Oblivion's Edge: Voidborn

9 The City of Shifting Lights

The two broad-shouldered men closed in on Aēllion, their shadows falling over him like dark towers. One cracked his knuckles, the other smirked, and both looked ready to teach him a lesson.

Aēllion took a slow step back, his mind racing for a way out. He had no money, no idea what “Thalon credits” were, and no strength left to fight.

"Ī'm scrēwēd," Aēllion whispered to himself.

His chest tightened, and he could already imagine the pain that was coming.

“Add his bill to mine,” a voice said from behind.

The two men froze. The waiter turned.

Aēllion’s eyes widened when he saw her.

It was Sira.

She stood at the entrance, arms crossed, a faint smile on her face. Her blue hair shimmered under the neon lights of the half-restaurant, half-bar. Every eye in the place turned to look at her.

The waiter blinked in surprise. “Lady Sireya-Val?”

Sira walked closer, her boots echoing softly on the metallic floor. “You heard me,” she said calmly. “Add his bill to mine.”

The waiter nodded quickly, her earlier confidence gone. “O-of course, my lady.”

The two men stepped back, muttering under their breath. One of them gave Aēllion a hard look. “You’re lucky, stranger,” he said, his voice dripping with annoyance. “Next time, pay before you eat.”

The other one laughed lowly. “Yeah, luck won’t save you twice.”

They walked away, their heavy steps fading into the crowd. The waiter shot Aēllion a disgusted look before turning her back, pretending to clean the counter.

Aēllion stood there frozen, not sure what to say. Relief flooded through him, followed by embarrassment. He looked down, ashamed.

“Thank you,” he said finally, his voice barely more than a whisper. “Really. I… I don’t know what to say.”

Sira smiled, waving a hand. “Don’t worry about it.” She gestured to the seat across from her. “Sit down. You look like you haven’t eaten in days.”

Aēllion hesitated, then sat.

Sira ordered some food for herself, something colorful and steaming and when it arrived, she pushed half of it toward him. “Eat,” she said simply.

He blinked. “But you already—”

“Eat,” she repeated, her eyes playful but firm.

He didn’t argue. The food was strange but delicious, and the warmth spread through his chest. He looked up at her between bites. “Is there any way I can repay you? For saving me, for… this.”

Sira tilted her head, her smile softening. “You really don’t have to. I’m not expecting anything.”

Aēllion frowned slightly. That was strange to him. In the Edge, no one gave anything for free. Every favor came with a price. Every act of kindness had strings attached.

But she didn’t seem like she was lying.

He studied her for a moment, trying to understand why someone like her who's bright, confident, clearly from a higher world would care enough to help a stranger who looked like he crawled out of the wastelands.

Sira took a sip from her drink, then caught him staring again. “You really have to stop doing that,” she said, amused.

“Doing what?”

“Looking at me like I’m some kind of angel or ghost.”

He choked slightly, embarrassed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean..”

She laughed, light and musical. “Relax, Aelly-Hal. I’m joking.”

He smiled shyly.

When they finished eating, Sira leaned back and said thoughtfully, “Actually… maybe there is something you can do for me.”

Aēllion’s eyes lit up. “What? What is it? I’ll do anything. Well, anything within my capability.”

She chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing dangerous. You’re coming with me for a little shopping trip.”

“Shopping?” he repeated, confused but intrigued.

“Yes. You look like you just escaped from a swamp,” she teased. “You need proper clothes. And I could use a second opinion.”

Aēllion’s lips twitched into a smile. “Alright. Shopping it is.”

They left the restaurant together, the city lights reflecting off the metallic streets. The air outside buzzed with sound, music from hovering speakers, the hum of airships passing above, and the chatter of alien languages mixing together like a song of life.

The shopping mall wasn’t far. When they entered, Aēllion’s jaw dropped again. The place was huge, floating platforms moved people between glowing levels, and robotic attendants carried bags for customers.

Stores lined the circular halls, displaying everything from holographic jewelry to clothes that shimmered like light itself.

Sira seemed at home here. She led the way, walking with easy confidence, her blue hair glowing under the neon lights. Aēllion followed, trying not to stare too much but failing miserably.

They entered a clothing store filled with sleek designs and glowing fabrics. Sira picked out a few things for herself like jackets, gloves, some sort of compact tech device he couldn’t identify. Then she turned to him.

“You,” she said, pointing at him. “You’re next.”

He blinked. “Me?”

“Yes, you. Those clothes are… tragic.”

He looked down at his torn, wet outfit and sighed. “You’re not completely wrong.”

She grinned and tossed him a bundle. “Go try these.”

When he came out of the fitting room, Sira crossed her arms, studying him with approval. The black jacket fit well, lined with faint green patterns that reminded him of her markings. He looked less like a lost traveler and more like someone who belonged here.

“Much better,” she said. “Now you don’t look like you crawled out of the Outcast Lands.”

Aēllion smiled faintly. “Thanks… again.”

She shrugged. “Don’t mention it.”

At the counter, she handed over a sleek card, her credit card, to pay for everything. The receptionist smiled respectfully, recognizing her name.

As they stepped out, Sira asked, “Anything else you want to buy?”

Aēllion shook his head quickly. “No. You’ve done more than enough already. I’m okay.”

She smiled, seeming to appreciate his modesty. “Alright then.”

- Info: Aliens speak different languages but the most common language spoken is English. The reason is when aliens came to earth, they were influenced by humans and learnt major human languages.

They walked side by side through the glowing streets. The towers of Virelia sparkled above them, their reflections dancing across the metallic ground. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence wasn’t awkward, it was peaceful.

Then Sira broke it. “Do you have family here in Virelia?”

Aēllion hesitated before answering. “No. I live mostly alone… with my mother... but she’s in a different city.”

Sira nodded slowly. “What about your father?”

He looked away, his voice quiet. “I never knew him. My mom never talks about him.”

Sira sighed, her expression softening. “I know what that’s like.”

He looked at her curiously. “You do?”

“Yeah.” She smiled sadly. “My mother was human. She died of cancer a couple years back. After that, my father changed. He became cold, controlling. He wants me to follow in his footsteps, to become a senator like him but that’s not what I want.”

Aēllion frowned. “Then what do you want?”

Her eyes brightened a little. “To explore. To see the world. There are so many places out there, so many species, cultures, stories. Life is too short to stay in one place, doing what others expect of you.” She gave a small laugh. “It sounds dumb, doesn’t it?”

He shook his head firmly. “No. Not at all. Actually… I understand. This is my first time experiencing a big city like this and it feels awesome, I want to see more. So I guess we share the same dream.”

Sira looked at him for a moment, then smiled, a real, warm smile. “Guess we do.”

They walked for a while longer, the city glowing around them like a dream.

Then Sira asked, “Uhm.. do you have a place to stay tonight?”

Aēllion hesitated. “No, but I’ll be fine. I’ll find somewhere...”

Sira frowned. “You’re not sleeping on the street. Even in Virelia, that’s dangerous. There are thieves, even if the city’s mostly safe.”

“I’ll manage,” he said quickly, not wanting to be a burden.

But Sira shook her head. “No. You’re coming with me. My friends and I are staying at a hotel. I’ll book a room for you.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand. “And before you say no, it’s not up for debate.”

Aēllion sighed in defeat, though a small smile crept onto his face. “You’re very persistent, you know that?”

Sira grinned. “I get that a lot.”

As they walked toward the glowing silhouette of the hotel in the distance, Aellion’s thoughts grew uneasy again.

What if one of her friends realizes he’s human?

Would they even like him?

Would Sira still help him if they didn't?

...