The sun had already set and bathed Zey in a veil of darkness by the time that Jongho reached the outskirts of town. He had been with his father during the day and made sure that he was taken care of and fed well before Jongho left for his mission. He was as confident as it could get to come back in one piece from the heavily guarded place that the canyon was. Despite fear gnawing at him all day long, he promised himself to succeed if only for his father's medicine.

Jongho's dark clothes blended well with the shadows of the evening. He crossed the obsolete streets with quick steps that echoed quietly through the ghostly town. No moon shone his path since its light got blocked by the asymmetrical and slanted buildings around him. Near the Chasm, some of them leaned dangerously towards the edge of not only the canyon itself but also the ocean that was in the south.

The people of Zey despised this particular edge of town. It was filled with automatons that killed upon sight at night while they stubbornly guarded the canyon. Youths like Jongho had once been tried to sneak around them in rebellious acts to check out the canyon and get a closer look, but most of them were shot down or disappeared in the gaping gorge. It was common knowledge not to play here since this area meant certain death for any human. Jongho had been a foolish kid. He remembered the pain of the grazing shot he had suffered on his way back. The scar it had left was his biggest to date. The working scars that metals and fires had left on his forearms were nothing in comparison.

Jongho stood hidden behind the edge of some alley as he scanned his surroundings. He had to find his informant that would safely bring him over to the other side first. The Chasm had not a single bridge or rope that connected it to the eastside. Crossing it was a nearly impossible task.

The how had yet to explain itself. For now, Jongho was busy with the where.

The canyon formed from the edge of the cliff that Asorazey had once been built upon. It ripped apart the earth through the middle of the city and far land inwards. The cleft was too deep for anybody to be able to measure it safely, and even the airships had trouble gauging a depth since the brutish ocean hindered them from getting too close. All numbers aside it was a death trap. It was too far to jump across, but yet not far enough for a whole airship to fit in between.

Enough to split society.

Jongho adjusted his hood over his mask as his eyes continued scanning his surroundings. The quiet noise of his gadgets hissing seemed nearly too loud in the depth of the night, but so far none of the soundlessly rolling automatons had spotted him. Jongho counted three of them in his direct line of sight. He had no chance to win against them.

Jongho uncomfortably waited for a while longer. The rushing of the waves crashing against the cliffs in the far distance with a force that was deadlier than any weapon eerily accompanied the quiescence of the streets. A cold wind was howling around the houses.

All of Jongho's senses were alert as he stood there, so he didn't startle at the sound of quiet footsteps coming closer. They halted right behind Jongho, and a quiet human breathing pattern reached Jongho's ears. A few seconds passed with no words being said. When everything stayed calm, the person turned to leave.

This time, Jongho followed.

From what he could discern of the tall figure in front of him the person was a man, probably exactly the one Jongho had searched for. Coupling or even grouping up in Zey came with betrayal and a great deal of distrust, hence why the guy probably worked alone.

The stranger led Jongho down an alley parallel to the Chasm and out of sight from the automatons. They exchanged not a single word as the man confidently brought Jongho over to one of the buildings. While he unlocked the door, Jongho searched the sketchy streets with watchful eyes. No one was around to see them disappear in the building together.

No light was allowed to ease their way as Jongho followed the man through a room in the back. While he pulled the rug aside, Jongho curiously watched him operate.

The guy moved with a confidence that fit his tall figure and lean frame. Yet, his every gesture was so deliberate and planned that he barely made any noise while swiftly getting the job done.

Underneath the rug was a hatch that led down into the cold earth. After the still nameless stranger had climbed in first, Jongho closed the trapdoor behind him.

Finally, a little light flashed in the dark tunnel. The walls in here were rough, the stone not smoothened out like in a real building. It was also narrow enough to have the tall man duck at any times and Jongho slightly lower his head as they walked. The path sloped downwards in the direction of the Chasm. Jongho shivered.

"I'm Mingi."

Jongho scanned the man in the faint glow that the lantern he was carrying produced. His voice was deep and slightly gruff, but Jongho could deal with that.

"Jongho."

They walked through the tunnel for about ten minutes until a set of stairs led up to another hatch. Mingi unlocked this one as well and held it open while Jongho stepped out. He found himself in a far more homely living room than the one before. It had no windows and just a single door leading outside, but the amount of personal and work-related items scattered around painted the picture of this being Mingi's main home.

Jongho found it looking comfortable, albeit a bit dark even as Mingi went and lit two more lanterns for them to see. Judging from the many ropes, hooks, and shot-related weapons lying around the man also worked with tech.

"Do you want tea? I will have to explain a few things first before we go." Mingi locked the hatch and spread a carpet over it before he set up the boiler. His was powered by a crank that he continued turning as he shifted to look at Jongho.

Jongho had pulled his hood down and let the mask rest at his neck as he regarded the dark-haired man with appropriate wariness. The little rivets that decorated it tickled his skin.

"Why not? Do you live here?"

Mingi nodded as he gestured for Jongho to get comfortable. The man sat down at the little table that Mingi must have brought in through the tunnel. The imagination was comedic.

"It's safer here. Close to work, too."

