The streets grew wider the closer Vayne got to the center square. Less broken lights were seen. The wires weren't sparking as often. Even the ground beneath his feet—it wasn't cleaner, but it felt more maintained.
Ahead—
More space opened up ahead, and Vayne slowed his pace. He hadn't been to the center in years. In fact, few people had. The square was rarely anyone's destination, serving instead as a crossroads. It was a place to pass through rather than arrive at. There was one reason for this.
The industrial lifts.
They stood at the heart of the square. They were massive vertical structures of steel and reinforced glass, rising far beyond what the eye could comfortably follow. They had smooth surfaces, they were well maintained, and had no exposed wiring.
Vayne's eyes lingered on them for a moment.
"Woah."
Fay murmured from within Vayne's shadow.
At the base of the lifts, movement was controlled. Metal barriers formed narrow lanes, guiding people into lines. Patrol officers stood at every entry point. They had clean uniforms, steady posture, and their eyes were scanning everything.
Off to the side—
A man was being held back.
"Please—just let me through... please..."
The man's voice trembled, barely holding together. His hands shook as he tried to pull away from the officer gripping his arm.
"They took them—my wife—my kids—please, I have to go up."
There was no response from the officer. The officer wasn't even looking at the man.
"Please, there has to be something you can do. I—we didn't do anything wrong!"
The officer shoved his arm back.
"Step back."
The man's face was pale, his skin drawn and dry. He looked like he'd wept until there was nothing left.
"I can't stay down here—"
He tried to push forward with more strength. The officer stepped forward and shoved the man back with one hand.
The man stumbled, nearly losing his footing before catching himself. His breathing broke into uneven, shallow exhales.
Vayne kept watching, his shadow shifted slightly.
The officer finally looked at the man. His face now visible under his hat. There was no anger there. There was no frustration nor impatience.
There was just—
Disgust.
The man before him wasn't merely beneath him; he was something that shouldn't be seen. The officer's eyes moved over him slowly. Taking in the shaking hands. The hollow face. The desperation.
And completely rejecting all of it.
"You Lowline vermin."
Flat and quietly said. The man froze completely. His expression didn't twist to anger. He didn't lash out.
The officer repeated himself.
"Step back."
The man's shoulders trembled once. His hands slowly dropped to his sides. His fingers curled weakly before going still. He stepped back with his head lowering.
Vayne watched him for a moment. Fay's voice slipped out quietly.
"Begging, huh. It doesn't usually help."
His tone was the same as always.
Or at least—he tried to keep it the same.
Vayne didn't respond. His gaze lingered on the man for one last second. Then his eyes shifted away towards the lines.
There weren't many. Just a few narrow lanes that were formed by metal barriers. Each of them led to a checkpoint. The people standing in them were spaced apart, quiet, and composed.
They didn't look like they belonged in this district. They had cleaner clothes, steadier posture, and looked confident. Some wore fitted suits. One woman held a thin rectangular device. A faint glow spread across its surface as her fingers moved over it.
Vayne watched for a second and then looked away.
He stepped into one of the lanes.
He waited. With each step forward, the noise seemed to fade. Eventually, his turn came.
"Authorization."
Vayne held out his card. The officer took it without a word, running it across a small scanner attached to his wrist.
The officer's eyes lifted and traced over Vayne's clothes and posture, then fixed on his wrist. The watch. He didn't look past it.
Brzk
The sharp beep startled him. His gaze snapped back to Vayne's face, confusion flickering across his face.
"Proceed."
The card was handed back to Vayne. Vayne took it and stepped past him. The lift platform stood just beyond the checkpoint. A few people were already inside. They stood apart from each other, leaving space for Vayne.
Vayne stepped in.
A few heads turned. They looked at him.
Displeasure.
One man's brows pulled together slightly before he looked away. The woman with the glowing device lowered it just enough to glance at him, her expression tightening for a brief second. Another woman shifted her stance and moved away from his location.
He took a spot near the side, his gaze forward.
His shadow shifted.
"You don't look like you belong anywhere. Kinda impressive, actually."
Vayne didn't respond. He rested his chin on his palm, his arm propped against the lift's railing.
"Seriously, they're all wondering how you got in here, you Lowline vermin."
Fay said that in a mocking tone, trying to imitate the officer from earlier.
Vayne's eyes stayed half-lidded, unfocused.
Vayne spoke again, just as flat.
"I can go back down."
...
Fay's tone shifted immediately.
"What?"
Vayne gave a faint smirk and glanced downward without moving his head.
"I said I can go back down if I wanted to."
"You're joking."
Vayne rested his arm against the railing, his gaze still forward. He had already figured it out. The way they looked at him. The way they adjusted around him. Which meant this place wasn't as open as it looked.
Everything here was controlled. People didn't just move between districts. Which meant going up wasn't the same as going down. If they didn't want you somewhere, they wouldn't let you leave either.
Fay stayed quiet for a second.
"Yeah, don't test that."
Vayne was only able to stay alive this long thanks to his observational skills. Surviving in the Lowline district was not for the weak.
These people relied on rules. They relied on knowing where they stood, structure. That's why they looked at him like that. Because he didn't fit into anything they understood. Vayne didn't need to argue. He didn't need to prove anything. He just needed to know how things worked. And right now—
This was enough.
"Just don't do anything stupid," Fay muttered.
"We're not in Lowline anymore."
A pause.
"And try not to mess this up for both of us—"
"Fay, let me get this straight. I'm not your puppet."
As he said it, his eyes lifted slightly.
For a moment, the usual dull, half-lidded look was gone.
His pale white eyes felt distant. Not unfocused. Just… far away. Like they weren't entirely here, as if he were watching the world through a dream that wasn't his.
Vayne's shadow shifted.
It felt as if his shadow smiled.
The lift slowed. A low mechanical shift ran through the walls.
The doors slid open. Light spilled in.
For a moment, nothing felt wrong. Then something tightened—deep behind Vayne's eyes.
A sharp pulse split through his head. The room felt distant, like it had taken a step back without moving. His pale eyes lifted to see bundles of threads.