Fii stood il in the shadows, peering around the er. She was still surprised that he was willing to take her out on patrol, but she didn't question it. She just hoped she wouldn't slow him down et in his way.

  "Keep your eyes peeled, kid," he instructed, sing the alley ahead of them. "We're not going to fight any gangs or bust any deals tonight. We're just gonna watd observe. Got it?"

  Fii rying to ighe nervous fluttering iomach. Even though she had been on patrols before, this would be the first time shadowing him. "Yes, sir."

  "Don't call me 'sir'. You're not in training right now," he corrected, stepping out from cover. Fii followed, staying close to his heels. "Just call me Virgil."

  She had grown aced to calling him "sir", but it was awkward to break the habit so abruptly. Still, she tried her best. "Right, Virgil."

  Instead of her bodysuit a, she wore a bck hoodie and a pair of worn jeans. A red scarf and a baseball cap cealed most of her features, ensuring she wasn't immediately reizable. The disguise wasn't perfect, but hopefully nobody would give her a sed gnce. Especially not with Virgil beside her.

  The streets were retively quiet as they walked, and Fii breathed in the fresh night air appreciatively. It always felt o be outdoors after spending most of her time cooped up in The Vigil.

  She took in her surroundings, marveling at how peaceful everything seemed. This was the slums, but when everyoucked in for the night, the district bees eerily serene. Aside from the occasional sounds of distant ughter or versations ing from within the ramshackle buildings, the streets were mostly deserted.

  Despite the calm, she still kept her guard up. The gangs had been quiet retly, but that could ge at a moment's notice. And after what happehe st time, she refused to let her guard slip again. She tugged on her hood, making sure her face was hidden in shadow.

  "First rule of surveilnce: blend in," Virgil reminded her. "The goal isn't to scare them off, but rather to catch them unawares. If they spot you, they'll bolt. It's best to stay inspicuous as long as possible. Got it?"

  "Uh huh," Fii mumbled distractedly.

  The two of them fell into silence as they navigated through the winding alleys, stopping every now and then to listen for approag footsteps or voices. After a while, Virgil halted in front of a dipidated apartment plex and poio a baly ohird floor.

  "See that?" he murmured under his breath, gesturing to a silhouette on the railing.

  Fii squinted her eyes, reizing the figure as a woman smoking a cigarette. "Uh...yeah. So?"

  "Watch," Virgil instructed, pressing a pair of binocurs into her hands. "Keep your eyes on that baly, and don't look away until I say so. I'll tell you when to stop."

  Fii lifted the binocurs and adjusted them so that she could focus on the baly. She wasirely sure what Virgil was expeg, but she pyed along for now. Through the lenses, she could make out the woman still standing there, only now she was apanied by a man.

  They were chatting, and the assed the cigarette to the male, who took a puff and ha back to her. Fii wrinkled her nose in disgust as she watched them smoke together.

  "That's it?" She asked, l the binocurs. "They're just hanging out aing stoned. Why is that suspicious?"

  "Keep watg," Virgil instructed, nudging her in the side. "It's about to get iing."

  She rolled her eyes and resumed her surveilnce. After a few moments, a third person approached the couple from behind, brandishing a baggie filled with a white substance. She couldn't make out their versation, but it seemed to be a friendly iion. The woman took the baggie and tucked it into her jacket, and the new arrival disappeared into the shadows.

  Fii blinked. "Wait...did I just see a drug deal?"

  "Sure did, kiddo." Virgil nodded. "But keep going."

  She focused on the se once more, as the first man pulled out a wad of ChitCreds and ted it. The woman accepted the money with a smile and turo walk inside, only to be fronted by a group of figures bck masks who emerged from the nearby stairwell. Before Fii could react, the masked intruders lu the man, stabbing him repeatedly in the chest.

  Fii gasped audibly, realizing what was happening. "Holy shit."

  The men in the masks stormed into the apartment and began smashing things, tossing furniture, and throwing objects through the windows. The woman tried to flee, but she was dragged baside by the attackers. Fii winced as she watched, imagining the violenfolding within.

  It didn't take long for the otion to attract the attention of people in neighb apartments, who burst out onto the balies to see what was happening. As more lights flickered on ihe building, Fii lowered the binocurs and turil, an unspokeioched across her face.

  "Yup," he replied, firming her suspis. "Wele to gang warfare, kid."

