Chapter VIII: Can't buy your way to the sky.

The following morning after that day, Gino headed to the Guild, where he received the credits for completing his job and the food ration he hadn't asked for the previous day. Although the mask covered part of his face, several people noticed the lack of the usual spark that Gino carried with him each day.

That thing which set him apart from the rest. That spirit that seemed to shine and look forward to more, an ambition absent in everyone around him.

However, no one asked, nor did many care. Working and surviving were more important than something like that; their lives went on.

With little rest and sleep, Gino moved mechanically through the morning, completing two jobs that earned him 55 and 80 credits respectively. Now just another regular among the wanderers scattered across the streets of Level 03, Gino finally seemed to blend into the crowd. Despite his appearance and height.

It was only when, with new credits in his pocket and while sitting down for his lunch, that Gino seemed to react and break free from the monotonous, robotic spell he was under. His eyes fixed on Beatrix's brown eyes, while a knot tightened in his throat and chest.

"I told you to keep a cool head, didn't I?" she said softly, walking over to sit beside him. Her eyes were full of understanding as her hands rested gently on his without much thought.

In a fragile tone, Gino asked with a sincerity almost childlike in its innocence, "How did you know…?" Though he wasn't able to finish his question or be more specific, Beatrix seemed to understand.

With a sad smile on her face, she replied, "I knew someone like you. The same fearless look in his eyes, the same character. Someone who didn't belong in Vandalor..." She paused briefly, taking a deep breath and stroking Gino's hand. "...The darkness of this city consumed him, everything that made him shine and who he was vanished, never to be the same again." She revealed, with some emotion held back in her voice.

Lowering his gaze to where she was caressing him, Gino remained silent for a moment before starting to speak. "…What has me like this is realising that I can't do anything, that no matter how much willpower I have, or how much I think I know and believe I can do so much more, reality keeps putting me in my place. It reminds me that I'm not a superhero, that I'm no different from them..." he said, gesturing towards those around him, other workers silently eating their daily rations.

In solitude.

Biting his lip, so as not to say too much, Gino continued, "…I know things that should put me in a better position than this, but it frustrates me not being able to find a way to make use of them. It's the helplessness of wanting to do something and not knowing how…" Almost without realising it, Gino began pouring out everything he had inside to Beatrix, who offered him comfort.

Gino was aware that he knew a great deal about Warhammer, far more than even scholars and learned men in the Imperium could ever know. He had a mystical, unparalleled aid in The Forge System, and he was even a mutant psyker with the ability to be incorruptible. And yet, not being able to use any of these things, not knowing how to reach Imperial officers and start using his advantages, frustrated the young man beyond measure as he felt his vitality drain day by day, clearly sick from the time he had spent working without protection in Vandalor.

The reality was that he couldn't just approach an Imperial Guard officer or a Mechanicum tech-priest as if it were nothing. He had no way to justify what he knew and what he could do. Doing so would be a direct ticket to the Inquisition, and who knows how long he'd end up imprisoned.

"You shouldn't let yourself get frustrated by things happening around you that are beyond your power to change. Your life is more important than others', you should focus on taking things one step at a time, you know?" Beatrix offered him soft words of support to calm his frustration and make him understand something fundamental.

Unfortunately for the young girl, she didn't know she was speaking to someone who, without a second thought, had faced armed men and ended up on the ground after witnessing an injustice. Her words bounced off Gino's unconscious mind, doing little more than causing him to swallow the bitter feeling that seemed to invade his body.

Seeing that her words didn't seem to have any effect on him, Beatrix let out a sigh, her eyes shifting to the grey rations before them. The only sound breaking the oppressive silence of the cafeteria was the Imperial music echoing from the vox-speakers.

"What do you say we take an easy job together and I'll take you to a place I know this afternoon?" Beatrix suggested, her voice warm.

Without much thought, recognising that he didn't have the energy to keep working like a drone, Gino nodded and began eating while Beatrix spoke to lighten the mood.

Thus, minutes passed, and the two of them went off to grab a simple mission, heading out together. Beatrix made sure Gino accompanied her, insisting that they finish the task together.

The sight of Gino's absurd height compared to Beatrix, who barely reached 1.5 metres, was almost comical and bizarre. Yet her relentless effort to lift his spirits slowly paid off, as he began to talk more with her.

Without realising it, they soon finished their respective tasks and found themselves heading towards Level 01, a place Gino was unfamiliar with but where Beatrix moved as if she were a fish in water. With some credits in their pockets, they made their way through the damp, worn streets of the level, and Beatrix made Gino buy an alcoholic drink. Armed with metallic bottles of the liquid, she guided him to a building that looked as though it was on the verge of collapse.

Dodging vagrants and ne'er-do-wells scattered along the stairwells of the building, they finally arrived at the rooftop.

Gino's eyes took in a space that seemed completely out of place amidst the grey, claustrophobic, and suffocating environment of Level 01. The sight stirred even his own memories, as yellowish lights illuminated a worn red cloth with nearly torn pillows scattered around it.

