Ashes of Progress // Silco x OC

Chapter 12

The streets of Zaun buzzed with their usual chaos, but to Silco, it was familiar—predictable even. The market was alive with voices raised in barter and banter, the clanging of metal, and the occasional hiss of steam from some makeshift contraption. Vendors hawked their wares, from crude tools to shimmer-infused oddities, each more questionable than the last.

Silco stepped out of his office into the smog-laden air, letting the cool, acrid breeze carry away the weight of hours spent behind his desk. It was rare for him to take to the streets alone, rarer still to allow himself this sort of reprieve. But the day afforded a moment of quiet—a moment he was determined to make use of.

As he moved through the winding alleys of the market district, a familiar figure caught his eye.

There, among the cluttered stalls and makeshift displays, was Sera. Her silver hair gleamed faintly in the dull light, a beacon against the muted tones of the undercity. She was hunched over a vendor's stall, her slim figure partially obscured by the rows of scrap parts laid out before her.

Curious, Silco approached, his steps measured but purposeful.

"You're a difficult woman to miss," he said, his voice cutting cleanly through the din of the market.

Sera straightened, startled for only a moment before a soft smile spread across her face. "Silco," she greeted, brushing her hands on her coat. "What a coincidence. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Nor I you," he replied, his mismatched eyes scanning the assortment of rusted coils and metal fragments she was inspecting. "Tell me, why is Zaun's newest inventor scavenging among this rubbish when I've provided you with far superior materials?"

Her smile turned sheepish as she gestured toward the scrap with a small shrug. "This isn't for the stabilizers," she admitted. "It's for something personal. I didn't think it would be fair to use the materials you provided for that."

Silco tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharpening. "Fair? You're scavenging for scraps because of... fairness?"

"It wouldn't feel right," she said simply, her voice even but her cheeks tinged with a faint flush. "I'd feel like I was cheating you."

He studied her for a long moment, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "You're too honest for your own good, Sera," he said finally. "If you need something, take it. Fairness is a luxury Zaun can ill afford."

She laughed softly, the sound light amidst the heavy atmosphere of the market. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

They began walking together, the stalls and vendors fading into the background as their conversation meandered. Silco's hands clasped behind his back, his long strides matching her smaller, more deliberate steps.

"I hope your personal project isn't another experiment that might blow up half my city," he teased lightly, though his tone carried an edge of genuine curiosity.

Sera rolled her eyes, her smile widening. "Nothing like that. Just something for myself—a small idea I've been tinkering with. Besides," she added with a playful glance, "you'd thank me if it did."

Silco chuckled lowly, shaking his head. "Bold of you to assume I'd find that amusing."

Sera chuckled softly, her tone light despite his pointed words. "Well, when you put it that way..."

The moment shifted as a sound cut through the air—a soft, insistent mewling.

Sera stopped mid-step, glancing down as a small, scrappy cat brushed against her leg. Its gray fur was streaked with dirt, its body small and lean, but its green eyes sparkled with curiosity.