Ch 49: Diverging Paths?

Kael adjusted the thin goggles on his forehead as he scanned the blueprint before him. The workshop buzzed with energy—technicians moving between workstations, the steady hum of machinery, the faint scent of burning metal in the air. Gron's underground technology sector had drawn him in over the past few months, but this was different. This was real work.

"You're looking at the next phase of Gron's independent energy grid," said Danton, the lead engineer, tapping a section of the blueprint. "New turbine designs, better energy storage, and a major expansion of the city's geothermal system. This isn't some back-alley mod job, kid. This is the future of Gron."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "And you want me on this?"

Danton smirked. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You'd be assisting, not leading. But your work with jury-rigging old military cells and stabilizing unstable power nodes? That caught the right kind of attention." He crossed his arms. "So, what do you say?"

Kael didn't answer right away. A real job. Real work. A chance to do more than just patch things together in the shadows.

But a part of him hesitated.

Gron was safe, for now. But stability didn't last forever.

He needed time to think.

Mira had spent the day wandering the city, trying to find something that felt right. She ended up at a small, discreet bar near the outskirts, where few questions were asked. She almost turned around when she spotted him.

"Didn't think I'd see you here," the man said, swirling a glass of dark liquor in his hand.

"Didn't think you were still alive," Mira shot back, sliding into the seat across from him.

Kellan smirked. "Missed me, huh?"

Mira snorted. "Not even a little."

Kellan had been part of a different unit back when she still wore a Consortium uniform. Not a friend, not an enemy—just one of those people you crossed paths with in their endless war. But he wasn't in uniform now.

"You're still in the business," she observed.

"You could say that." Kellan leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Got a contract that could use someone like you. Experienced, knows how to handle herself, and more importantly—not on anyone's books. Pays well."

Mira frowned. "Who's the target?"

"Not a person," Kellan said. "A facility. Consortium-run, but off-the-record. Someone's paying a lot of money to make sure it doesn't exist anymore."

Mira sat back. The offer was tempting.

Too tempting.

"You didn't answer my question earlier," Kellan said, watching her closely. "What are you doing here, Mira? Civilian life doesn't suit you."

She didn't have an answer.

Later that night, Kael and Mira sat on the edge of a rooftop overlooking the city, the lights of Gron stretching below them. They had both been quiet, lost in their own thoughts, until Mira finally spoke.

"I got a job offer today," she said.

Kael glanced at her. "Oh?"

"Merc work. Someone wants a facility hit. Pays well." She took a breath. "And you?"

Kael hesitated. "A real job. Working on Gron's energy grid. I'd just be assisting, but it's… stable."

Mira chuckled, shaking her head. "That's funny."

"What is?"

"That we both got offers. And that neither of them involve running for our lives."

Kael smirked. "For once."

Mira's expression grew serious. "So what do you want, Kael? Not just for tomorrow—for real."

Kael exhaled, looking at the city. "I don't know." He turned to her. "And you?"

Mira looked away. "I don't know either."

The silence stretched between them.

For the first time since they had met, the question wasn't about surviving the next fight. It was about what came after.