The Mid City was nothing like they'd imagined.
Luke had pictured order, silence — a holy place where only the purest of the Nova's chosen walked.
Instead, it was loud. Alive. Chaotic.
Carts rolled down cobblestone paths, vendors shouting over one another in markets that smelled of roasted fruit and spiced meat. The air shimmered with light reflected off the glass towers above — artificial sunbeams caught and redirected through mirrored panels, bathing everything in a soft golden hue.
For the first time in their lives, Luke and Elias could actually see color.
"Tell me that's not food," Elias whispered, staring at a stand piled high with bright orange orbs. "It's glowing."
Luke grinned. "Only one way to find out."
They didn't mean to steal anything. Not at first.
It started with curiosity — a fruit they'd never seen, sweet-smelling and heavy in Luke's hands. The vendor's attention drifted, and suddenly the fruit was gone, tucked under Elias's jacket as they both bolted down the street.
"Run!" Luke shouted, laughing like a madman.
Elias was right behind him, two more stolen fruits bouncing in his arms. "You're the worst influence I've ever had!"
"Then stop following me!"
"Never!"
They darted through the crowd, past stalls and startled nobles, into an alley between marble buildings. There, breathless and grinning, they bit into the fruit — and froze.
The taste hit like sunlight.
Sweet, cold, and alive in a way the Undercity's processed rations never were.
Luke closed his eyes. "This… this can't be real."
Elias just laughed with his mouth full. "If this is heaven, I'm never going back."
---
They found a quiet ledge overlooking the plaza — their "spot." From there, they could see almost everything: the shining towers, the trains above, the people moving in waves like a living river.
Luke leaned back against the railing, watching the mirrored lights flicker overhead. "Feels weird, doesn't it?"
"What does?"
"Being up here. Breathing air that doesn't taste like rust."
Elias chewed slowly, glancing at the crowd below. "You think anyone would believe we crawled up from the mines?"
Luke chuckled. "We'd be lucky if they didn't throw us back."
---
A burst of sound caught their attention. Across the plaza, a massive projection flickered to life — bright and bold against the midday light.
"BY DECREE OF THE NOVA," a voice thundered. "THE GRAND TOURNAMENT RETURNS!"
The crowd below erupted into cheers. The screen displayed warriors in ornate armor clashing with brilliant weapons — some human, some enhanced, all magnificent.
"Competitors from across the realms shall prove their valor! The victor earns the right to stand before the Nova himself!"
Elias's eyes widened. "Did you hear that? Before the Nova."
Luke grinned faintly. "Guess that's one way to get his attention."
"Don't tell me you're thinking about it."
"I'm not thinking," Luke said, tossing the fruit core into the street. "I'm imagining."
For a while, they just sat there — two vermin in stolen clothes, basking in the golden glow of a world that wasn't theirs.
Below them, the Mid City thrummed with noise and life.
Above, the light shimmered like an unreachable promise.
Elias finally said, "You know, we're gonna get caught."
Luke smiled without looking at him. "Maybe. But at least we'll have a story worth telling."