Gray light crept through a crack in the shelter's wall. Thin, colorless, and flat.
Riven sat upright, already awake. He hadn't really slept again after that… moment. Whatever it had been. The pain in his shoulder had dulled, but it was still there, tight and hot beneath the bandage. He didn't react to it.
Across the room, Cassian stood near the door, adjusting the collar of his coat. He looked rested and unbothered by anything.
Riven adjusted the strap, then looked at him directly. "Why do you work there?"
Cassian blinked. "At the Ivory Line?"
Riven nodded once.
Cassian seemed caught off guard for a second, then he gave a dry laugh and pushed off the wall, knocking grit from his boot with a light kick.
"You'd be amazed how much people will give you when they think you're only half pretending."
He didn't say more than that. Just grabbed a small metal flask from a bag near the door, took a sip, and tossed it back in.
--------
They stepped out into Sector Nine just as the day began.
The streets were awake. People moved like they always had, heads low, voices quiet, routines built from survival. A child swept dust into a shallow pile outside a food stall. Somewhere nearby, something sizzled over a weak flame. Two traders argued in low tones over stripped wiring.
Cassian walked beside Riven, sleeves rolled up. His eyes were scanning the usual rhythm around with faint disinterest.
"Where are you headed?" he asked.
Riven didn't answer.
Cassian sighed after a delayed pause. "Right. Of course. You're allergic to straight answers."
Riven adjusted the strap on his shoulder and kept walking.
Cassian followed anyway.
After a few more steps, he said, "You know, I don't usually do charity work. And dragging half-dead strangers into backrooms isn't really part of the job description."
Still no response.
"So I'm thinking..." he continued with a casual tone, "either I let you vanish into whatever mess you're walking toward, or I come along and make sure I get something out of it."
That made Riven stop. He looked over, brows raised in faint challenge.
Cassian smiled, slow and shameless. "Call it debt collection."
Riven looked away and started walking again.
Cassian kept pace. "I'll take your silence as a yes."
They moved deeper into the sector. The paths here were made of metal grates and cracked stone, winding between tarp-covered walls and half-collapsed buildings.
At one crossing, Riven paused. A water checkpoint buzzed loudly on the wall to their right, giving off small sparks. The screen was cracked and only half-lit. A small line of locals waited nearby with empty containers and worn ID chips in hand, and a few of them backed up quickly as the sparks flew.
Riven watched the panel snap open and shut on its own, clearly malfunctioning. A faint whine rose beneath the usual buzz, subtle, but off.
Cassian looked at it too.
"Second one this week" he said. "Either the sensor's fried, or someone's messing with the line to draw extra water."
"Or maybe it's reacting to something" Riven muttered.
Cassian raised an eyebrow. "What, the pipes are rebelling now?"
But he didn't sound amused.
They kept moving.
By late morning, they had passed the edge of Sector Nine. The sky had turned a flat, washed-out gray, and the buildings were growing farther apart with every block.
Riven adjusted his satchel as they crossed a narrow service bridge.
That's when it happened.
Suddenly, Riven sensed a faint warmth coming from inside the bag, so he stopped walking.
Cassian noticed, pausing a step ahead. "What is it?"
Riven didn't answer. He slipped the satchel off his shoulder and crouched, fingers brushing the flap. The metal edge of the core inside was faintly warm. He opened the satchel just enough to see it. The core's surface, round, dull silver, marked with worn circuit lines, pulsed gently. A faint light slowly moved through it, like a heartbeat.
Riven stared at it.
Cassian leaned in just slightly, not close enough to intrude, but close enough to see.
"That normal?" he asked.
"No" Riven said.
Cassian didn't joke this time.
For a long moment, neither moved. Riven stayed crouched beside the satchel, the core still softly lit, while Cassian watched him.
Finally, Riven closed the flap and stood. The warmth was already fading, but something in the air felt heavier now. Like a trail had been opened.
Cassian didn't say anything as they kept walking, but his glance lingered on the satchel more than once.