The dining room was buzzing, like always—laughter, the scrape of metal chairs, arguments about the new Spherite that had fallen. Follo lounged at the end of a long table, elbows on the steel surface, smiling lazily as his friends swapped stories about the rumours. He didn’t care much for the noise; it was just background hum, another part of life in the Abyss.

Then the door opened.

The sound wasn’t loud, but the shift in the room was immediate. Conversations dipped, heads turned—not because of Corvus, though his presence alone was enough to command attention. No, this time it was because of the one walking behind him.

She walked just behind Corvus, her coat brushing against his arm, and Follo swore time slowed. The light caught her hair as she moved, and for a moment—just a moment—she didn’t look like someone who had fallen into the Abyss. She was… stunning. Beautiful in a way that didn’t belong here, where everything was rust and ruin. Beautiful in a way that made Follo forget how to breathe.

Corvus’ voice broke the silence like a hammer against steel. “Listen up.” His tone wasn’t angry, but it carried that calm authority that made even the rowdiest Cleaner shut his mouth.

“This one’s new. From the Sphere.” His hand rested on her shoulder, heavy, protective, his sharp eyes sweeping over the tables.

Then Corvus’ gaze shifted—to Follo.

Follo straightened without thinking, his usual easy grin faltering when Corvus said the words that made his pulse hammer:

“Follo. She’s yours.”

For half a second, he thought he’d misheard. But the weight of every stare in the room said otherwise.

Corvus went on, voice even: “You’ll watch her. Teach her the ropes. Make sure she survives.”

Follo nodded slowly, forcing his smile back even as something wild and electric surged in his chest. “…Guess I’ve got myself a partner.” His voice was calm, maybe even playful—but inside, everything felt different.

He didn’t miss the way her lips curved—not a full smile, but something close. Something that made the room tilt under his feet.

And in that instant, Follo knew one thing with absolute certainty: The Abyss had never looked so bright.