Reno's place was tucked between two abandoned buildings on the edge of the Ashlands, a run-down workshop that smelled of oil, rust, and burnt metal. The windows were covered with thick sheets of scrap metal, the only light coming from the cracks in the door.
I stepped up first, knocking twice, then once more after a pause. A pattern only Reno would recognize.
A few seconds passed. Then, a soft shuffle from the other side. The door creaked open just enough for a single eye to glare at me through the gap.
Then came the voice—gruff, deep, and laced with years of exhaustion.
"Took you long enough, boy."
The door swung open.
Reno hadn't changed much.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with deep brown skin and graying locs tied back at the nape of his neck. His face was lined with age, with too many nights spent awake and too many battles fought. His sharp eyes flickered over me, then to Sol, then to Ruby.
He smirked.
"Well, I'll be damned. Rue? You're all grown up."
Ruby blinked in surprise, but the corner of her mouth twitched up just slightly. "Still kicking, Reno?"
"Barely," he muttered, shaking his head. "Come on in, you look better since the last time i saw you." He shot me a grin.
The place was as messy as I remembered. Workbenches covered in half-finished projects, old blueprints pinned to the walls, the air thick with the scent of soldering iron and engine grease. But it was warm, lived in.
Home, in a way.
Ruby stepped in behind me, her eyes scanning the place carefully. But it wasn't until Reno shut the door that she spoke.
"The last time you saw him?"
I froze.
Turned slowly.
She was staring at me now, eyes sharp, unreadable.
"You've been coming and seeing Reno?" she asked, voice even.
Not accusing. But not neutral, either.
I exhaled through my nose, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Yeah."
Her jaw tightened just a fraction.
"How long?"
I hesitated.
And that was enough of an answer.
Ruby exhaled sharply, looking away. Processing.
Reno, to his credit, stayed quiet. So did Sol.
"You never told me." Ruby's voice was quieter now.
I opened my mouth—then closed it.
Because what the hell was I supposed to say?
That I didn't want her to know? That I didn't want her to think I was running off, making secret plans, leaving her alone when we were supposed to have only each other?
Or worse—that I just needed someone? That sometimes I couldn't handle all the weight of holding her together, of keeping us alive, and I had to come here to remind myself that I still existed outside of all of it?
I clenched my jaw.
"It wasn't like that, Rue."
She didn't respond. Just crossed her arms and looked away.
I didn't push it.
Reno, finally, cleared his throat and leaned against the workbench.
"Alright. You three didn't come all this way just to stand around brooding. What do you need?"
I took a breath, refocusing.
"We don't have anywhere else to go," I said, the words coming out heavier than I meant. "Our hideout— burned down."
Reno's brow furrowed, his expression flickering with something darker for a moment. But he didn't ask for the details.
"Dammit. Well, you're always welcome here. Stay for the night. I'll get you set up."
We made ourselves comfortable in his workshop. Sol moved around, inspecting the old equipment, while Ruby, still quiet, sat down at the workbench. Her eyes were distant.
It wasn't until later, when the firelight from the small stove flickered softly across the room, that Reno spoke again.
"Somethings happening in the space between worlds," he said, his voice quieter now. "I've been hearing whispers, seeing strange things moving through the Ashlands. It's not just that it's getting worse. There's something behind it. Something bigger."
I leaned forward, interest piqued. "What do you mean?"
Reno took a long pause, as though weighing how much he should reveal. He scratched the stubble on his chin before continuing.
"There are groups moving behind the scenes. They're using the Veilshift to cover up something else. Factions trying to hoard things tied to the Veil—material, artifacts, hell, even people. There's a lot more happening under the surface than you realize."
Ruby's eyes narrowed, trying to piece it together. "What exactly are they hoarding?"
Reno sighed, rubbing his eyes. "It's not just relics. Ive heard rumors. There's something deeper, a rare material—an object that's tied to the collapse itself. A crystallized fragment of the Veil."
That stopped all of us.
"What the hell does that even mean?" I asked.
"It means the material can either stabilize the Veil—or make things a hell of a lot worse. And it's not the only one. There are more fragments out there, and people are collecting them. Using them. The more they gather, the closer we get to the collapse—no matter how hard we try to stop it."
"So we need to steal it?" Ruby asked, sounding a little incredulous.
Reno smirked, shaking his head. "That's one way to put it. But it's not just about the material. If these factions get their hands on it, they'll use it to tip the scales in their favor. The balance won't just shift—it'll snap. That's why I'm telling you all this."
There was a long silence as we processed everything. The weight of it all settled over me, like I could feel the Veil, fragile and teetering on the edge, pushing against everything.
"Where is it?" I asked.
Reno leaned back, arms crossed. "I'll mark it for you. But you better move fast. The longer it stays in their hands, the worse it'll get."
"Who is they?" Sol interjected, eyeing Reno with a hint of suspicion. "I dont know," Reno responded half defeated, "No one knows who they are or whos behind it, but i know where they are."
"How?" I asked softly, my mind starting to reel. Crystalized fragments of the veil— how does that even happen? "These people constantly wander the line where Solvurn and The Ashlands meet, they live in tents along this line which in theory should make it easier to infiltrate— though they are heavily guarded"
Ruby stared at the map he laid out on the table, her focus sharp. "How do we get in?"
"I'll show you," he said, his voice serious now. "But be ready for a fight. There's no way you're the only ones who want that material. And theres no telling what they'll do to protect it."
The conversation wound down as we settled in for the night. It wasn't a peaceful sleep, but at least it was something. Reno's place was safe enough for now.