Orion eled as he gripped Mylo's head, silent staring at him. Mylo pounded away at him, yelling in raw desperation. His inal pn was just to scare them- make them back off.

  His gaze shifted back to Vi at his feet, tears f iightly shut eyes as she g to his leg. And Cggor, whose feet dug into the stone pavement trying to shove him over.

  What was he thinking?

  Vi and these guys weren't the type of people to back down.

  Despite his initial resolve to avoid another headache, the situation spiraled out of trol anyway.

  What surprised him more though was how fiercely the others joined in. Powder especially. Her tear-streaked face twisted in anger as she pounded away at his side, her trembling fists starting to bloody from her efforts.

  He just stood there, flicted. Not fighting back.

  Guilt wormed its way into his gut. 'How am I even supposed to respond to this?'

  'Damn it...' Orion exhaled slowly, his chest tight.

  He was stuck between two hard choices. And worse yet, Orion was now tangled between two Chembarons. This didn't include Silco- who knows what that man would do if he discovered Orion still lived.

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

  The chaotic se seemed to slow, the gang shaken and breathing heavily as their troubled appearances shifted past Orion toward Kieran.

  Mylo's eyes flickered toward the voice. His body jolted when Orion finally let go, falling onto his rear and scrambling backward. Powder had stopped striking, her little fists trembling at her sides as she sobbed untrolbly.

  Cggor and Vi, however, remained posed. Slowly, they released their grasp on Orion, Vi cautiously rising to her feet. Both looked tense, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

  "You still have a ce," Kieran said gently. The calm, affeate wisdom of the old man g Orion's soul, a bitter ache blooming in his heart.

  'It won't be okay' Orion thought bitterly. 'It never is.'

  "Not yet," Orion's muffled voice echoed, low and remorseful as he turned his head toowder. Her wide, teary eyes stared up at him, flicted. It looked like she wao speak- to ask questions, demand answers.

  Orion couldn't help but gently pce a hand on her head, an unscious act of affe and fort he always offered her- and gave himself. This unscious act, unknowingly, settled Powder's trembling figure.

  Powder, at that moment, didn't uand why either. It just felt familiar The guilt she carried- that raw ache- was being soothed. As if the touch was fiveness when words could not.

  A sharp, weary exhale echoed from behind him.

  "Kids, there is no treasure worth taking here," Kieran's footsteps approached, his voice heavy with resignation. "Only air. If you tinue, you will harm your fellow residents- and your families."

  "You're just saying that!" Mylo scoffed from the floor, his eyes quick to dart at Orion nervously though.

  Kieran shook his head slowly. "This is a -air facility. Nothing more."

  Vi's gaze lingered on Orion's haing on Powder's head.

  It felt... unfortable. Watg a straouch her sister's head like that. Her protective instincts stirred. But strangely, she couldn't ighe owder was beginning to calm.

  "Fine," Vi muttered, her voice tight with reluce.

  Silence. Everyone's head turned- even Orion's- staring in shock. Was the sun rising in the west?

  Vi's gaze darted sharply betweeaken aback by the sheer weight of the sudden attention. Both Mylo and Cggor's jaws hung open in disbelief.

  "What?" Vi asked, "Is it that strahat I'm agreeing?"

  "Yes," Everyone answered in unison. Orion too, actly answered, his muffled voice blending in with the others. Paze snapped up to him though, her teary eyes narrowing with curious fusion, before returning to Vi.

  Vi opened her mouth to protest but felt something twisting in her chest again as she saw Paze shift up toward Orion. That look Pave as if on the verge nizing something, halted her again.

  A hearty chuckle filled the room as Kieran's warm and amused voice rose.

  "The us leave," He said stepping forward. "There's still work to be done- and it is best you kids don't linger here. Trouble is ing."