The alley hummed with the low buzz of city life, this was Aether Vixen territory. Nestled in the underbelly of the city, where corporate surveillance struggled to pierce the maze of shadowed corridors and hidden pathways, their makeshift outpost buzzed with low voices and the occasional flicker of a holo-screen transaction. Ava leaned against the open hatch of the supply truck, watching as Raquel scanned the latest trade reports on the terminal. Beyond them, shelves lined with shimmering vials of potions, enhancements tuned to heighten perception in the neon-drenched chaos of the metropolis. “They’ve been gone too long,” Ava muttered “We should have heard something by now.” Raquel didn’t look up. “They knew the risk. The outer zones aren’t just abandoned. They’re erased. If the corps got wind of their movements…” She trailed off, her brows furrowing at a coded message scrolling across her screen. Ava exhaled sharply, pushing off the truck. “I hate waiting.” Raquel finally met her gaze, her eyes sharp under the electric glow. “You think I don’t? But what choice do we have? We go out there blind, we’re just another set of bodies they can write off as ‘malfunctions in the system.’” Ava paced, kicking a loose stone into the gutter. “They were looking for something real, Raquel. Not just rumors. Not just whispers about Orin energy being more than a resource.” She stopped, turning back. “What if they found it?” Raquel held her gaze for a moment before she sighed and shut down the terminal. “Then we need to be ready.” She gestured toward the back of the truck on screen. “If the Orin is really connected to the ancients, then we can be sure the Verdant Corporation will be all over us.” Ava pressed her lips together, her mind racing through the possibilities. “Either way we got to deliver these to the town folk.” Raquel stepped closer on screen, voice low. “Well try to do it undetected, there’s no point in engaging with Nurglemana Goons or Verdant corp.” Ava nodded slowly, determination settling into her bones. “We should be find, we have some Orinite of our own.” Somewhere in the distance, a corporate drone buzzed past, scanning the streets. Neither woman flinched. They had been in the game too long for that. The resistance wasn’t just a fight. It was a pulse. A current, surging.