  "How'd you know they'd be there?" Fii asked as they made their way back to The Vigil.

  "Call it a hunch." He responded, sidestepping a puddle in the pavement. "And years of experience."

  Fii followed suit, dodging the murky water. She was ner to gang violence, but that particur i had rattled her more than usual. It wasn't the death or the violeself; she'd seey of that growing up in the slums. Rather, it was the senselessness of the whole thing. All for a stupid drug. She ched her jaw. If only she'd been able to stop it.

  "I've seen too many bodies like that over the years, kid," Virgil added grimly, as if reading her mind. "Happens more often than you'd think. Usually over trivial things. Drugs, ons, turf. Sometimes for petty squabbles."

  Fii kicked a pebble along the path. She tried to recall a single positive memory involving any gangs, but came up empty. She was beginning to uand why Virgil had given up on them altogether.

  They walked the rest of the way in silence. Eventually, they arrived at the familiar walls of The Vigil. Virgil climbed the steps aered through the mairance, while Fii hesitated. She wao join him inside, but she o clear her head first.

  "I'm going to take a walk." She annouurning on her heel to leave.

  Virgil paused, gng back over his shoulder at her. "Suit yourself, kid." With that, he vanished into the building, leaving Fii aloh her thoughts.

  She wandered aimlessly through the maze of narrow alleys, allowing her feet to carry her wherever they pleased. She was so caught up in her own musings that she didn't even pay attention to where she was going. After a while, she found herself in an unfamiliar area.

  As she rouhe er, she came across an old brick building, its fa?ade covered in ivy and moss. Its windows were cracked, and its paint peeled, giving it an abandoned appearance. But as Fii drew closer, she noticed the ornate sign above the doorway. In faded lettering, it read: "The Gilded Library."

  Fii tilted her head, staring at the establishment curiously. She'd never heard of the pce before. But judging by its run-dowerior, it didn't seem like the type of pce to attract much attention. Still, she found herself drawn to it, and without hesitation, she stepped through the front doors.

  The interior was dimly lit, with stacks of books lining every wall. The shelves were filled with old tomes aher-bound volumes, each with a yer of dust c their spines. A faint smell of mold and mildew lingered in the air, and Fii could see cobwebs in the ers.

  She looked around, bewildered, but didn't find anyone else present. She assumed it was because of how te it was. Slowly, she began to explore, browsing the shelves idly as she made her way through the byrinth of books.

  Never realized there ce like this here. Maybe Edith might want to check this pce out sometime. Or Virgil. He strikes me as the bookish type. Then again, I barely know anything about him. Or Edith for that matter.

  The thought her, but Fii pushed it aside as she tinued wandering.

  As she explored further, she spotted an old man hunched over a desk, his head buried in a book. He didn't seem to notice her, and Fii moved quietly, careful not to disturb him.

  Upon closer iion, she saw the man had long, scraggly white hair and a beard to match. His clothing was worn and frayed, but he appeared fortable enough as he flipped through the pages, reading ily. Fii crept closer, peering over the man's shoulder. He hadn't even aowledged her presence.

  "Hey, excuse me." Fii called out hesitantly.

  The old man flinched slightly, blinking in surprise, and gnced in her dire. He had a kindly face with warm brown eyes and deep ugh lines. "Oh! Sorry, didn't see you there! I help you?"

  His voice carried a soft, pleasant tone, and Fii felt at ease instantly. "Hi, yeah, I was just passing by and got curious about this pce. Didn't expect to find a library hidden in the slums. This is a library, right?" She motioned around the room.

  The old man nodded. "Yes indeedy, this is a library, all right. A shame more people don't visit it anymore. Not like they used to, anyway..." He trailed off wistfully, shaking his head.

  "How long has this pce been open?" She inquired.

  "Since I remember, young dy. A very long time." The man leaned ba his chair, stretg his limbs. "Though, truth be told, I never was much for books myself. I preferred ic books as a boy."

  Fii's ears perked up. "ic books?"

  The elderly librarian smiled wryly. "Heh, I tell by that glimmer in your eye you're a fan yourself?"

  "I own one. Mao trade some old salvage for it."

  "Really? Well, aren't you a lucky girl. Those things are hard to e by nowadays. Though, I re, evehey weren't, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone in the slums ied in buying them."

