Arcane Anew

//Orion PoV//

Orion sighed, his shoulder sagging under the weight of the situation.

At the very least, he wanted to keep them away until he could figure out what was going on a little more.

The moment he heard his name, though, he instinctively turned his head. Powder was waving at him frantically while holding what looked like an oversized toy gun.

He raised a finger to hush her, but she lost it. Tears, sobbing, the whole display of emotions as she violently shoved past everyone and threw herself at Orion in a tight embrace.

Vi, meanwhile, was still in her own world. Dancing and bouncing- completely lost in the music and oblivious to her sister's outburst until Powder accidentally knocked into her.

"I didn't know! I was only trying to help! I'm sorry!" Powder sobbed into his jacket.

Instinctively, Vi darted forward, eyes locked on Orion with wariness as she tried to pry her sister away.

Powder wasn't letting go though, and Orion sighed with defeat. It had been bothering him before, but now the feeling of guilt was burning like a fire in his chest.

Orion was going to pat her head like he would in the past, but Vi's aggression spiked. She stepped forward, shoving his chest while pulling her sister back into her arms.

Vi was scared. Orion could see it in her eyes. She hugged Powder protectively with both arms, but her expression also shifted between confusion and frustration.

"Powder! Stop! It's not him!" Vi shouted desperately over the music as Powder violently struggled in her grip, trying to break free.

"It is! Show her, Orion! Please! It's him!"

"No, Powder! It's not him-"

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//Vi's PoV//

Vi's temper flared, fists clenched, ready to deck the asshole who bumped into her. But as she blinked twice, realizing it was Powder, she relaxed. Panic, however, flared up in its place.

'No! This is dangerous!' Vi panicked internally as she stepped forward, trying to pry her sister away. Her eyes locked nervously onto the man, fear surging as she remembered how unfazed he had been in the mines.

When his hand started to move, Vi's reaction was instinctual and spontaneous. Vi couldn't remember what she did herself, but found herself embracing her sister tightly.

"Powder, stop! It's not him!" Vi shouted desperately, her voice trembling.

"It is! Show her, Orion! Please! It's him!" Powder yelled as she violently struggled, desperately looking out toward him.

"No, Powder! It's not him-"

"Sorry..." Vi and Powder froze as the masked figure lifted his mask, revealing a face that gave haunted dreams and sleepless nights of regret.

Vi's eyes widened, unable to find any words as her emotions surged into a violent storm. "What...?" she croaked in disbelief.

Their eyes locked again. It was Orion. His gaze was gentle and remorseful, and it cut through her like a knife, stirring up feelings she didn't want to face.

Her grip on Powder weakened, and Powder broke free with a joyful sob. She flung herself back into Orion's embrace with confused, happy giggles as his hand finally settled on her head.

Vi was frozen, however. Her mind was still reeling. Should she feel happy? Or angry.

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//Seraphine PoV//

'He'll come to see why I was so mad,' Seraphine thought, her conviction holding steady.

Seraphine looked out at Scratch, joy bubbling up inside her. She enjoyed singing with Scratch, whose song represented the half she longed to combine into her music.

Her thoughts drifted back to Orion, though, and her expression tightened. 'If he's back, how will it affect the melodies? Hopefully people don't start fighting again...'

From just offstage, she observed the crowd. The souls of the undercity folk burned brightly, their pain and resilience radiating through the air. Scratch had the ability to unite everyone through shared suffering and pain.

And when Seraphine stepped onto the stage, she would unite everyone through hope and joy.

'Huh?' Seraphine's gaze swept across the crowd. Orion's soul would've been easy to spot. It was unusual- twice the size of a normal soul and radiating like the sun, but also fractured.

'I could've sworn I saw it earlier...'

Disappointment surged inside her, but she pushed it down as she raised her microphone. The crowd was waiting, and there were still hundreds of others who needed her song.

She was irritated, but he would have to wait.