//Orion PoV//

  Orion sighed, his shoulder sagging uhe weight of the situation.

  At the very least, he wao keep them away until he could figure out what was going on a little more.

  The moment he heard his hough, he instinctively turned his head. Powder was waving at him frantically while holding what looked like an oversized toy gun.

  He raised a fio hush her, but she lost it. Tears, sobbing, the whole dispy of emotions as she violently shoved past everyone and threw herself at Orion in a tight embrace.

  Vi, meanwhile, was still in her own world. Dang and boung- pletely lost in the musid oblivious to her sister's outburst until Powder actally knocked into her.

  "I didn't know! I was only trying to help! I'm sorry!" Powder sobbed into his jacket.

  Instinctively, Vi darted forward, eyes locked on Orion with wariness as she tried to pry her sister away.

  Powder wasn't letting go though, and Orion sighed with defeat. It had been b him before, but now the feeling of guilt was burning like a fire in his chest.

  Orion was going to pat her head like he would in the past, but Vi's aggression spiked. She stepped forward, shoving his chest while pulling her sister bato her arms.

  Vi was scared. Orion could see it in her eyes. She hugged Powder protectively with both arms, but her expression also shifted between fusion and frustration.

  "Powder! Stop! It's not him!" Vi shouted desperately over the music as Powder violently struggled in her grip, trying to break free.

  "It is! Show her, Orion! Please! It's him!"

  "No, Powder! It's not him-"

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  //Vi's PoV//

  Vi's temper fred, fists ched, ready to deck the asshole who bumped into her. But as she bliwice, realizing it owder, she rexed. Panic, however, fred up in its pce.

  'No! This is dangerous!' Vi panicked internally as she stepped forward, trying to pry her sister away. Her eyes locked nervously onto the man, fear surging as she remembered how unfazed he had been in the mines.

  When his hand started to move, Vi's rea was instinctual and spontaneous. Vi couldn't remember what she did herself, but found herself embrag her sister tightly.

  "Powder, stop! It's not him!" Vi shouted desperately, her voice trembling.

  "It is! Show her, Orion! Please! It's him!" Powder yelled as she violently struggled, desperately looking out toward him.

  "No, Powder! It's not him-"

  "Sorry..." Vi and Powder froze as the masked figure lifted his mask, revealing a face that gave haunted dreams and sleepless nights ret.

  Vi's eyes widened, uo find any words as her emotions surged into a violent storm. "What...?" she croaked in disbelief.

  Their eyes locked again. It was Orion. His gaze was gentle and remorseful, and it cut through her like a kirring up feelings she didn't want to face.

  Her grip on Powder weakened, and Powder broke free with a joyful sob. She flung herself bato Orion's embrace with fused, happy giggles as his hand finally settled on her head.

  Vi was frozen, however. Her mind was still reeling. Should she feel happy? ry.

  ------------------

  //Seraphine PoV//

  'He'll e to see why I was so mad,' Seraphihought, her vi holding steady.

  Seraphine looked out at Scratch, joy bubbling up inside her. She enjoyed singing with Scratch, whose song represehe half she loo bio her music.

  Her thoughts drifted back to Orion, though, and her expression tightened. 'If he's back, how will it affect the melodies? Hopefully people don't start fighting again...'

  From just offstage, she observed the crowd. The souls of the uy folk burned brightly, their pain and resilience radiating through the air. Scratch had the ability to unite everyohrough shared suffering and pain.

  And when Seraphiepped onto the stage, she would unite everyohrough hope and joy.

  'Huh?' Seraphine's gaze swept across the crowd. Orion's soul would've been easy to spot. It was unusual- twice the size of a normal soul and radiating like the sun, but also fractured.

  'I could've sworn I saw it earlier...'

  Disappoi surged inside her, but she pushed it down as she raised her microphohe croaiting, and there were still hundreds of others who needed her song.

  She was irritated, but he would have to wait.