  "Yeah, ly something you use or eat. How do you keep this pce running? Getting your owricity around here's a hassle."

  "Got sor panels and a geor in the back. Ain't much, but it gets the job dohough, these old mps do give me a bit of grief at times..." He gestured to the ceiling. "Got the idea from the metropolis, actually. Heard they had big windmills or whatnot over there. Quite ingenious, those city folks. You'd think they'd share more of their tech with us simple folk instead of h all the wealth for themselves."

  "Tell me about it," Fii curred. "Guess they figured 'out of sight, out of mind.'"

  "Exactly right, young dy. That's the way I like to put it, too," he agreed, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "A shame you only came here on a whim, though. I sure do enjoy meeting new faces and talking with people."

  Fii paused, debating whether to tihe versation. She gnced around at the rows of books. "So, where do you get the books, anyway?"

  The elderly gentleman stroked his beard again, "Well, that's a story unto itself. Sometimes, we get donations from folks around the slums, though those are few and far between. Other times, folks like you wander in, discover this old hole in the wall, and decide to leave something behind."

  He chuckled. "Truth be told, some of these books have been here for as long as I remember, though. My grandfather told me stories about this pce. Said he freque when he was younger. And his father did the same." He shrugged. "And now here we are. Three geions ter. Kinda poetic when you think about it."

  Fii smiled, amused by his optimism. "I guess so. Thanks for tellihat, umm..."

  "Call me Orion. Pleasure to meet you, Miss...?"

  "Fii."

  Orion held out a frail, wrinkled hand and shook Fii's firmly. "A o meet ya, Fii. If you ever feel like you want to read up on something, don't be a stranger, okay? Feel free to e by anytime. I'm almost always around." He beamed cheerfully, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Oh, and if you 't read yet, I'd be happy to teach ya. Been a while siaught anybody to read."

  "Thanks, Mr. Orion, I appreciate that. I mao read on my own though, I learned how a few months back." She hesitated. "Actually, if you'd like, I drop by and help out every now and then? the pce up a bit? It's kind of a mess, you know."

  He raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "You'd be surprised to find a bit of dirt and grime make a pce feel more homely. But sure, if you want to e by and sweep the floahe shelves, be my guest. Any assistance is always wele, especially from a bright young dy such as yourself—"

  Suddenly, the door flew open, sending a gust of wind through the library.

  Fii whirled around, startled, as a rge man dressed in bck staggered through the entrance, clutg his stomach. Blood trickled from between his fingers, and he colpsed on the flroaning.

  "Goodness me!" Orion excimed, rising swiftly to his feet. "What happeo you?" He rushed over to help the wounded man, grabbing him by the shoulders and easing him upright. "Easy now. Try not to move so much."

  The injured man moaned painfully and clutched at his wound. "Someoabbed me." He gruhrough gritted teeth. "They took my creds...stole my truck." His breathing grew heavy, and his head drooped forward, hanging limp. "Help me." He begged weakly, his eyelids fluttering closed. "Please." With that, the man colpsed, his body going s Orion's arms.

  Fii stared at the motionless figure, her heart pounding frantically. "Is he...?"

  Orion id the stranger gently on the ground and pressed a finger against his neck, cheg for a pulse. "Alive. But only just." He frowned. "Not sure for how much lohough. Looks like he's lost a lot of blood already..."

  Fii stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Should she help? Could she help? She gnced around frantically, searg for something, anything, to staunch the flow. Her gaze nded on a stack of cloth napkins stacked on a table he entrance. "Here!" She shouted, scooping up the bundle and hurrying over. She snatched the topmost napkin and hurried over to the bleeding man, tearing it into strips with her bare hands. Orion snatched the fabrid ed the makeshift bandages around the man's midse.

  "Go get the medkit! It's behind the ter," Orion anded. "There should be some gauze and medical tape."

  Fii raced to the back of the room, frantically searg for the item iion. "Where is it?!"

  "The metal box. On the shelf."

  Her hand collided with the etal surfad she yahe case off the shelf, dropping it clumsily on the floor. It popped open, spilling its tents everywhere. Fii scrambled to gather the supplies, tossing various items aside haphazardly. "Found it!" She shouted, grasping the remaining tents in her arms and rag back to where Orion crouched beside the fallen man.

