The café smelled like oil, heat, and something overcooked that no one would admit to.
Cassidy sat sideways in her chair, boots hooked over an armrest, a datapad balanced on her knees and a plate of eggs slowly losing the battle for her attention. She talked too fast, chewed inconsistently, and gestured like the air itself was a drafting surface.
"So if I shift the resonance anchor off the primary ley intake and reroute it through a secondary buffer port, it should stop anything from back-feeding into the main grid," she said, words tripping over each other. "But then the converter nodes take the hit, unless I thicken them—no, not twice, that'd crack—three times melts—wait—"
Her hands traced invisible schematics midair, lines folding into each other, collapsing, reforming.
Across from her, the young tech nodded.
Not because he understood.
Because stopping felt rude.
There was a tightness under Cassidy's eyes. A wired brightness in her gaze that came from too much caffeine and just enough relief to let the thoughts run unchecked. She cracked open a can with a sharp hiss and took a long drink.
"Did you catch all that?" she asked, leaning forward.
The tech opened his mouth.
"I, uh—"
The café speakers crackled.
"Cassidy to med bay. Cassidy to med bay."
Cassidy was already standing, grabbing her datapad and the drink in one smooth motion.
"Don't worry," she said over her shoulder, already halfway gone. "I'll find you later. Remember this or you're gonna flunk your demonstration."
The tech swallowed audibly as she disappeared.
Cassidy didn't move like someone who'd been injured. She didn't treat the world like it might tilt under her weight. After Virel, there was something calmer in her stride — not slower, just lighter. The thoughts still came fast, but they didn't seem to sink hooks into her anymore.
The med bay doors slid open.
Allium stood inside.
Cassidy stopped short.
"…You're up," she said. Then, after a beat, "And you're… standing?"
Allium nodded.
Nina stepped in behind him, already reading off a screen.
"These three are visiting a nearby settlement," she said. "I need you to watch Rose and make sure she takes her pain medication. You did well last time. I trust you with that."
Cassidy blinked, then straightened a little.
She glanced at Allium. At Weaver.
"No offense," Nina added.
Allium frowned faintly, uncertain which part he was meant to respond to.
Cassidy took the bottle and slipped it into her pocket.
Her expression shifted — curiosity breaking through first.
"Outside?" she said. "Why the random field trip? Isn't Khelos still—"
"It's a mission," Allium said.
Nina powered up the hover chair and turned to Rose.
"If you'd like, after today we can set up a small unit in your dorm. A few days and the pain should lessen significantly."
"That would be wonderful," Rose said, easing herself into the chair. "Thank you, Dr. Nina."
As the chair adjusted, Allium studied it with open curiosity.
"How long have you been unable to walk?" he asked.
"Only a couple days," Rose said. "I feel fine. Especially with the medicine. The only thing that doesn't sit well with me is not being able to train."
"Training doesn't always have to be physical," Allium said.
They moved into the hall together.
Weaver led. Cassidy walked near Rose, one hand always hovering close enough to help without insisting. Allium matched their pace, quiet, observant.
Rose spoke first.
"When we encountered Varos in Nexon," she said, "you mentioned something. That you were sleeping, but still learning."
"Yes," Allium said. "When my body rests, my mind enters the dreamscape."
Cassidy leaned in. "The what now?"
"Is it just a dream?" Rose asked.
Allium shook his head. "The dreamscape's rules affect this world's rules. Endless sands. Tri-energies forming the structure. What happens there echoes here."
Cassidy stared at him. "I've said some wild things. That's new."
Weaver spoke calmly. "He doesn't lie. The dreamscape isn't metaphor. It's surrender. Your body sleeps. You move elsewhere. Another coat of reality."
Rose's interest sharpened. "How do you enter it?"
Weaver shrugged. "Only Allium has. I believe it's tied to his origin."
The exit cleared.
They stepped onto reinforced roads that gave way, gradually, to sand. Stakes rose from the ground at regular intervals, marking a path worn not by machines but by feet.
Something shifted in Allium's expression — complicated, almost vulnerable.
"You said live," he said quietly. "What exactly is my role here?"
"Exist," Rose said. "See how life lives when you sleep."
"And what moments of peace feel like," Weaver added.
Cassidy clapped once. "Oh, this is gonna be good. People are gonna lose their minds. Do you know how many kids drew you on their walls growing up? I did."
Allium stared at her.
"…I did not know there were children drawing the Balance."
"Oh yeah," Cassidy said. "Terrible proportions. Crimes against anatomy."
The settlement ahead looked old in a way technology couldn't erase. Stone and alloy sat side by side. Laundry lines stretched between buildings despite the presence of efficient washers. Vendors lined the road, carts heavy with produce, chalk boards propped against crates.
Two stood opposite each other.
One sign read:
PURE SOLARA APPLES — 5 CREDITS EACH
The other:
LONG-LASTING APPLES — SOLARA WITH A TOUCH OF NEXON
"Solara makes the best flavor," one vendor argued.
"Nexon keeps them fresh," the other shot back. "Not everyone needs flavor. Some people need time."
Allium slowed.
He stepped toward the carts, ceremonial gear still bright against the dust.
The Solara vendor hesitated, then smiled cautiously. "Looking to buy some apples, son? Best under Solara."
Allium studied the fruit — red, warm, faintly glowing.
"I hear the energy," he said. "You do not lie."
The vendor grinned smugly at his rival.
Whispers moved through the street.
"Is that Weaver?"
"No. No threads."
"If that's the Balance Keeper—"
Allium heard them. Held his breath without realizing.
"Would you like to buy one, sir?" the vendor asked.
Allium exhaled.
"Yes," he said. "I would."
Cassidy stepped up and placed physical credits into the vendor's hand.
"Buy," she said. "Not try."
The vendor hesitated, then asked carefully, "Are you the Balance Keeper?"
"Yes," Allium said. "But I go by Allium."
The vendors exchanged a look.
"Is something happening?" one asked.
"No," Allium said, holding the apple. "I just wanted this."
He turned away.
Cassidy smiled. "He means thank you. Have a good day."
A child ran past, then stopped.
He stared at the glowing veins beneath Allium's skin.
"You glow," the child said.
Allium looked down, surprised. "Yes. I do that sometimes."
The child stepped back — not afraid. Just amazed — and ran off.
Allium held up the apple.
"I didn't know the land was used like this," he said. "It's fantastic."
Weaver gestured ahead.
They moved deeper.
The wind shifted.
And the settlement opened around them.