Ethan stepped down the ramp of his ship, boots hitting the woral of the dog bay with a soft g. The hangar was far from pristine, more like a reli better days, with rust creeping up the walls and the steady hum of aging maery filling the air. His ship sealed shut behind him, and now he stood ohreshold of somethiirely unfamiliar.

  Iris had assured him that the air outside was breathable, so he didn't worry about suffog. She also informed him that he had valid identification as an Orion Federation citizen stored on the information tablet he had found on the ship, which meant he wouldn't have to worry about being questioned. Valeris City, the city that sprawled before him, wasn't the gleaming hub of futuristiovation he'd imagined. Instead, it looked as though it had been fotten by time. Skyscrapers rose high, their exteriors showing signs of wear, but a sense of life still pulsed through the streets below. Neon signs flickered with sporadic vigor, illuminating the somewhat bustling thhfares.

  The people matched the surroundings. A diverse mix of aliens moved through the streets, their clothes refleg a range of styles and cultures. Heavy cloaks, faded tunics, and funal garments seemed to be the norm, but there was a vibran their iions. Federation guards stood at intervals, their presence lending an air of security amid the imperfes. Meraries exged stories at nearby stalls, their ons slung casually yet ready.

  Ethan walked cautiously, sing his surroundings as he ventured deeper into the city. Everythi fn: the sounds, the smells, even the air itself seemed denser, carrying a hint of something he couldn't quite pce. His senses buzzed with alertness. Despite the visible signs of decay, there was an underlying pulse of activity that made the city feel alive. This wasn't the kind of pce you could rex in pletely, but it wasn't devoid of safety either.

  He turned his thoughts to the task at hand. The Merary Guild was somewhere in this maze of buildings and streets, but the twisting alleys and faded signs made it impossible to get his bearings. Every er he turned revealed more of the same: shops with closed shutters, faded advertisements, and groups of people engaged in animated versation.

  Eventually, he stopped, realizing he needed help. Spotting a lone figure by a stall selling something that smelled vaguely like roasted meat, he decided to take a ce. The figure was small, humanoid, and cloaked in a tattered robe, their pale green skin visible beh the hood. They looked harmless enough.

  "Excuse me," Ethan said, approag cautiously. "Do you know where I find the Merary Guild?"

  The alien turned slowly, blinking up at him with tired eyes. For a momehan wondered if they would respond at all, but then the alien raised a thin arm, pointing down a narrow, dimly lit alley.

  "Guild's that way," they rasped. "Look for the crossed ser swords above the door."

  Ethan thahem and moved on, his steps quiing as he headed in the dire the alien had indicated. The exge had been brief and unremarkable, yet something tugged at his mind as he walked. The writing on the alien signs and graffiti he passed was pletely unreadable: strange symbols aers that made no seo him. Ahe versation had felt... natural.

  He had uood the alien perfectly, and they had uood him. How? He didn't know the nguage. Shouldn't there have been a unication barrier?

  He shook his head, dismissing the thought for now. There were bigger things to focus on. But the oddness li the edge of his mind, gnawing at him as he tihrough the city.

  The further he walked, the more he noticed the mix of life and decay. Though some buildings stood in disrepair, others showed signs of ret renovation. Street vendors sold their wares with a mix of enthusiasm and caution, and children pyed in the alleyways, their ughter trasting with the grit of the enviro. Federation guards patrolled the streets, their uniforms a stark reminder of the order that still existed amidst the chaos.

  Finally, he spotted it. The crossed ser swords above a rusty door, barely visible under a yer of grime. The building looked like it had seeer days, much like everything else in Valeris City. But this was it. The Merary Guild.

  Taking a deep breath, Ethan stepped forward, his hand h over the trol panel o the door. It opened with a creaky hiss, and dim light spilled out from inside. His body tensed instinctively as he stepped through the threshold, senses heightened as he ehe unknown.

  The worn, dusty interior was a stark trast to the advaeology he had been familiarizing himself with ba the ship. But this pce represented opportunity. Danger, yes, but also a way forward.

  Ethan squared his shoulders, pushing down the uainty swirling in his chest. Valeris City might have been a fotten er of the gaxy, but it was the first step in whatever this new life was going to be.

  And he was ready to face it.