Ch 47: Between Curiosity and Comfort

For the first time in months, Kael and Mira weren't running.

They had a roof over their heads, real food in their stomachs, and no immediate threats breathing down their necks. The city of Gron offered something neither of them had experienced since leaving the Blanks—stability.

But where Mira saw a chance to rest, Kael saw an opportunity to learn.

The technology in Gron fascinated Kael. It wasn't just the pre-war relics, though those were impressive—automated defenses, energy grids, water filtration systems—it was how the people of Gron had adapted them.

Gron didn't just salvage old tech. It refined, repaired, and innovated.

Kael had spent years making improvised devices from scraps in the Blanks, stretching every resource to its limit. But here, in Gron? He had access to actual laboratories, workshops, and functioning equipment.

Kael couldn't sit still.

Within days, he had found work in Gron's industrial sector, offering his expertise as a technician-for-hire.

It started small. Fixing broken appliances. Restoring old generators. Enhancing filtration systems. But it didn't take long before word spread—Kael wasn't just another scavenger. He was skilled.

Soon, he was tinkering in the backrooms of engineers, analyzing the city's grid stability, and quietly unlocking access points that weren't meant to be touched.

And that's when he got two very different kinds of clients.

City-run workshops, mechanics, and traders who needed repairs, modifications, and efficiency boosts. Kael helped restore broken drones, fine-tune surveillance software, and enhance agricultural equipment for better crop yields.

It was good, clean work. And it paid well.

Then there were the others.

The ones who paid off the books.

Smugglers, rogue techs, and black-market dealers.

They wanted weapons untraceable, security bypassed, and drone programs rewritten to avoid city patrols.

Kael didn't ask questions. He just took the job and named his price.

And in the process, he was learning.

Every circuit, every power relay, every encryption system—Kael was piecing together how Gron functioned. If he understood its weaknesses, he could use them. If he understood its strengths, he could exploit them.

Knowledge was power.

And Kael wanted all of it.

Mira, on the other hand, had no intention of working.

For years, she had been fighting, running, and surviving. Now, for the first time in forever, she could simply exist.

She spent her time wandering the market districts, exploring cafés, and enjoying luxuries she hadn't had since before the war.

For the first time in ages, she could sleep without her gun next to her hand.

She even joined a sparring hall, training not because she had to, but because she wanted to. It felt strange—choosing to fight instead of being forced to.

She liked it.

And yet… something still bothered her.

Kael.

One night, Mira returned to their rented apartment and found Kael hunched over a mess of wires, tools, and half-dismantled devices.

She sighed. "Are you seriously still working?"

Kael, without looking up, muttered, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Mira crossed her arms. "It is. You know, most people would take a break after nearly dying a week ago."

Kael finally looked up, his expression unreadable. "Mira, look at this city. It works. Which means it has rules, systems, and vulnerabilities. If I understand them, I can use them."

Mira frowned. "Use them for what?"

Kael's voice was calm. "For whatever comes next."

Mira exhaled, frustrated. "You're exhausting."

Kael smirked. "And you're enjoying this city more than you admit."

Mira rolled her eyes.

They had come to Gron for different reasons.

Mira saw it as a temporary refuge.

Kael saw it as a stepping stone.

And sooner or later, those views were going to clash.