Electrostatic veils became a common sight in public spaces, particularly at midday when the rose window released billowing clouds of purified pollen into the air. Light and loose, like beekeeper’s drapes, they formed a barrier against drifting spores and wandering insects—effective, yet unobtrusive.
Distinct groups began to shape Milan’s new reality. There were the Pollenauts, who navigated the city with precision, avoiding pockets of high pollen concentration. The Bee Clerics left small, flower-infused compresses at metro entrances—offerings meant to ease the effects of the airborne abundance. Then there was the Floracoalition, which funded quiet, filtered sanctuaries—spaces where the pollen-sensitive could find respite while upholding the city’s insect-positive-agenda.
The Pollenic Inclusion Infrastructure required every neighborhood to have its own policy. Every building had to meet standards with an approved seasonal plan. Their ventilation systems used natural airflow, but filters kept pollen levels within strict limits—high enough to sustain the new ecology, low enough to avoid overwhelming allergic residents.
Despite these precautions, reactions persisted. Noses streamed. Eyes reddened. There were no fatalities. The compromise was imperfect, but necessary.
In time, even the pollen found its equilibrium.
Children grew up regarding insects as allies instead of pests. They memorized pollen trails like ancient roads, copied the defensive sound of carpenter bees, and stood still as hoverflies investigated their skin.
Insects and humans thrived together.
Entomologists crowded the piazzas as species long thought extinct, reappeared—violet oil beetles, emerald Ichneumonidae wasps, fritillary butterflies rising like miracles from cracks in the asphalt. At night, bioluminescent beetles turned alleyways into glowing corridors. Crop yields doubled through the tireless work of many wings, legs, and mouthparts.
Insects are not guests. They are the system.
With this promise Milan entered its next season—of co-flourishing. The once extractive, polluted landscape that caused the insect apocalypse was not simply reversed. It was forgiven. A rebalancing. A return.