"Do you smuggle only?"

Another nod. Jongho accepted his precise answers gladly.

"I smuggle people and goods. Only in this direction, though. I don't want any ties with the people of Asora."

None of them wanted that. Jongho could relate well in that aspect.

"I never got found by the automatons, so betting on me is safe. Can't promise you safety in Asora, though."

Him finding a way to cross the Chasm safely was already more than enough help. Jongho would manage to do the rest. If he survived in Zey, dark and dangerous Zey, then he would be able to deal with the vain people of Asora.

"That's alright with me. Will you accompany me?"

"For now, yes. I also have a few things that I need from the palace."

The mention of the building brought a wry smirk upon Jongho's lips.

Of course.

It had never been about just going to Zey. He had been tricked into a damn suicide mission.

"The palace, huh?"

"Not the palace itself but one of the buildings belonging to it. They have a museum down in the eastern wing. That's where we are going." Mingi threw the tea leaves in the boiling water before he rose. He found a map in one of the cupboards and unfolded it in front of Jongho. His long fingers pointed at the U-shaped palace building. The main body of it was the part that Zey could see even in the distance. The other two sides were smaller and less important annexes.

"Our client is interested in one of the pieces that belonged to the IEI back in the day."

Jongho's brow rose on its own accord at that news. He was no archaeologist by any means, and he had never taken something of local historical interest from its place. It had been two hundred years since the Institute for Energy Infrastructure had broken apart. Originally, it had served as the centre of all energy flows in the large city until one major component got lost with the earthquake. Ever since then, only Asora had modern energies. They had the money to fund it while Zey got left in their shadow.

The IEI was history, and Jongho could only guess about what kind of person would be interested enough to acquire such an artefact.

"A collector or someone with futuristic outlooks?"

Mingi shrugged, but he seemed just as amused about the odd task like Jongho was. Both respected the similarities they found.

"Not that we need to care. Either way, we don't need to endanger ourselves in the main building. We go in, get to take some expensive hoards and get back before dawn."

"Sounds easy to me."

It wasn't. Jongho was very aware of the possible dangers that could lurk in the unknown areas of Asora. He counted on the darkness of the night to engulf them and hide their visible differences from Asora's citizens.

"Then let's drink our tea and leave."

Mingi's tea was slightly bitter from staying in the water for too long, but Jongho enjoyed it nonetheless. He suspected that it had a calming effect on his nerves since he didn't feel anxious by the time Mingi announced their departure.

The tall man went ahead of Jongho once more and unlocked the only door that led outside of his four walls. Tentatively, Jongho watched as he pulled it open and revealed black nothingness outside. The chasm.

"We are fifty meters down from the edge. The house is inside the wall so from here it's just crossing and climbing," Mingi explained quickly as he took a grapple gun from the floor and cocked a missile into it. Amazed, Jongho peeked his head out to look around. All around them, rough stone walls stretched out.

Deeply impressed, Jongho stepped back inside to watch the man work without getting in the way. Mingi moved with a practised speed and smoothness that spoke of years of training. His skill was apparent.

"It's easy. I shoot the gun; we climb over. Try not to fall." He didn't wait for Jongho to nod when he already fired. The hook embedded itself in the cliff opposite from them and the rope pulled taut when Mingi moved his arm back.

After he finished knotting the rope to a hook outside of his door, Mingi offered Jongho to go first. With confident steps, he approached the thick cord.

As he wrapped his fingers around the abrasive material, not a sense of regret washed over Jongho. Instead, he found himself excited at the prospect of making a mess in Asora. Those bastards deserved a damper put upon them.

He swung his bodyweight over without any issues. Mingi followed as soon as Jongho was stuck to the vertical wall like a spider.

Jongho didn't doubt that the door in the wall blended in so well that he would never find it again from the outside. As he slowly made his way up the eastern cliff, he had to give a point to Mingi for his help. Climbing was not an issue for Jongho and his steam-aided limbs. Getting over a chasm where no murderous robot watched was.

Jongho crawled across the edge and onto Asora's ground with a relieved breath. He hadn't been unstable, but the darkness beneath his feet that had seemed to reach for him had made him reasonably uncomfortable.

This side of the canyon had no guards. For one, because people from this side could cross over freely, and also since nobody wanted to. It was only the Zey people that weren't allowed here. Thus, Jongho scrambled to hide behind the nearest house, so he wasn't seen from the other side, in case they ever checked. He pressed up against a white stone wall next to an orderly windowbox full of blooming winter flowers.

He doubted they would.

Mingi came after him not five minutes later. Pressed closely against the house next to Jongho, he allowed himself a big smirk. Jongho wished he would wear a mask even if he appreciated the clean air over here.

"Good job. I had people who would blow a gasket as soon as I showed them the way, no less get over it so quickly."

Jongho chuckled at the compliment. He could imagine, but he didn't mention that Mingi's tea aided a lot in his calmness. By now, the adrenaline started to settle with him and made excitement about being here bubble up in his chest.

"I like that idiom. My brother used to say it a lot."

Mingi pulled a scarf out from his pocket and tied it around his mouth.

"Sounds like a good guy. Let's go."