[Veil of Ignorance] was the official name for Andrea's gift. It was an incredibly useful ability, but the fact that it wasn't 'real invisibility' had its drawbacks.
Andrea revealed that the whole time she had been in Orions apartment, she had had the ability turned on. It just wasn't working because Orion learned of her location.
It was still a powerful Gift, one that would assist the duo in many future missions, but it had its weaknesses. However, so long as Andrea's location remained hidden, she was nearly impossible to spot.
Orion waited by the door to his apartment. Andrea was on the other side, her [Veil of Ignorance] turned on. It seemed there was no adverse affect to keeping the Gifts ability on all the time, so Andrea kept it on nearly permanently.
Orion had been waiting for nearly a whole minute. It wasn't a long time, but given that Andrea was meant to only be scouting the area outside the apartment for possible threats, that whole minute had been filled with suspense for Orion.
"Has something gone wrong? What could possibly be taking her this long!"
Orion stared at the doorknob. He contemplated stepping outside, seeing if Andrea needed help, or if she was already dead. He slowly reached for the handle.
Someone suddenly knocked on the door. A rhythmic pattern of seven knocks in a three-one-three pattern. It was the pattern they had agreed upon, that way Orion would know she wasn't some monster trying to imitate human behaviour.
Orion quickly unlocked and opened the door. He didn't see anyone, but he knew Andrea was there. His knowledge of her presence seemed to disable the [Veil of Ignorance], and she slowly appeared in front of him.
"Coast is clear, let's get too work."
Orion slipped outside, gently closing the door behind him.
"What took so long?" He asked with concern. Andrea shrugged.
"There was something out here." She said, almost nonchalantly. Orion felt his stomach turn. He began to look around hesitantly, feeling like some monstrous abomination might attack him at any moment.
"Relax," Andrea said. "It's already gone. Let's just get this over with quickly, this place gives me chills."
Orion agreed with that last part. The hallway was dark to a point that seeing anything was nearly impossible. There was only one window in the hallway, and it was all the way at the very end. Barely any of that light actually made it to Orion and Andrea.
Who knew what was lurking in the dark.
Orion got to work. He placed his hand on the wall next to his door. Moss began to sprout from his hand, and spread across the wall. It took a very specific shape, forming letters that Orion pictured in his head. Eventually, the full message was complete.
'SURVIVORS WELCOME' it read. Andrea and Orion figured it was the safest way to get the attention of any passing survivors, and it didn't really put Andrea and Orion in any danger. Andrea nodded, satisfied.
"Alright. Wait out here, I gotta grab some stuff from my place." She turned to her door.
Orion felt his stomach sink. He didn't want to be alone in the hallway, with it's dark corners and lurking beast. Andrea noticed his panic.
"I mean you can come inside if you want, the place is a bit of a mess though."
She opened the door, stepping inside and motioning for Orion to join her. He stepped inside hastily, allowing Andrea to close the door behind him. He looked around the boxers apartment.
The place was a bit of a mess. Andrea seemed to have a habit of leaving cans of soda and boxes of food around the house. The sink had several dishes in it, some of which had spilled onto the floor during her fight with her trial monster.
All over the walls were posters from different fighting promotions and metal bands. In the corner of the living room there was a black punching bag. It had small tears in it, which had been patched up with duct tape.
The apartment looked exactly like how Orion imagined it.
"I'll be right back, feel free to take anything from the fridge, even though everything's probably warm by now."
Andrea stepped into the hallway, leaving Orion to lurk in the living room. He did walk over to the fridge, wishing to quench his thirst. Opening the fridge, he found it mostly empty aside from a box of orange soda and some leftover takeout.
Grabbing a can, Orion walked over to the large window facing the central tower. He had made a habit of watching the tower, as though he was expecting something to change. He had only recently noticed the stars in the sky, which seemed to be there regardless of what time it was.
Was time even passing in the apartment? Orion had so many questions, with no way to answer them. He felt disorientated. And tired. He felt he would simply need to get used to the feeling.
Looking at the balcony, he saw something strange. Sitting in the corner, there was a fancy pot filled with dirt. It looked like a flower pot, but there was no flower inside of it.
Orion looked at the ground around the pot, seeing a handful of small green specks littered on the tile. Orion was so focused on the flower- or lack there of, that he didn't even notice Andrea stepping back into the room.
"You ready to go?"
Orion nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Woah, sorry. You alright?"
Orion nodded slowly.
"Yeah, sorry about that," he turned back to the pot outside. "Did you have a flower in that before?"
Andrea turned to face the balcony, and a look of confusion appeared on her face.
"Where the hell did my sunflower go?"
Orion stared at the specks of green around the pot. They looked like they might've once been from a leaf or stem, but had now been diced up into small pieces.
"Shearing light…" Orion said under his breath. Andrea turned to him immeadiately.
"Where did you hear that?" She asked. She looked concerned.
"It was in a dream I had last night. Moss and bone, the undying void, shearing light."
Andrea said that last part in tandem with Orion. His eyes widdened at the realization that Andrea had had the same dream.
"I heard that same phrase, except for moss and bone, that's all you."
"What did you hear instead?" Orion questioned.
"Blood and glass. I think it was warning me about my trial monster."
Orion nodded. That would make sense, moss and bone had clearly been in reference to the Moss Shambler, so Andrea's trial monster would've been something related to blood and glass. Andrea turned back to the pot outside.
"You think that the light outside did this, cut up my plant?"
Orion shrugged.
"It's the best theory I can come up with, I don't think there's any other light out there."
Andrea nodded.
"Sounds like a damn good reason to stay inside."
Orion chuckled.
"I was thinking the same thing."
Andrea turned to leave the apartment, and motioned for Orion to follow. As he stepped towards the door, he suddenly felt a new message come through. He turned to Andrea, who was already closing her eyes to read the new transmission.
Orion closed his eyes, and allowed the new letters to take form in his mind.
[47:59:59]
"A two day countdown? What the hell does that mean?"
Orion opened his eyes to face Andrea. She seemed to be equally as confused. The pair stood there in silence for a moment, before heading to the door.
Orion felt fear take hold of his heart once more.