"'Minor trouble'?" The voice on the comms device, Lisanna, practically shrieked through the speaker, the digital signal cracking under the sheer force of her panic. "'Minor trouble' doesn't make a C-Rank scion of a noble house go dark in the most dangerous district in Zenith City! Do you have any idea how close I was to calling my father and having him level this entire sector?"
Elysia pinched the bridge of her nose, a familiar headache blooming behind her eyes. Only Lisanna could threaten city-level destruction with the casual air of someone complaining about traffic.
"I need a pickup," she said, deftly sidestepping the melodrama. "Sub-level three, Sector Gamma-9, near the old mag-rail depot."
"I'll be there in five, no, less than five!" Lisanna said instantly, her frantic energy focusing into a sharp point of purpose.
The line went dead before Elysia could reply.
Letting out a long sigh, Elysia slid the sleek comms device back into her coat. "That girl…" she muttered, a ghost of a fond smile touching her lips before she could stop it.
"Sounds like a life-long friend," Orion observed, his voice startlingly close. He had moved to her side without a sound, his presence a calm anchor in the chaotic alley. Elysia didn't even flinch, already growing accustomed to his unnerving grace.
"The kind that pulls your hair out one minute and would burn the world down for you the next."
She glanced at him, a flicker of genuine surprise in her winter-sky eyes. It was a startlingly accurate assessment. "How could you possibly know that?"
Orion crooked a thumb over his shoulder at Lyra, who was now idly kicking a loose piece of rubble, the picture of profound boredom.
"This one," he said with a wry smile, "would either be locked up in a HAC super-max prison or bleeding out in a gutter if I left her to her own devices for more than a day."
"And you'd be rotting in a dumpster without me to watch your back," Lyra jeered without looking up. Her gaze then flicked to Elysia, a spark of genuine curiosity glinting in the gloom. "That girl on the phone, though. She sounds like your polar opposite. I didn't picture the haughty ice princess keeping such… loud company. Your types tend to mix like Aether and oil."
A defensive edge, sharp as one of her ice spears, entered Elysia's tone. She leveled a look straight into Lyra's dismissive eyes, her voice ringing with a fierce, unexpected pride. "Lisanna Vance is the most loyal person I have ever known. She may be a whirlwind of manic energy, but her heart is genuine. She is the heir to Vance Industries, one of the most powerful tech conglomerates in Cascadia, and she has never once treated anyone with the arrogance her station affords. She is a sunbeam in a city of shadows, a far cry from the vipers in the Apex or the vermin in the Sump."
The siblings were taken aback. It was a passionate, heartfelt defense. For a noble like Elysia, who seemed to view the world through a lens of cold appraisal and tactical advantage, to praise someone with such unguarded warmth was a revelation. It was a crack in the icy facade, revealing the fiercely loyal woman who lay beneath.
"Alright, alright," Lyra said, raising her hands in a placating gesture, a hint of respect in her voice. "I'm impressed. Didn't think you had it in you."
"While we wait," Orion said, his gaze returning to Elysia, his expression unreadable, "we should hold hands."
Elysia's head snapped towards him, her expression a perfect mix of disbelief and disgust. "Are you serious? Have you no shame? You get one taste and you're already looking for another excuse to touch me?"
Ignoring her protests entirely, his eyes locked with hers, a silent challenge passing between them. He simply reached out and took her gloved hand. A small, involuntary squeak escaped her lips.
Her first instinct was to rip her hand away, to freeze his arm to the elbow for his impertinence. But then, the sensation began. It was the same warmth from the kiss, but gentler now, a steady and comforting current flowing from his palm into hers. It was more than just a pleasant feeling; she could feel her own Aether Core responding to it, the roiling energy within her settling into a harmonious resonance with his.
It felt… right.
Complete.
Deeper than that, she could feel the very edges of her understanding of her power expanding at a glacial, yet undeniable, pace. It was like hearing a familiar song played with a new, beautiful instrument, revealing depths of melody she never knew existed.
She stared at their joined hands, her mind a maelstrom of confusion and a strange, burgeoning desire.
"Like I said," Orion's voice was a low murmur, a secret meant only for her. "The bond. It helps us grow stronger. Together."
Pride was a hard habit to break. Elysia tossed her head with a scoff, though she made no move to pull her hand away. "Do what you want. I'll never understand the crude methods of Sump brutes."
Her heart, however, was a traitor, hammering against her ribs with a frantic, unfamiliar rhythm that had nothing to do with fear.
"I wonder how long it'll take before the little princess is putty in my brother's hands," Lyra mocked, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Already on a hand-holding basis. So scandalous."
"Shut up!" Elysia snapped, her cheeks flushing a delightful shade of pink that stood out against her pale skin. "This is… a transactional necessity for power synchronization! Nothing more!"
Orion smiled, about to press his advantage with another teasing remark, but his senses, newly sharpened by his awakened Aether Core, picked up something.
He paused, his head tilting. A distant, high-pitched whine, the signature of a high-end electric engine, was growing steadily closer.
He nudged his head towards a cross-street at the end of the alley. "I think that's your ride."
Instantly, as if shocked by a live wire, Elysia snatched her hand back, clutching it to her chest. She smoothed down her pristine white coat, her entire demeanor shifting in a second.
