I sit in that white void for what feels like forever. Occasionally, a small slit would appear in the wall to give me food and drink. It's always the same. Steak, mashed potatoes, and salted seaweed with milk. It was my favorite meal when I lived in the tower. Due to milk cows being rare, milk was always something I would get when I had the chance. Now, it's almost torture. Every few hours, one of the walls turn transparent, and a group of people stare at me. Like an item. Or a weapon.

This goes on constantly. Hundreds of people staring and making notes. I even recognized some as people I did jobs for. And some that I made enemies of. I feel bare and exposed. The only comfort I have is my sword. I've started talking to it regularly, almost like it was a person. It offers very little comfort.

I'm laying on the floor looking at the ceiling, "When will this end?" I say, glancing at the wall where my food comes from. I should be getting another one soon. I almost wish someone would buy me so I can get out of this hell hole. I chuckle to myself as I contemplate getting naked and acting like an idiot the next time those walls clear up. That might get Mirin's attention. I hear the slide click and a tray slide in. "Finally," I groan as I scooch myself to the tray. I start to eat when I notice a slip of paper under one of the plates.

It read, "Prepare yourself." Prepare myself for what? I look at the walls, almost expecting them to clear dramatically, but nothing happens. I shrug and put it back under the plate. For all I know, this could just be something Mirin pulled to mess with me—no use dwelling on it. I'm about halfway through my meal when the door reappears. I narrow my eyes but don't stop eating as Mirin walks in.

He sighs as he looks at me, "Please, Silen, make yourself somewhat presentable. We have a buyer."

I scoff, "No, you have a buyer. I'm just the slave." I continue eating. If this is gonna be my last good meal, then I'm gonna savor it. The fork is midway to my mouth when the buyers walk in. My hand freezes. In front of me stands the hulking figure of Hearon Dike. My mouth drops open. Mirin raises his eyebrows but doesn't comment on my shocked expression. Beside Hearon, Zack holds a spear wrapped in white cloth and winks at me. Zack wears a black trenchcoat that is buttoned up, covering up his clothes beneath, and black boots. Hearon is dressed in an expensive fur coat, gold-embroidered black vest, and black dress pants.

Mirin turns to Hearon, smiling, "As you can see, the product is in excellent condition." He waves in my direction, "I assure you that he is immediately fit for combat." Hearon nods his head thoughtfully.

He whispers something to Zack and shakes Mirin's hand, "It's a deal. To think a black core runs through his veins. Truly remarkable."

Mirin continues to smile and turns to me, "All right, Boy, it Looks like it's finally your time. I would say it was a pleasure if our time was not so short." His smile fades as he exits, leaving me, Hearon, and Zack alone. I want to say something, but I'm at a loss for words.

Hearon chuckles, "Did you really think we would leave without you? Zack told you that you would come with us even if we had to bring you kicking and screaming."

I finally find my voice and flick my eyes between the snickering Zack and the slightly smiling Hearon. "Still, how did you even get here, much less be able to pay the probably exorbitant amount of money he's probably priced me at?"

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Their faces turn serious, "Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury to explain. For now, we need to get out of here." Hearon nods at Zack, and he reveals a pair of metal cuffs. He walks over to me and locks my hands behind my back.

"Gotta play the part," Zack says with a wink. He reaches down to pick up my sword, but it doesn't budge. He strains as hard as he can but doesn't even get it to budge, "The hell's this thing made of?"

"Sorry, I put an unknown core into it, and now nobody but me can lift it." Zack scoffs but undoes my shackles so I can sling it over my shoulder. Hearon walks out first, and Zack pushes me in front of him. We exit the cell into some kind of metal room. I could kinda see what it looked like from in the cell when it cleared, but the bright lights prevented me from seeing details. Now that I'm outside, I realize my chance of breaking out was zero.

The cell sits in the center of a metal room about forty feet in diameter. Above me are large lights that Shine directly onto the cell. There's raised scaffolding with at least a dozen men in black garb standing at the ready with the new steam stick prototypes. Made of long pipes attached to a steam engine on the back of the user. I'm not sure how they work, as I've only seen them once or twice while working for Mirin. Rumor has it that they can fire projectiles at the speed of sound.

We walk up to two metal doors that open into an elevator. As we enter, Azu Mi steps out of the shadows and stands beside me, holding a large silver case. Mirin also joins us. Nobody says a word as the elevator starts moving up. That must mean we're in the orphan tower. I feel my stomach turn as we ascend. A one-hundred-story building, it is used as an orphanage for many homeless children in Calypso. However, that's just a front used by Mirin and the Calypso military. Before I can start to ponder about this place, the elevator dings, and the blinding lights of the Spine light the sky.

We're on the roof of the tower. The smell of freshly cut grass hits my nose, and the brisk wind from the ocean makes goosebumps appear on my skin. All around us are large trees and perfectly cut grass. I'll always remember the time spent up here. Hours spent studying swordsmanship and even more time getting my ass kicked by my instructor. I follow Hearon and Mirin till we reach the edge of the forest that faces the spine. The massive skyscrapers tower over us and disappear into the clouds. Below us, I can see hundreds of metal boxes and squares flying through the City.

Mirin turns toward us and holds out his hands. Azu Mi walks up and unlocks the briefcase showing hundreds of small metal cylinders the size of a pencil, "Eight hundred platinum, just as you requested," She says cooly. My jaw drops. Eight hundred!? You could buy this entire tower and then some with that.

He smiles warmly and picks one up, inspecting it, ''An airship will arrive soon to pick you up and bring you to the train station. On behalf of the Orphan Tower and the Calypso research facility, I wish you the best with your future endeavors." He hands the case to one of his men standing by and bows as a large metal rectangle stops in front of us. It has several glass windows and doors on it. The front has a glass window for the pilot to see, and the entire square is engraved with various random designs. I'll never get over how stupid civilian airships look.

We climb in to find it very spacious. Premium leather seats line the inside, and a small window separates the driver and us. Mirin nods to the driver as we float away. He gives me one last look before turning away. He almost looked sad. I watch as the tower fades in the blinding light of Calypso.

"So," I say, facing the three sitting across from me, "How the hell did you find me, and can we please take off these cuffs." Azu wordlessly walks over and takes my cuffs off as Hearon starts talking.

"It was not that difficult. Anyone with a military connection was told about the Wonderboy with the black core. That man Mirin was very eager to get you sold. We only had to pull a few strings to get an audience with him."

I don't know how to take this. The last few days have been a blur. Everything happened so fast it doesn't even feel real. Who exactly are these people? Why are they so interested in me? "Where did you get the kind of money? Even the richest men in Calypso would balk at that price."

Zack starts laughing, "Man, you Titainains are so strange. You use copper, silver, and gold as currency, but PLATINUM is your symbol of wealth? Oh man, what a joke."

My confusion makes Zack laugh harder until Azu elbows him in the side, "Sorry about him. He can be somewhat crass. Where we come from, platinum is not that hard to find. We always carry a lot when we enter Titan."

"Titan?" I ask. She says it strangely. Pronouncing it as tea tan.

Hearon claps his hands, "Right, that is enough of that for now. We will answer all your questions when we leave the City. Until then, I want all of you to remain on guard. I have little trust in Mirin Jack. We are not safe till we are on the train and headed to Igneous."

Silence settles in the cabin as we pass through the spine. Questions fill my head, but something tells me I should listen to him. So I sit, and the past few days hit me like a ton of bricks as my eyelids grow heavy. Despite Hearon's warning, sleep forces me into a deep slumber.