. The mere thought of encountering a man had made the hairs on her neck stand on end. Had he looked at her for too long? Was that smile friendly or a warning? The uncertainty had permeated every movement; fear had been an invisible companion.

Anna involuntarily shook her head at these memories. “What an undignified life we lived back then,” she thought. Always prepared, always vigilant - as if they were living in a constant state of emergency. The burden of protection had rested solely on women’s shoulders, while men moved unchallenged, wielding their power.

But those days were over.

Tonight, Anna walked with a sense of superiority through the streets. If a man dared to look at her for even a moment too long, he would immediately feel that he had crossed a boundary. The ring - unseen but omnipresent - would bring him to his senses without delay. More than that, the very thought of harassing a woman had been erased from men’s minds. Even the idea seemed unbearable to them, not just because of the consequences, but because they had learned to internalize respect for women.

Anna paused at a park bench, letting Luna sniff around, and gazed into the darkness. “How wonderful it is just to be,” she thought. “No fear, no caution, no wondering if my behavior might ‘provoke’ a man.”

If any man were still guided by old patterns, the ring would swiftly and unmistakably correct him. This control - precise, efficient, and just - was a masterpiece of progress. Women no longer had to adapt or justify themselves. Men, once offenders or potential offenders, were now passive participants in a new order.

Anna felt a wave of relief wash over her. “This is true freedom,” she thought as Luna playfully nudged her. With a smile, she resumed her walk, accompanied by the certainty that nothing and no one would ever again question her freedom.

Contents