  She dropped to her knees ahe kit on the ground. Orion reached in, grabbed the remaining gauze, and quickly applied pressure to the gaping wound. "Hold this here. Make sure to keep the pressure on," he ordered as Fii followed his instrus, keeping steady as she held the bloodied cloth against the man's torso. "Okay, remove the napkin. Use this to secure the dressing in pce."

  Orion held out a roll of medical tape, which Fii hastily retrieved and began ing around the man's abdomen. She did so as gingerly as she could, struggling to maintain a firm grip as her hands trembled with nerves. After several agonizing moments of applying pressure, she finally secured the final piece of tape, exhaling sharply. "That's it?" she panted. "Did I do it right?"

  The elderly librarian wiped the sweat from his brow. "I think so. It should hold long enough to get him to one of the ics, unless you know ah medical training?"

  "Yeah, I'm friends with the doctor from the Aether ic. I get her here fast." Fii rose unsteadily to her feet, swaying slightly. "What do we do with him?"

  "Lay him over here." Orion replied, motioning towards ay patch of floor nearby. "We o keep his legs elevated to prevent any potential shock from setting in. you do that for me?"

  "Yep," Fii firmed, moving to position herself under one of the injured man's arms, while Orion gripped the other. They lifted him awkwardly and dragged the man onto the spot, resting his legs on a pile of books. "Like this?" Fii asked, h anxiously beside the unscious figure.

  The librarian gave a curt nod, satisfied with the arra. "Now, go fetch your friend."

  Fii nodded and spun on her heel, bolting out the door as fast as she could, heading to the Aether ic.

  Edith stared bnkly at the se unfolding before her. She was still half-asleep and disoriented after being abruptly awakened by a frantic Fii barging into her bedroom and dragging her out of bed before proceeding to jump over the rooftops at a breakneck pace. She stumbled through the door, steadying herself on a nearby shelf.

  "You really couldn't have waited until m, Fii?" She grumbled, rubbing her eyes wearily. "This had better be good."

  But as soon as she caught sight of the bloody mess on the ground, her gaze sharpened. "What the hell?" She muttered, striding over and croug down. She examihe unsan closely, taking in the bloodied makeshift bandages and the tattered remains of his shirt. "Who did this to him? And how?" She gnced up at Fii, who stood sheepishly beside her, wringing her hands. "And where the hell are we?"

  "The Gilded Library." An old man approached her, his wrinkles creased with worry. "Name's Orion. We don't have mu the way of medical supplies, but we did the best we could to stabilize the situation. Got him lying down with his legs elevated and all that. Sorry, I haven't had to deal with this sort of situation in quite a while." He rubbed his head, sighing softly. "Hopefully, he'll pull through."

  Edith eyed the old maically before turning back to Fii. "Care to expin, Fii?"

  "He got stabbed, Edith. He said his truck got stolen too," Fii responded quickly. "I know you're mad, but I had t you here as soon as possible, okay?"

  Edith shook her head incredulously. "You got me out of bed for a random stab victim?" She groaned and pihe bridge of her nose, her patience wearing thin.

  Just because she ran a ic didn't mean she was a full-fledged surgeon. "Fine, Fii, fine. I'll do what I ." She sighed, kneeling dowo the dying man and iing his wounds more carefully. "Let's just hope he doesn't die while I'm patg him up."

  Edith started w on the wounded man, ing and disiing the wound the best she could, before doing her best to suture his ceration and stanch the bleeding. Fortunately, he'd stopped actively bleeding, so all she o do was close the wound and ehe dressing stayed in pce. Within an hour, she'd fihe task, and the man was stable but still unscious.

  While Edith would prefer to transport him to Aether ic, she didn't trust the local gangs to not interfere. This meant she'd have to watch him for anht, and if he made it through the following day, she could get him to the ic.

  "Alright, he seems to be stable for now. We'll o watch him, but he's lucky to be alive. For now, anyway," Edith expio Orion and Fii.

  Her eyes drifted to the clothes the victim had worn, stained in his blood. A logo embzoned on the uniform caught her eye. Something she reized.

  Oh shit...

  "Fii, get Virgil here, pronto." She ordered, pig up the shredded outfit. "I need you and him to track down that truck."

  Fii furrowed her brow in fusion. "Why?"

  Edith lifted the garment for her to examine. "Because that truck is carrying the pos I need for my b, including the ones for your helmet.”