The building wasn't trying to be subtle.
Eight floors of glass, steel, and clean industrial lines. It stood there looking expensive and immovable. Mira stopped dead in her tracks, her head tilted back so far she was practically looking at the sky.
"...That's yours?"
Orion didn't even slow down. "Yes."
Garrick squinted up at the roofline. "Since when?"
"A few years."
Lucien glanced at him, skeptical. "A few."
"Yes."
"You just... own an eight-story building. Just like that."
"It was an investment," Orion said, his voice as flat as ever.
Kaida looked unimpressed, though her eyes were moving over the security cameras. "You invested in an entire structural skeleton."
"Yes."
Mira stared at the lobby. "I definitely need richer friends."
"You have one," Kaida pointed out.
"I need more."
The lobby doors slid open with a soft, expensive hiss. Inside was all polished concrete and exposed steel beams. The lighting was minimalist, casting long shadows that swallowed the sound of their footsteps. Mira spun around in a slow circle, her eyes wide. "Okay, this is cinematic."
Seris folded her arms, her analytical brain already at work. "It's empty."
"Which means we can fill it," Lucien said.
Orion hit the elevator button. "Top floor first."
__
The 8th floor opened into a massive expanse of sky and river. No interior walls, just reinforced beams and floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the water. It was quiet—the kind of quiet you only get when you're high enough above the city noise.
Garrick walked out onto the floor. Stomp. The vibration didn't travel; it hit the floor and died. It felt like standing on a mountain. "...You reinforced this."
Orion nodded. "After awakening."
Lucien turned, his gaze sharp. "When?"
"Within forty-eight hours."
Mira blinked. "You did what?"
"I adjusted the structural supports," Orion said, as if he were explaining a grocery list. "Added impact dampening. Reinforced the wall bracing."
Kaida narrowed her eyes. "You assumed we'd need a bunker."
"Yes."
Lucien studied him for a long beat. "You didn't know Authority was going to happen."
"No."
"But the second it did—"
"I prepared."
That was Orion. No drama, no big speech. Just a man who saw a problem and fixed it before anyone else realized it existed.
Garrick paced the perimeter. "...This can take a real hit. We can actually let loose here."
Lucien flexed his fingers. A faint gold shimmer hummed beneath his skin, but he kept it coiled. Contained. Mira bounced on her heels, looking at the wide-open space. "Test run?"
"No," Garrick and Seris said at the exact same time.
Kaida smirked. "I'm with the 'no' crowd on this one."
Mira groaned. "You guys are zero fun."
They spent the next hour working their way down. Orion pointed out load-distribution lines like he'd memorized the blueprints. Seris checked the vents; Kaida tested the way her shadows moved in the corners. Everything was perfect.
Lucien walked to the glass. The skyline felt close enough to touch. He looked back at the group, then at the sheer scale of the room. "...It's big."
"Yes, it's enough." Orion agreed.
Lucien caught Nox's eye. Nox was standing still, but his eyes were everywhere—measuring distances, checking angles, probably mentally placing every one of them in a defensive formation.
"You're already planning the layout," Lucien said quietly.
"Yes."
Lucien's mouth curved into a faint, knowing smile. "Of course you are."
__
They took the elevator down to the 6F residential floor. The doors opened to a long hallway with wide windows at the end. Mira stepped out and gasped. "Oh."
She pushed open one of the doors. It was a simple room—concrete, high ceilings, natural light pouring in. "...You had bedrooms in here."
"Yes," Orion said.
"Since before the awakening?"
"Yes."
"For what?"
"Future leasing."
Garrick walked into another room and nodded. "Functional."
Lucien leaned against a doorframe, watching Orion. "You didn't reinforce this floor, though."
"No."
"You didn't expect us to live here."
"No."
"But you're not surprised that we're going to."
"No."
Kaida's lips twitched. "You adapt fast."
"Yes."
Nox walked slowly down the hall. His fingers brushed against a doorframe, and for a split second, he looked like he was listening to something. He could almost hear the echoes of a life they hadn't lived yet—the sound of them arguing over coffee, footsteps in the hall, the quiet moments between the chaos.
Lucien watched him. "You like this floor."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"It works."
Lucien studied him for a second longer, then nodded. "...Then we'll use it."
__
By the time they reached the 2F common area, the mood had shifted. Mira dropped onto the floor, sprawling out on the polished concrete. "This is ours. I'm claiming this spot."
Garrick crossed his arms, looking around at the open layout. "We haven't officially moved in yet."
Lucien turned slowly in a circle. The building didn't feel like an "investment" anymore. It felt like a fortress. It felt like a start. He looked at Orion. "You bought it for the money."
"Yes."
"You reinforced it for us."
"Yes."
Lucien gave a short, final nod. "...Good."
Outside, the sky was silent. Inside, the air felt different—heavier, but in a good way. They hadn't brought their bags yet, but the building didn't feel empty anymore.