The neon spires of Vanterra rose high into the night sky—nothing like the ruins they'd left behind in Neoterra Prime. Here, the streets buzzed with hovercars, holo-ads, and people who had no idea how close their world had come to collapse.
Ronnie led the group through the busy plaza toward a sleek obsidian skyscraper, his pace fast but steady.
Lenny: "So… this is where we're hiding out?"
Ronnie (without looking back): "Not hiding. Regrouping. There's a difference."
They passed through tall glass doors into a massive lobby, the floor a polished white marble inlaid with a glowing green logo: VAYDRIN ENERGY SOLUTIONS.
Henry slowed, frowning.
Henry: "This is yours?"
Ronnie finally turned to face them, a faint smirk on his lips.
Ronnie: "Surprised? I don't just wear a badge. I built this company from the ground up—clean, sustainable energy for all of Neoterra. Made me rich enough to keep a few… resources off the books."
The elevator ride to the upper floors was silent, the view expanding as they rose above the glittering city. When the doors opened, they stepped into a luxurious penthouse—soft couches, a full glass wall overlooking Vanterra, and private rooms branching off the main space.
Emilia (softly, almost to herself): "It's… beautiful."
Ronnie gestured to the space.
Ronnie: "This is where you'll rest. For now."
They settled in, the weight of the Black Halo arc still pressing on them. Lenny sank onto a couch, his mind unusually quiet. Ichiro stood near the window, staring out like he was trying to process it all.
Henry sat forward, elbows on his knees.
Henry (unsettled): "We didn't win. Not really. Zorath's gone, but… someone else defeated him. Ravenous… We don't even know who he really is or who he is working with."
Lenny (looking at the ground): "Or for who…"
Emilia crossed her arms.
Emilia: "All we know is that a Soul Reaper was involved with that chaos."
Ronnie leaned against the glass wall, his reflection lit by the city's neon glow.
Ronnie: "We keep going. They're not invincible. You saw that yourself."
Henry's eyes stayed on the floor, his voice low.
Henry: "We also saw what happens when we're not ready."
The room went quiet, the memory of Viresa, the tunnels, and Zorath still burning in each of their minds.
The city of Vanterra stretched out in every direction—neon rivers of traffic flowing between skyscrapers, their glass faces reflecting the purple glow of night.
Henry leaned on the balcony railing, his thoughts drifting back to the tunnels, to the screams, to the crushing pull of Zorath's gravity. He barely noticed the quiet footsteps behind him.
Elara stepped out, her presence soft but sharp in its stillness.
Elara: "You always sit alone after a fight."
Henry gave a faint smirk, but it didn't last.
Henry: "You've been watching me?"
She looked away at the skyline, arms folded loosely.
Elara: "Only because you're loud in your silence."
He chuckled under his breath.
Henry (grinning): "Guess I'm not as good at hiding it as I thought."
The air between them was cool, the city wind carrying the faint hum of energy from the streets below.
Henry: "You… lost a lot before, didn't you?"
Elara's gaze flickered for just a moment—the kind of flicker that held years of unspoken pain.
Elara: "I don't talk about it."
Henry nodded slowly.
Henry: "Fair enough." He glanced sideways at her.
She didn't answer his glance right away. Instead, she reached into her pocket, pulling out a small silver coin and running her thumb over its edge.
Elara: "You'll need to be more careful, Henry Dreherg. You're not untouchable. And there are people… who won't stop until they have you."
Henry's brows furrowed.
Henry: "What are you saying?"
Elara's eyes met his—calm, unreadable, but with a strange weight behind them.
Elara: "Just… stay alive. For all our sakes."
Before he could respond, she turned and stepped back inside, leaving Henry with the city lights, the coin's glint still in his mind.
Henry stayed leaning on the railing a moment longer, the faint hum of Vanterra's nightlife filling the air. He didn't hear the sliding door open again—not until a low voice broke the quiet.
Ronnie: "She's different now, you know."
Henry turned slightly to see Ronnie standing there, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on the city rather than him.
Henry: "What?"
Ronnie nodded once, stepping closer to the railing.
Ronnie: "Before you and your friends showed up, Elara didn't talk much. Didn't smile. Didn't trust anyone. She was just… existing."
Henry's gaze softened a little.
Ronnie: "Now? She comes back into her room after hanging out with you guys after your missions and tells me about what Emilia said. She laughs when Jack's being an idiot. She argues with Ichiro and plays video games with Lenny. And then, she actually chooses to talk to someone after all that fun, about more than strategy or orders. Because she found herself someone who also is stuck in that hole of self-destruction and darkness.
He glanced at Henry now, a faint seriousness in his tone.
Ronnie: "That's you. You've done something I couldn't in years."
Henry looked back at the skyline, unsure how to respond.
Henry: "I'm not trying to change her."
Ronnie smirked faintly, shaking his head.
Ronnie: "That's the thing, kid. You didn't try. You just… were yourself. And sometimes that's all it takes."
The two stood in silence for a moment, the city lights flickering like distant stars. Ronnie's voice dropped, quieter now.
Henry: "I haven't been myself for a long time."
Ronnie: "When I first met you, the only thing you could do was stare into the darkness as if you were about to do a full header into it. Now you actually smile from time to time." Ronnie then turns to Henry, smirking a little and hitting him softly on his shoulder. Ronnie: "And I can see if a guy gets a liking from my daughter."
Henry's eyes widened. Confused, he quickly turns his head towards Ronnie.
Henry (confused): "W-What? What do you mean?"
Ronnie chuckled.
Ronnie: "Don't let her down."
With that, Ronnie turned and walked back inside, leaving Henry confusingly staring out at Vanterra.