I turned on my heels and stepped outside, the door clicking shut behind me. The cool air brushed against my skin, but it did little to shake off the unease sitting heavy in my chest. The flower quest would have to wait until nightfall—no way in hell was I stepping into a cave where goblins or gods-know-what lurked. That left me with the old woman's lost ring. A much safer choice.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the map I'd taken from Mortan and unfolded it. My eyes traced the layout of the city, landing on Juz'n District, a little east of where I stood. I couldn't tell exactly how far it was just from the map, but it seemed fairly close.
"Alright," I muttered, crumpling the map and stuffing it back into my pocket. "Let's find that ring…"
I started walking, my steps slow as I took in the city around me. The street was wide, broad enough for a few horse carts to roll by at a steady pace. On either side, rows of houses stood, their wooden frames sturdy but weathered. They weren't like the towering apartment buildings from my world. Instead, the buildings had thick wooden beams, small shuttered windows, and slanted roofs covered with reddish-brown tiles. Some had small balconies with drying herbs strung along the railing, their scents mingling with the rich aroma of freshly baked bread from a nearby shop.
"So different from mine," I whispered under my breath, the weight of that truth settling deeper in my bones.
Rounding a corner, my gaze drifted ahead—and my stomach twisted at what I saw.
A wooden platform loomed at the far end of the street, five or six meters high, with a set of stairs leading up to it. Two heavy trapdoors lay side by side on the surface, their hinges dark with rust. Above them, a thick rope hung from a tree branch, swaying gently in the breeze.
The noose.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. There was no mistaking it—this was an execution site. My country had the death penalty, too, but not like this. Not like… this.
'Shit.' I clenched my fists. 'That's just sick.'
I forced my eyes away, shaking the thoughts from my head. Dwelling on it wouldn't help.
Pulling out the map again, I double-checked my path. I was still on the right track. Exhaling, I turned into a narrow alleyway where a few cats lay sprawled out in the sun, barely sparing me a glance. Emerging from the other side, I kept moving.
With each step, the city grew louder. More people filled the streets, and the scent of sizzling meat and spices thickened the air. Market stalls stood in neat rows, shopkeepers shouting over one another to advertise their wares.
I walked past two women deep in conversation, their voices carrying over the chatter.
"What about the tournament?" one asked, excitement lacing her tone. "Are you going to watch it?"
"Of course," her friend answered. "The Queen will be there, too. I heard the training matches start in a few days. Sapnekros help me…"
"I don't think God of wisdom won't help you on this one, girl." She said, "We should pray to Lkarvos and—"
Then, a sudden, piercing scream cut through the morning air. I froze. My heart slammed against my ribs as my head snapped toward the sound.
For a moment, nothing. Just startled murmurs and shifting bodies. But then came the movement.
A man burst out of a dark alleyway, running barefoot across the uneven stone. His tunic was in tatters, hanging off his gaunt frame. But what made my breath hitch—his ears. Pointed. Sharp. An elf.
His skin was pale, almost ghostly, and he was the tallest man I'd ever seen in my sixteen years. He sprinted past the market stalls, his long legs propelling him forward in desperate strides.
A few seconds later, the guards came. Two of them, swords drawn, barking orders for him to stop. The elf didn't slow, of course. He darted toward another alley, nearly out of reach.
"Stop, you dirty elf!"
"Stop!"
One of the guards suddenly thrust a hand forward. A burst of wind shot out, invisible but forceful, slamming into the elf's back like a whip.
He crumpled, groaning in pain as he tried to get up.
The second guard wasted no time. He stomped toward the fallen man, pressing a boot onto his chest before he could rise. A sick grin spread across his face as he raised his sword.
"No! Don't kill me! I have a ki—" The word barely left his lips before the blade came down.
A clean strike. Straight through the head. The elf's body jerked once—then went still. Blood pooled beneath him, dark and thick. Bits of brain matter spattered the cobblestone.
My stomach lurched. I stumbled back, my breath coming in quick, uneven gasps. My back hit a wall, grounding me, but the horror remained.
"Holy—" My voice was barely a whisper, my hands trembling at my sides. "No, no, no. I need to get out of here."
Around me, the market barely reacted. Some people spared the scene a glance before going back to their business. Others—worse—commented like it was nothing more than a routine chore.
"Another elf," a man beside me muttered as he adjusted the crates on his stall. "Good riddance."
"Damn bastards," his friend spat on the ground. "Wish they'd hanged the bastard instead."
"At least they caught him," the first man grunted. "No complaints from me."
"Yes. no complaints at all."
Their words hit me like ice water. This wasn't just a one-time event. This was normal to them. Expected.
I clenched my jaw and turned away, my steps faster this time. I didn't stop. Not until the market noise faded behind me, not until the image of the elf's lifeless eyes wasn't at the front of my mind.
This place was hell.
"Oh God," I muttered, my voice crackling a little. "What is this?"
"Gods above," a young man muttered as he passed by, joining his friend who was waiting in front of a nearby blacksmith. "I just saw a guard gut an elf."
"They caught an elf?" his friend asked, eyes widening. "In the city? Damn…"
"Gods take them. Monsters..."
My hands trembled as I pulled the map from my pocket, but it slipped from my grasp and fell to the ground. I was shaking so badly it took two tries to pick it up—both times the map slid through my fingers. With a slow, deep breath, I finally managed to hold it and checked my location. The execution site was behind me now, meaning I had to take a left at the end of the street to reach Juz'n.
I rolled the map and shoved it back into my pocket, wiping the sweat from my forehead. Back in my world, I had seen men beaten up more times than I could count—my job often took me to the rougher parts of the city. But this? This wasn't just a fight. It was murder. And no one seemed to care.
"Focus..." I muttered, trying to steady my breathing. "Just find the ring, Ax. Find the ring and get out of here..."
I didn't even realize I had reached the end of the road. My eyes were locked on the ground, my mind trapped in the gruesome scene I had just witnessed. My stomach twisted as I forced myself to keep moving, swallowing back the nausea clawing at my throat. If I had been any closer—if I had seen that up close—I was sure I would've emptied my stomach right there in the street.
It was just… unimaginably disgusting.
I needed to focus. Juz'n District. That was my next destination. I just had to find the old woman, Aenn, and recover her lost ring. Hopefully, she had simply dropped it somewhere in the street. If it had been stolen, this would be a much bigger problem.
"Aenn. She lived in a house with a dark blue-tiled roof…"