BANG! The door sms open, and Vi storms dowairs. "Hey everyone, meet the eam member!" Her voice dripped with fake enthusiasm aement, a sarcastic wave at Orion before flopping dramatically into the armchair.

  Orion g the two boys sitting on the sofa o the dgor, hunched over, watg Powder draw oable opposite of him, sat up with cautious curiosity. Mylo was lounged back, legs crossed, practig with his lockpig kit.

  He uncrossed his legs at this unwele newer, pnting one foot on the floor, ready to jump if needed. His eyes gng bad forth between Vi and Orion. "Charity case, or did you mess up?"

  Pgled, still drawing as she helps stir trouble, "She messed up!"

  "I didn't mess up!" Vi gres at Mylo, refusing to direy frustration togor, ever the mediator, spoke up. "What's your name?"

  "Orion. Yours?" Orion replied politely.

  "I'm Cggor. This is Mylo, and Powder," he said, gesturing with his head. A dismissive response came from Mylo who was lounging again, "You mean Jinx."

  "Not now, Mylo... Anyway, how did you and Vi meet?" Cggor, stepping in as the most mature handling of the situation, defended Jinx subtly whose lips curled down slightly as she tried to hide her feelings. Vi gred at Mylo who seemed oblivious as he went back to fidgeting with his locks.

  "Well, I was enjoying my meal~" Orion recalls the brief trip to them. Toward the end he decides to alter the story a bit. "~and Vi here beat most of the thugs up! You should've seen her knog out the thugs twice her size!"

  He pyed up the situation, mimig her uppercut and hooks, making it seem like Vi was the sole champion. She didn't even try to test it, a boastful smirk pnted on her face.

  Jinx had stopped drawing, boung with excitement, and wide eyes sparkling! Cggor and Mylo exged amused smirks.

  "That's our Vi- beating up half the Uy!" Mylo quipped, twirling his lockpick. "But what's a Sump Rat doing in the middle nes? Aren't you supposed to be, I don't know, rolling in sewage?"

  Of course, Mylo had to say too much, but before the others could jump on him, Orion spoke up, "Should been, but that's not the case anymore. Aren't we in the same boat?" His gaze deliberately moved between the soles of Mylo's shoes and the side of Cggoggles, which bore the Hope House Orphanage insignia.

  Sileretched for a moment, giving Orion the ce to look around the room. It was a mirror of the Are show: two sofas fag the table, an armchair closest to the door, and a barrel farthest in the room with a record pyer perched on top. Behind the sofa was the Last Drop's boiler, a major entry pipe and numerous small ones brang out.

  On the far side of the room were Vi and Jinx's buhe bottom could be easily identified to Jinx with the many wild and childish sketches, along with her signature non-funing explosives, decorated with various faces and colors.

  Vi's bunk, in trast, matched her inal name, Violet, much more. It had purple bedding and matg b, posters of fighters, and what looked like a seductive rock or punk-rock sihere was even a saxophone? Orion didn't take her for much of a musithusiast, but maybe things would've been different if events hadn't unfolded the way they did.

  It owder's childish curiosity that broke the silence. She leaoward Orion, her big eyes sparkling. "So what made you help Vi?"

  Mylo snorted and interjected, "He robably trying to impress her."

  "Shut up, Mylo!" Vi snapped, gring at him again "Not everything's about you."

  Powder stuck her to at Mylo before boung up. Her bounergy tinued, grabbing Orion's hand and tugging him over to the couch. "Hey, take a look at this!"

  The mood lightened as Vi and Mylo tiheir bickering. Orion couldn't help but smile, praising Powder's sketches as her enthusiasm swept him in. Cggor drifted in and out of the versation, gng over at Powder proudly showing off her work. Despite the rough edges, the room felt like a small bubble of fort once again.

  -------------------------

  Roughly an hour passed before Vander came around back. He paused in the doorway, watg the kids have fun. A smile crept across his face as he held a warm bowl of stew with a few ks of meat in it, and some fresh bread.

  The kids were being their usual selves, bickering and ughing. Vander's eyes drifted to Orion and Powder, seated side by side. Powder was drawing a sketylo when Orion, with a mischievous grin, added a pair of oversized fangs to it. Phed loudly, quickly iing Vi and Cggor who couldn't resist joining in.

  Mylo, however, could only sit there as a frustrated victim. "The hell?!" He threw his hands over his head before Vander walked in.

