Orion paced the open enclosure, curiously expl the various tools and equipment scattered around. He was sweating profusely, the damp heat making his skin itch, but it wasn't like he had anythier to do.

  Gng back, he saw Kieran hard at work running diagnosti the equipment. Both of them had been tense when they first arrived. Signs of struggle were evident, tools scattered across the ground.

  "It appears human inflicted," Kieran had grunted when they desded into the facility. "Otherwise, there would be age."

  Orion stayed o, despite his curiosity. His gaze frequently darted toward the entrances- especially the dark tuhat led deeper into the mines.

  It was then his sweeping gaze caught an insignia chemically etched into the surface of a metal workbench's surfaces. A rge moneybag crossed with a scepter and ed by a Wellington top hat.

  "Kieran!" Orion called, being him over.

  Kieran's eyes narrowed as he approached, studying the mark Orioured toward. His expression darkened.

  "Chembaron Eramis..." he muttered.

  "Who's that?"

  "A hefty man. Greedy and messed up, like the rest of their kind." Kieran said slowly, his tone measured. "Except Eramis is different... Rumor is, they're funded by House Ferros."

  "Who's- ah, never mind." Orion sighed, ping the bridge of his nose. "Is this some rivalry?"

  "In short, yes," Kieran replied with a nod. "But it goes deeper. Just like the House Ferros rumors, some suggest the Poire family stole the Syntixi crystal formu from Eramis's bs."

  "Aaaagh- I've been locked up for a year." Orion groaned, clutg his head. "So many names, so many fas. Who are they? What's a Syntixi crystal even supposed to be?!"

  Kieran frowned but his tone softened. "Then you wouldn't have heard about it. All this started after the riots. Syntixi crystals are... an artificial form of Hextech Crystals. Far more votile, far less effective, and dangerous to work with. Their development was an attempt to rival topside."

  "That makes sense," Orion muttered, nodding slowly to his words.

  "Hehehahaha!"

  A faint echo of childish ughter echoed through the chamber.

  Orion froze, and Kieran's fused gaze flicked toward one of the three mirahen ba.

  It was easily reizable- the same childish ughter from the warehouse. Orion growled, a small trickle of magic beginning to flow through him.

  Kieran instinctively stepped back, his eyes widening as his gaze fixated on Orion- unaware of the subtle physical ges as the magic surged through him.

  "Do you remember our talk on the way here?" Orion's magic felt calmer than he felt, and the magic surged hotter.

  //Vi's perspective//

  "e on, we're almost there!" Vi whispered excitedly, with Powder waddling behihrough the mineshaft's narrow tunnels. Powder hummed a cheerful tune, clutg ay sack with her small hands.

  Smiling, Vi felt a flicker of relief. She'd mao distract Powder from earlier- at least for now. Her sister's episodes were getting worse. This caused Vander ao stay up te, struggling to e up with a solution.

  "'t knock me for hanging around the Breather Stations now, huh?"

  Mylo, looking smug, dramatically brushed the front of his tunic. "Looks like you guys owe me dinner after this!"

  Cggor chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I don't think so. This breaks us even after all the other times you've screwed up!"

  "Hey! I'm the only one finding gigs since-"

  "Keep it down! We're about to-" Vi froze mid-sentence, her gaze shifting slowly to Powder, who stood stiff, wide-eyed.

  Vi's instincts fred, something was wrong! Her head whipped back dowunnel.

  A dark figure stood there, faint blue light glistening in its eyes uhe uling hum of green Chemlights. Vi squinted, uo make out the details, save for the bask refleg off the nearby light sources.

  Vi's breath caught ihroat, fists g as her stance lowered instinctively in preparation for a fight.

  Sileretched. She couldn't hear the others behind her- not even their breathing- until Powder's hushed whisper broke it.

  "That's the guy who I saw spying on us!"

  Eyes widening, Vi's gaze shook as she doubted herself. Her chest tightened, feeling more deeply the unknown dahat stood before her, threatening her sister and her family. Growling, she whipped her hands forward and cpped.

  The biolumi mushrooms and algae shimmered, rippling down the hallway toward the strahe light illuminated his slender frame, drawing a gasp from Powder behind her.

  Vi bit her lip. 'Powder was right. I 't believe I doubted her...'

  A brown jacket and pants, a bck shirt but with her favorite band's logo, Scratch- this bastard- and that bask, resembling Kindred from their childhood tales.

  "It's just one guy!" Mylo hissed behind her, frustrated and fused. She didn't o turn to know he was making exasperated gestures.

  Stepping up beside Vi, Cggor whispered, "Something doesn't feel right..."

  "No shit," Vi muttered, unease knotting iomach. She couldn't pce it- this strange aura of familiarity mixed with hostility.

  "Leave," a muffled voice with a low, threatening tone reverberated up the mineshaft.

