The dress was finished after hours of careful work.
It was made from pieces of the yellow protective fabric Tyler had brought, stitched together with thick orange thread from the sewing kit. The seams were uneven in places, and the design looked nothing like proper clothing. Still, considering the materials and tools they had, the result was impressive.
Tyler studied it with genuine surprise.
Tansy had skill.
Even Rose had helped—mostly by holding pieces in place and handing over needles and thread—but the final product clearly showed careful planning. The suit covered the arms, torso, and legs completely, leaving only the hands, feet, and face exposed.
Despite the effort, the three of them stared at the finished piece in silence.
The bright yellow color made the whole thing look... strange.
The fabric was stitched together with thick orange thread, making the seams stand out even more. It looked less like clothing and more like so kind of warning sign.
Tyler finally rolled his eyes.
"You two just don’t like the color."
The girls ignored him completely.
Rose leaned forward, tilting her head. "What if we color it?"
Tansy’s eyes suddenly lit up.
"I have an idea."
Before either of them could ask what she ant, she grabbed the half loaf of bread she had saved earlier and hurried down the ladder.
Tyler and Rose looked at each other.
Then blinked.
"What just happened?" Rose asked.
Tyler shrugged.
—
Tansy moved quickly through the narrow streets until she reached a secluded corner behind an abandoned building.
There, crouched beside the wall, was Harvey.
He was pouring paint into a spray can, carefully shaking it to mix the color.
"Harvey."
The sudden voice nearly made him drop both the can and the paint bottle.
"Tansy!" he gasped. "You almost scared to death."
He let out a long breath and steadied his hands.
Tansy laughed softly.
The sound made Harvey freeze.
For a mont he simply stared at her, completely srized.
"Harvey?" she said again, waving a hand in front of his face.
He snapped back to reality.
"Y-Yes! What do you need?"
"I want to buy so paint," she said.
She held out the half loaf of bread.
Harvey’s eyes widened.
Bread was worth far more than paint.
He nodded imdiately.
"Deal."
—
Not long after, Tansy returned to the rooftop carrying several spray cans.
Tyler raised an eyebrow.
"That was fast."
Within minutes, the yellow suit began transforming.
Black paint covered the bright fabric layer by layer. The orange seams disappeared beneath the dark coating until the entire suit turned a deep matte black.
Now it looked less like a warning sign and more like protective gear.
Much less noticeable.
—
By afternoon, Tansy’s father slowly opened his eyes.
He sat up suddenly.
"Oh no! What ti is it?"
He rushed toward the door.
"Wait!" his wife called after him. "At least eat sothing before you go!"
"I don’t have ti!"
He pulled the door open—
And stopped.
Both of his daughters stood in front of him.
They were holding the strange black suit.
"Wear this," Tansy said.
—
Later that day, many miners in the tunnels pointed and laughed when they saw him.
Tansy’s father looked strange wearing the dark protective suit, the fabric covering his body like an odd uniform.
But he ignored them.
He had work to do.
—
That evening, when he returned ho, his expression was different.
Serious.
He looked at his daughters carefully.
"Who gave you this?"
Tansy kept her voice steady.
"It’s from a relative of old lady Veena," she said. "He said it might help."
Her father nodded slowly.
"A newcor from different sector?.. Well... he wasn’t wrong."
Both sisters leaned forward instantly.
"Mining Carbonyx has never been easy," he continued. "Normally, after a few hours in the cave, my body starts feeling stiff. Like rust spreading through my bones."
He touched his side.
"But today... even though I started late, I finished my quota faster than usual."
His voice held genuine surprise.
"I didn’t feel that stiffness at all."
Both sisters’ eyes lit up.
Their mother covered her mouth.
"I should et this man," their father said firmly.
Rose almost blurted sothing out in panic, but Tansy quickly spoke first.
"You can et him tomorrow, Dad," she said calmly. "He also asked if you could bring a few Carbonyx samples."
Their father nodded.
Then Tansy hesitated before asking quietly,
"Dad... did the infection hurt today?"
She pointed carefully to his waist, where the small Carbonyx growth had appeared.
He shook his head.
"No."
He actually smiled.
"Usually when I’m near the ore veins, the crystal in my side reacts. It aches like it’s being pulled toward the rock."
He looked down thoughtfully.
"But today... it didn’t react at all."
Their mother suddenly began crying—this ti not from grief, but relief.
---
anwhile, Tyler returned to Old Lady Veena’s house, carrying a small box of cake and a cup of freshly brewed coffee. The mont he set them on the cluttered table, Veena’s eyes lit up like a child discovering a forgotten treasure.
"It’s been years since I’ve tasted sothing like this," she said, almost reverently.
Without waiting, she took a bite of the cake, humming in satisfaction, then followed it with a careful sip of coffee. The warmth seed to revive her, bringing a spark of life back into her tired expression.
Tyler watched quietly for a mont before deciding it was the right ti to ask his question.
"What exactly is Carbonyx?" he said.
Veena paused mid-sip, considering him over the rim of her cup.
"There’s another na for Carbonyx," she said slowly. "A nickna used by people who understand what it truly does."
She leaned back in her chair.
"They call it the Devil."
Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Why Devil?"
"Because it has the power to make an entire civilization grow rapidly," Veena replied. "But the thing that helps a civilization grow the fastest... often brings the greatest suffering to other people who doesn’t have this thing. That’s why the one who brings such progress is always called a devil."
Tyler thought about her words for a mont before asking, "So what exactly does this ’Devil’ do?"
Veena took another sip of her coffee and smiled faintly.
"Electricity."
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