The scene was reminiscent of Gino's childhood, when he would do something similar with Christmas lights on summer nights in Rosario with his friends and family.

"Ta-da! What do you think? It's my personal space, so I hope you appreciate the fact that I've brought you here." Beatrix said with a tone that was both proud and anxious. Almost bouncing with joy like a little girl, she sat down on the cloth, patting a spot for Gino to follow.

For the first time that day, Gino smiled and crouched down, attempting to fit into the small but comforting space.

"Who would have thought you had such a place hidden away just for yourself? I think you might be the only one in all of Vandalor who genuinely has something precious." Gino said sincerely as he looked into Beatrix's eyes, which turned into crescent moons, her metal mask hiding her wide smile.

"Hehe, right? Those nobles and merchants might have huge, comfy beds, but I doubt they have a place like this." As she lay down, Beatrix let out, for the first time, a genuine tone of tranquillity and happiness that reached Gino's ears.

Lying down next to her, Gino gazed up at the "starry sky" formed by the lights, while the warmth of Beatrix offered him shelter from the damp cold of the hive city. In such a simple yet magical moment, Gino found himself momentarily transported to another universe, a place far more peaceful and secure than Vandalor.

"My mum used to tell me stories about a sky full of stars, parks with trees and all sorts of plants. She said that in some places in the Imperium, people could lay out a blanket and gaze at the heavens..." Beatrix began speaking with warmth and longing in her voice, causing Gino to tear his gaze from the false starry sky and focus on the expression on her face.

"...though I couldn't find any trees or anything like that while working, I did manage to find lights and these bits of fabric and pillows among the rubbish in Level 15. I have to thank those merchants for wasting so much, because it allowed me to make this." She spoke with a tone full of pride and satisfaction, so much so that Gino felt a bit of that warmth spread to his chest as he smiled beneath his own mask.

"If you can create something so beautiful with so little, I can't imagine what you'd do if I could get you something more." Gino acknowledged her magical touch, letting out a sigh.

The sound of their breathing and the constant hum of Vandalor's activity filled that brief window of tranquillity as the two let their minds drift, free of worries for a moment.

Removing their masks and setting them aside, they soon began drinking the beverages Beatrix had insisted they buy. The sweet yet metallic taste of the drink slightly surprised Gino as they began chatting about various things, their conversation meandering.

As the alcohol took effect over the course of minutes, laughter and words flowed between them, and Gino found himself singing, coaxed by Beatrix after she overheard him humming a melody under his breath.

The unfamiliar rhythm and foreign lyrics took her by surprise, while Gino remained hesitant, saying the song wasn't much, but it was one that his mind usually associated with good times and happiness.

Safe and Sound by Capital Cities.

"I'm telling you, it's not going to sound right. It's not a song you can just sing like that…" Gino said, his tone light and cheerful, his cheeks flushed pink, much like Beatrix's.

She pouted, making exaggerated faces, "Come on, just sing a bit! It's not like anyone else is here, and it's the first time I've heard that language, you know?" She begged, her eyes wide like a puppy's, though she didn't know what a puppy was.

Sighing in defeat, Gino relented. "Alright, you win." He began tapping his thigh to set the rhythm.

"I could liiift you up~

I could show you what you want to see~

And take you where you want to beee~

You could be my luck~

Even if the sky is falling down~

I know that we'll be safe and soouund~

We're safe and sound~

I could fill your cup~

You know my river won't evaporate~

This world we still appreciaate~

You could be my luck~

Even in a hurricane of frowns~

I know that we'll be safe and sound~"

Though his voice was deep, it was surprisingly pleasant and melodic, leaving Beatrix captivated, even without any musical arrangements or instruments.

"What do the lyrics mean, Gino?" she couldn't help but ask, sensing from the tone that it was something joyful.

Taking a sip of his drink to ease his dry throat, Gino turned and smiled at her, revealing his interpretation of the song and its lyrics. "It's about finding someone—friends, family, even a love—and finding happiness with them. Knowing that, even in the worst situations, you'll be alright. That's where the phrase 'Safe and sound' comes from; it means being safe. As long as you have them by your side, you'll never lack anything."

The more Beatrix listened to the meaning behind the lyrics, the more she liked the song. Gino even ended up taught her the words, and the two of them sang together as they continued to sip their drinks.

In that intimate and comforting setting, the two sang like a pair of cats, belting out that forgotten song of Terra, lost to the passage of time. Under the warm glow of yellow lights and with cheap drinks in hand, they found happiness—something scarce and nearly nonexistent in a city like Vandalor.

The spark Gino had lacked at the start of the day returned, as his soul resonated with another kindred spirit.

Forty thousand years into the future, Gino had found another friendship, even after death. In the 41st millennium, in a galaxy of war and misery, they would spend that night in laughter and the warmth of companionship.

In each other's company.