"I'll see you in a few days?" Caitlyn asked the following m, her eyes gleaming hopefully as she met Orion's gaze. She was ba her usual white and royal blue Kiramman outfit, a satchel slung over her shoulder carrying books.

  Orion nodded. "Within four or five days, give or take."

  He wore his old tattered clothes beh his iic jacket, though it appeared suspiciously . "I'll have to fix that," Orion thought, a pang of guilt hitting him for the servant's hard work.

  Caitlyated, taking a small step forward, her arms outstretched awkwardly as her gaze darted nervously. Orion raised an open hand, halting her mid-motion. Her eyes snapped up, fusion and hurt bined, her expression silently asking, "Why?"

  "Your mother would kill me if you started that now," Orion said ftly, keeping his hand raised and a deadpan expression. Cassandra was standing at the marance, after all. She stared at their iion, frowning with disapproval upon witnessing Caitlyn's awkward as.

  As if to curse Orion, Caitlyn's gaze dropped briefly before ag true to her disobedient and defiant nature, on par with Vi. She stepped forward anyway, hugging Orion tightly, perhaps too tightly due to her nervousness, knowing this was an unspoken taboo for her mother.

  "Fuck," Orion cursed internally, his deadpan stare locked with Cassandra's terrifyingly sharp gre. He could almost see the veins on her forehead threatening to pop, despite his arms awkwardly wide and avoiding any physical reciprocation.

  "Yoing to kill me," Orion grumbled through a strained breath.

  "I know. sider it a parting gift." Caitlyn replied smugly, before breaking away into a quick stride dowreet without looking babsp;

  Cassandra didn't speak. Orion doubted she could with how distorted her expression seemed. Instead, she gave him a curt, sharp nod, silently anding him to leave. He happily obliged, about-fag and making his way toward the bridge.

  "That's week's problem," Orion mused, chug softly once he was out of sight.

  -------------------

  Before even crossing the bridge, Orion ducked into an alleyway and smeared himself with mud and dirt. , in the Uy, marked you as a mert, someoh wealth, or worse- a topsider. Regardless, it made you a target.

  "Vi and the others are expeg me tomorrow," Orion reminded himself, making his way back to his house to grab the third ammo round. From there, he headed down into the Sump district.

  "Why didn't the servants or Kirammans ask about the gun?" Orion thought as he walked, bemused. They ed his clothes, but didn't fiscate his on or question him. "It's uling- but I should be thankful."

  Factorywood, just like Bonscutt Pump Station, Dredge Prison, and Zaun's Asylum, were trated on the west side of the Sump level. Most of your notorious pces, horror stories and tragedies, were located there. The east side taihe slightly more humane areas such as the Slums, Bck Lanes, and ercia Fantastica.

  Factorywood wasn't a single factory, but a byrinth of closely packed together industrial buildings with pools of liquified chemtech materials, sewage, and hly toxic materials.

  Orion stood out like a sore thumb. Down here, there was no color, no individuality. Everyone was buried beh yers of soot, biproducts, and wastage. A brief g Orion- the distinct colors of his brown jacket and underys- marked him as an outsider. The sharp and unfriendly gres from passersby told him in unspoken words, "You don't belong here."

  It wasn't long before twe men, their , bouyled clothing starkly trasting with the enviro, approached him. Fearful and hateful gnces of the workers followed.

  "'C''s waiting." One said curtly, holding out a brown sack. "Put this on."

  "Geh-" Orion grumbled under his breath. There wasn't much point talking, gng up at the taited impatiently with one mission in mind. Resigned, he took the sad put it over his head.

  Even with two of 'C''s thugs guiding him, Orion was unnerved. Having his vision cut off in such a hostile enviro, paired with the tinuous assault to his remaining senses, left him tense and apprehensive. Every step felt uain, his instincts screaming at him.

  g!

  The sound of a metal door smming open reverberated around him. The air became lighter, and the temperature rose noticeably, trasting with the oppressive tone from outside.

  More metal doors creaked open in succession. Orion could deduce that ohe way, while the other kept a firm grip on Orion's shoulders, guiding him in the right dire.

  Finally, a st metal droaned opened, and the air shifted again, being strangely - almost fresh- and carrying ahy uone.

  "Flowers," Orion muttered, sniffing the air. The air mingled with the faint, natural aroma and perfume of nature, throwing him off banpletely. For a fleeting moment, it felt like he wasn't in Zaun anymore, but baear the ke training with Caitlyn and Greyson.

  Orion heard the faint shuffling of feet, then sack came off, and he was temporarily blinded as his eyes struggled to adjust to the light- and the shog se.

  It was remi of the menagerie greenhouse, but in far more untamed and in wild abundance. Lumi algae g to every surface, casting an otherworldly glow. Trees, vibrant and alive, scattered the space. A grand gss roof arched overhead, refrag light in a vibrant dispy onto blooming flowers and dense, colorful bushes that dotting the se.

  "Beautiful, isn't it?" A humming voice resounded from beside him, calm yet pierg in its fidence.