  "You lot seem to be getting along nicely!" he said, his voice warm as he hahe bowl to Orion. "Here you go d."

  Orion's eyes widened. His memories served him with the few times he was able to try meat, stomach growling in anticipation. Immediately he digs in with his fingers. Delicious, but gooo fast. Orion savored every bite while the others watched him eat as if witnessing a spectacle, their silent amusemeing the mood. When he pced the empty bowl down with a satisfied sigh, and Vander began to speak.

  "Now that things are settled, I suppose it's time to discuss the job." He spoke in a busione, motioning Vi out of the armchair. She squeezed io him, but her focus unwavering as he tinued.

  "Old Huck is trying to set up shop ewaltz street." Vander began. "It's just down the road, but retly a rival surfaced. He's stealing Huck's business, setting up some fancy advertisements too. Normally I wouldn't get involved in this sort of thing, but Huck is a good friend. We go way back." Vander leaned back for a moment, his eyes lost in distant memories before cluding.

  "If you kids could do what you do best, Huck might throw a few silvers your way."

  "We do it." Vi said, her serious determination iing the others who nodded in unison.

  "Great! You'll start tomorrow after colleg some shut-eye and supplies." Vander nodded, a slight smile appearing because of her leadership. "Orion, d, today's your lucky day. If you want, you sleep on the floor with the other ds. It's getting te, after all."

  True, Orion thought. Waking up te after experimenting with magic, the rest of the day had bee walking through Entresol and bonding with the gang.

  "I'd greatly appreciate it!" Orion replied gratefully. Vander nodded and walked out, leaving the room to settle. The atmosphere shifted instantly as the kids basked in what felt like a big victory, their excitement buzzing for the big adventure!

  -------------------------

  Sn. Loud, incessant sn into the dead of night. The ds' room was across from the girls', with the bathroom door. They had id out some bs and pillow for him to sleep on, and he was definitely grateful. But why the herd of elephants? Orion grumbled internally.

  He sighed, shifting unfortably on the bhat acted as cushioween him and the floor. Not as bad as crete, he thought. Better than nothing.

  Uo find sleep, aruck Orion. Practig the magic could knock him out! Magic for so, magic for sleep. He chuckled softly at the thought, thinking back to his earlier experience.

  He recalled how rare it was for a mage to appear in a nd with so little magic. Magic flowed like rivers through Ruerra, pooling into areas where it was cultivated and used. Ionia was the perfect example- an abundanages and magical creatures. Here in Piltover, however, it was a pletely different story. You would be hard pressed, theoretically, to find a true mage.

  From his oempt, he'd learhat magieeded an outlet to be used. He could probably circute it tinuously, but st it would be difficult, maybe even impossible due to its nature. Orion o get used to cirg it first. Baby steps, like learning the basic footwork and stao boxing.

  Orion closed his eyes and reached out again to visualize the tless rivers flowing in harmony, twisting together like living rope. Plug o, like thread from fabric, it felt a little easier than st time. It also felt that in the far-far distahere were more rivers he couldn't reach.

  He focused on the current and guided it through his body. Through his arms, legs, a, it felt tranquil. A faint drizzle of magic escaped through his raised palm. Orion's curiosity opened his eyes. He could see a faint blue light flickering in the ter of his palm, it was enough to make his heart race with excitement.

  This isn't enough, he thought, disappoihe others were sleeping, so driven by curiosity he decided to experiment a bit more by eling more of the current. Slowly, the soft light grew into a soft glowing, blue archaic orb, pulsing faintly in his hand. Orion's eyes widened in awe as he stared at his creation, his heart pounding. Mana...

  Satisfied, he decided t it to a close, he stopped drawing on the current and pushed the remaining energy into the orb. Despite the grandeur appearahe orb burst weakly, a faint shimmer dissipating into the air. pared to the first time, he couldn't feel the same force behind it.

  heless, Orion smiled happily. He felt aplished, moments before his sciousness faded.

  ---------

  Powder stumbled out of the bathroom in the middle of the night, her vision blurred from sleep. Nothing unusual- just the same old routine. She yawned, rubbing her eyes as she made her way toward her door.

  When she was reag for the knob, a faint blue shimmer flickered and faded uhe boys' door.

  She froze, blinking, was she imagining it? She waited, staring at the crack beh the door, but the light didn't return. With a slight shrug, she dismissed it. Maybe she was just seeing things. The new kid and tomorrow's job had her too excited, that was all. Powder closed the door behind her, ready for the new day to e.