Of course, Eishen and I did not run across the roofs of Leylen. While Eishen had always dreamed of the sky and the possibility of flying, they were also terrified of heights. They always needed the reassurance that their own mistake wouldn’t cause them to fall, and on that rainy night, even the cobbled streets were a little too slippery for their liking. 

Still, they looked good in the mask that covered their eyes, and they clearly knew it. Their head was held high, their stance was easier than usual.

Our rambling conversation quieted once we reached the factory. Eishen’s magic easily ensured that the shadows cloaked us in darkness, so to the untrained eye, we were invisible. The look on their face when they took in the grandeur of the building was priceless. 

“How have they been hiding this from us?” 

I shrugged. “I’m not convinced there are enough people who go through this area for anyone to notice.”

“Okay, I followed you, Theo, what now?” 

I pointed to a window that had remained opened. 

“You want us to break in? For real?”

“Maybe we don’t need to break in at all - maybe we will learn more just by taking a look.” 

I didn’t quite expect for Eishen to be the one to step towards the window first, but I let them, letting a knife I had hidden in my cloak slip into my hand. I kept an eye out for anyone who might notice us, but so late into the night, it would be a wonder if anyone was around at all. 

The streetlights were on, but the factory was eerily dark. 

“Theo! Come look at this!” 

I made my way to Eishen, who had cast a spell to make light emanate from an accessory they carried around - a small sky map they kept in their pocket. A bronze plate painted with the stars was covered with another that had a window cut from it; turning it to match the time of year would reveal the stars and constellations one could see in the sky at that time at midnight. At the same time, Eishen manipulated the darkness enough for the light that shone from the map to only shine into the factory, and not into the street. 

They did so wonderfully simply, making it look as easy as taking a breath. 

I looked past the magic, unsure about what I was looking at. The room was impossibly large; I wasn’t sure if what I was looking at was the opposite wall or if the light simply didn’t reach that far. Inside the room itself was something unlike anything I had ever seen. We had all heard about simple machines; my personal favorite were pocket watches and mechanically locked box in which I kept my knife. 

This room was full of the largest cogs and wheels I had ever seen, by a large margin. Even in the night, they turned, one clicking another into place, making a lever move, making steam billow. Large belts circled spinning contraptions that pulled a chain up from a hole in the ground. Bridges crisscrossed over the large machine, likely for repairs or to oversee it all. 

“Wait what’s that?” Eishen quipped before using a bent pipe to climb into the window. 

“Eish! What are you-?” 

“You wanted to do this, Theo, and I feel magic over there. Are you following me or not?” 

I was right - the Shadehand Opus was there for a reason, they were involved somehow. I helped Eishen in through the square window, helping them when their coat got caught in the metal windowframe. I followed closely behind, less clumsy. Eishen’s foot knocked into a step they hadn’t noticed.

“Ow!” 

“Shh!” 

“Sorry, but it’s loud in here anyway!” 

I rolled my eyes with a grin - as much as they dreamed of adventure, there were low chances they could pull off a heist on their own. Still, they walked ahead of me, drawing the darkest parts of the shadows around us. In truth, it was difficult to see anything at all. They took my hand, leading me across what seemed to be a bridge. The ability Eishen had to see in the dark was coming in handy, that much was certain. 

Besides, they were right; the noise of the mechanical parts was deafening. 

We didn’t walk very far before they stopped, their hand clenching around mine. They brought up their map to emit the smallest bit of light.

I looked around. We seemed to be in the middle of the room, near a rather large cube. The cube was entirely made of metal, except for a simple, half-open wooden door. I let go of Eishen and ducked into the door. 

I lifted my hand, signaling Eishen to lift the light. As they did so, just enough of the light filled the room I had stepped into. I thought I saw something I truly wish I hadn’t. I reached back and grasped onto Eishen’s forearm, pulling them into the room with me. 

They didn’t swear often, so hearing a terrified ‘oh f*ck’ from them was a testament to how terrifying the sight truly was. 

The walls of the room were covered in Shadehand sigils. Magic circles, runes and spell components were strewn around the room. Some glowed a faint orange; Eishen had once explained to me that it meant that they were actively working. 

Shadehands were a part of making the factory work. 

They were helping turn on the lights.