11:30 PM (Two days after Sinclair's proposal incident)
Sector 6 – The Scrap District (Slums)
Ash rain falls from old factory chimneys, blanketing narrow alleys untouched by city lights. In this place, life is cheap, and death is merely background noise.
Rion and Ren were inspecting a new escape route when they heard the clang of metal behind a pile of rusted containers. At first, they thought it was just rats or scavengers, until they saw two small figures huddled in the shadows.
Two Lives on the Brink
Two teenage girls, appearing to be around 14 or 15 years old, stood trembling. The taller one, Shanon, stood in front with a piece of iron pipe in her hand, trying to protect the smaller girl behind her, Echi.
Their faces were stained with soot and their clothes were in tatters, yet their eyes—especially Shanon's—had a wild glint that Rion recognized instantly. It was the look of someone who had nothing left to lose except their life.
"Don't come any closer," Shanon hissed, her voice hoarse but full of threat. Behind her, Echi gripped Shanon's jacket tightly, her eyes wide and full of fear, though she didn't cry.
Ren stepped forward slowly, moving her hand away from her holster to show she had no intention of attacking. "Who is chasing you?"
An Encounter That Changes Fate
"Everyone," Shanon answered shortly. "The remaining Steel Group members are looking for us because we stole their medical bag."
Echi whispered softly, almost inaudibly. "My sister was sick... I just wanted to help her."
Rion observed them from the darkness. He saw the way Shanon held the iron pipe—inefficient, but full of determination. He saw how Echi, despite her fear, remained alert to her surroundings. They were the remnants of SG's destruction that Sinclair's laws didn't care about.
"You have guts, little one," Rion said, stepping into the dim light. "But guts without strength will only get you killed in five minutes in this city."
Shanon glared at Rion. "Then what? You want to hand us over to the police? Or kill us?"
Nero Familia's Choice
Ren turned to Rion. They didn't need more mouths to feed, but there was something about these two girls that reminded Ren of herself and Rion when they first started.
"We could leave them here," Ren said quietly to Rion. "Or we could give them a place to stay."
Rion approached Shanon. With a swift movement, he snatched the iron pipe from the girl's hand before she could react. Shanon gasped, but Rion didn't strike her. He only looked deep into her eyes.
"If you come with me, you'll never have to hold a rusted pipe again," Rion said coldly. "You will learn how to hold a real weapon. You will learn how to take revenge on the world that threw you away."
Echi looked at her sister, then at Ren. "Is it safe there?"
Ren gave a thin smile—a genuine one, not her socialite mask. "It's not always safe, but you'll have a family that won't let you stay out in the cold anymore."
New Members in the Dark
That night, Sector 7 gained two new residents: Shanon, the stubborn survivor, and Echi, who possessed an incredible sharpness of eye despite her fragile appearance.
As they arrived at the base, Mia and *
Mako greeted them with curiosity. For Rion, this was an investment in the future. To him, saving lives on the street was the best way to create a loyalty that money could never buy.
However, behind his decision, Rion knew that the presence of these children was also a reminder of his conversation with Ren on the balcony: about a future they might never have, but could perhaps provide for others.