The flustered girl vanished, replaced once more by the calm, composed heiress of Wintercroft Industries.
A vehicle, a phantom forged from obsidian and starlight, drifted into the mouth of the alley. It moved with an unnatural silence, its tires seeming to float inches above the cracked, grimy pavement. It was a machine of the Apex, a glaring intrusion of wealth and power in a place defined by its absence.
Before it came to a complete stop, the passenger door swung open and a woman burst out.
Where Elysia was a vision of cool winter, this newcomer was a wildfire. A cascade of fiery crimson hair tumbled over her shoulders, and her emerald green eyes, wide with worry, sparkled with unrestrained energy. She rushed forward and enveloped Elysia in a hug so tight it lifted her off her feet.
"Thank the First Wave you're safe!" she exclaimed, her voice the same energetic torrent from the phone.
"Lisa, put me down," Elysia grunted, her face buried in her friend's shoulder. "I wasn't even gone for an hour."
"Anything can happen in an hour!" Lisanna retorted, finally setting her down but keeping her hands firmly on Elysia's arms, inspecting her for injuries. "Especially with those Valerian bastards getting bolder by the day!"
As Lisanna fussed over her friend, Orion's System pulsed in his mind, an overlay of cold, ethereal data scrolling across his vision.
[System Notification: Prime Target Identified.]
[Name: Lisanna Vance]
[Talent: Photokinesis (High-Tier)]
[Threat Level: High. Aether output comparable to Elysia Wintercroft.]
[System Recommendation: An ideal candidate for [Symbiotic Fusion]. Establishing a bond is a high-priority objective.]
Orion's calm expression didn't change, but his mind was already calculating.
Seducing two women at once?
Society called it immoral. Heroes disdained it. Villains reveled in it as a mark of their depravity.
Orion simply asked himself one question: Did he give a damn?
The answer was a resounding no.
He knew what he wanted. Elysia would be at his side when he reached the apex of this world. Now, the System had illuminated another path, another partner. This bright, bubbly girl would be there with them.
He felt no need to justify it, no need for excuses.
This was his path, and he would walk it to its fullest, most glorious potential.
It was at that moment that Lisanna's worried gaze finally fell upon the two siblings standing in the shadows. Unlike what one might expect from a high-born noble, her eyes didn't fill with disdain or suspicion. Instead, they lit up with genuine curiosity.
She let go of Elysia and beamed at them, her smile disarmingly cheerful.
"Well, hello there!" she chirped. "You two look and feel pretty strong. Seems my Ellie got lucky this time. What are your names?"
Lyra tossed a questioning look at Orion, who gave a minute shrug. Lyra just shook her head slightly, as if dealing with her brother's whims was a tiresome but accepted chore.
"Lyra," she said, her voice flat.
"Orion," he said, stepping forward, his own smile calm and charming. "A pleasure to meet you."
"Lisanna Vance," the redhead replied, giving a formal little curtsy that was somehow both elegant and playful. "Do you two need a ride home? It's the least I can do for helping my best friend."
"They won't," Elysia interjected, her composure fully restored. "They're coming with us. We've entered into a… unique arrangement. They'll be staying at the penthouse."
Lisanna's emerald eyes glittered with intrigue. "Oh? A unique arrangement?" She leaned closer to Elysia, whispering conspiratorially. "They must be really special for you to bring Sump strays into the Apex."
Seizing the opening, Orion extended his hand to Lisanna.
"I could say the same for you," he said, his voice smooth as velvet. When she took his hand to shake it, he didn't let go immediately, his thumb gently brushing against her knuckles. "I can feel it already. A light this bright is a rare thing in a city like this."
Lisanna froze, her cheerful demeanor faltering under his direct, appreciative gaze. A light giggle escaped her lips, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.
"Well now," she said, pulling her hand back, though not too quickly. "And a charmer, too."
Elysia scoffed and rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn't fall out.
"Can we get going?" Lyra cut in, her tone laced with impatience. "I'm tired of standing around, and I haven't eaten yet."
Lisanna blinked at Lyra's bluntness, but her smile only widened. "I like her."
"She gets fussy when she's hungry," Orion explained with the air of a long-suffering guardian.
"Get in," Lyra ordered, waving a dismissive hand at him and striding towards the car.
Lisanna chuckled. "It's rare to meet people so… direct. It's refreshing."
"It's annoying," Elysia corrected, though without any real venom. She gestured towards the open car door. "Get in, both of you. You're causing a scene."
Lisanna giggled and slid into the back of the vehicle. Elysia followed, her movements graceful and precise. As Orion went to get in, he paused.
A sudden, prickling sensation washed over the back of his neck—the unmistakable feeling of being watched. It was a cold, predatory weight, the gaze of a hunter assessing its prey.
He scanned the darkened rooftops and shrouded alleyways, his senses stretching out, but saw nothing but shadows and flickering neon.
Filing the disturbance away for later, he climbed inside.
The interior was even more impressive than the exterior, a spacious cabin of plush white leather and polished chrome that could comfortably seat six.
Elysia and Lisanna sat on one side, already engrossed in a quiet but intense conversation.
Orion took a seat next to Lyra, leaning his head back against the soft cushions as the silent car pulled away, leaving the grime and shadows of the Sump behind.