  A sudden jolt of familiarity fshed through Vi's mind. She couldn't pce it, but the voice scratched at something deep within. She flinched when Powder pinched her shirt from behind, a sharp gasp leaving her lips as her head snapped around.

  Powder clutched the back of Vi's shirt tightly, head pressed against her as pained whimpers escaped her lips. Her fiwisted in her shirt, and Vi noticed small, subtle twitches in her head, slowly growing more violent.

  'Oh no,' Vi thought, dread seeping in. 'She's going to have another breakdown!'

  Mylo's haered her vision suddenly, gently pulling Powder away, his expression fierce yet calm as he nodded silently to Vi, reassuring her.

  He ged after the i- more assertive, and less hesitant. She'd even overheard him g one night over the warehouse and topside disaster. That night, Cggor stayed up te to fort him, trying to reassure him that none of it was his fault.

  Everyone had ged. Some for the better. Some worse.

  'Vander. Powder.' The thought lingered in her mind before her eyes shifted to Cggor. His fierce resolve caught her attention, giving her a renewed sense of determination.

  The two turned in unison, in sync like a dramatic duo. Their fists ched, and loose stones beh their feet cracked as adrenaline coursed through them.

  'Why are we- why am I- so worked up over this guy?'

  A low growl from the masked figure answered her question. His presence was heavy and foreboding. Vi sed him quickly for ons ns of a fighting style but found nothing. Just bare-handed. Just him.

  Vi whispered back, her voice low but firm. "If anything strange happens- take Powder and run."

  The figure's glowing eyes fred brighter, the soft blue hue sending chills down her spine. Powder's shriek shattered the temosphere, kig off the fight.

  "AAA!" Cggor roared angrily, abandoning stealth entirely. He barreled forward with a blind charge, willing to tank any damage. Vi's nimble figure fnked him, ready to deliver a decisive blow.

  It n instinctively uood, except the unbelievable happened.

  The wolf's mask tilted slightly, unwavering and unmoving, showing ation as Cggor's massive figure charged him. The sight set arms bells ringing in Vi's mind.

  "Cggor, wait!" Vi called out, but her voice couldn't reach him through his tunnel vision as he kept charging.

  "AAAA- AGH!"

  The collision was over in an instant. Cggor bounced back, hitting the ground hard, as if he'd run into a wall. Vi could see him looking up at the ceiling stunned and fused.

  Vi felt her heart rag as those eerie blue lights behind the mask shifted and locked onto her. She threw a straight right punch, desperate to give Cggor time to recover.

  Before she k, her world inning. A firm hand gripped her , and her legs were swept out from beh. Vi hit the ground hard, wheezing as the air was forced from her lungs.

  She breathed heavily with her forearms raised, body tense as she held her breath in anticipation, but nothing came. Her eyes snapped open, a mixture of fear and fusion as she stared up at the masked man.

  He didn't speak, nor move, and he didn't attack either. His glowing gaze lingered on her briefly before it shifted toward Mylo and Powder, frozen in stunned silence.

  "What are you waiting for?" Vi shouted, waving her arms desperately. "Take her and go!"

  Mylo hesitated as he held Powder. Vi knew what he was feeling- his eyes were wide with reluce, aook a small step back. She was on the verge of shouting again when Powder's loud shriek cut through the tension.

  Powder's face was tear-streaked- not from sorrow or fear, but anger. She charged forward with a furious cry, prompting Mylo to shout in arm, "Powder- EAAA!"

  Mylo's expression flipped like a switch, worry hardening into resolve as he joined her in the charge. They were disobeying Vi's orders!

  Vi's breath hitched. She was relieved to see their ce but felt the crushi of ay as they drew closer. Her gaze snapped up to the strange figure, still unmoving, and she ed her arms around his leg in a desperate attempt to restrain him.

  Recovered, Cggrowled, kig at the figure's opposite leg in a bid t him down. Vi shut her eyes tight, brag for the violealiation that was sure to follow.

  "AAAA-EGH" Mylo's desperate battle cry cut off into a muffled gasp.

  "NO!" Cggor's voice echoed, raw aional as Vi heard him scrambling to rise.

  "AAA! LET GO! LET GO!" Powder shrieked, the sharp snaps of her fists nding again and again.

  Despite the chaos- the angry scuffle of feet and the sound of fists striking- she felt nothing from the man's leg. No shifting, ion. 'What is this guy made of?!'

  "Such a sad sight..."

  The remorseful, weary tone pulled Vi's eyes open.

  Cggor was still trying to tackle the man at the waist but to no avail. The figure held Mylo by the face, his grip firm but not crushing, as Mylo angrily pounded against his arm.

  Powder tinually pou the man's torso with her little fists, yet the man didn't flinch.

  Vi's gaze shifted. Further dowunnel, an old tei stood watg the chaos unfold, his hands csped behind his back. His face was calm, but carried a hint of m.

  "Despite yer," he said quietly, voice eg off the stone walls, "you haven't struck these kids once..."