Sleeping soundly, I suddenly heard the swishing of a sword.
I turned my head slowly—and there he was.
The man.
Sharpening his sword in the dark, his face half-lit by the flickering fire.
He was staring at me with a twisted, almost gleeful smile.
I sat up in panic, my voice trembling.
"What are you doing?!"
He looked up calmly.
"Oh, you're awake. Sorry to disturb your sleep."
He tilted his head slightly, smile widening.
"You looked so peaceful... I thought my work would be easier if you stayed asleep. But now..."
He trailed off, raising the blade just a little.
I screamed. Loud. Desperate.
And then—
I jolted awake, heart pounding in my chest.
My breath came in gasps.
A dream.
It was just a dream… right?
I looked at him—he was sleeping so peacefully.
But I couldn't relax. Not after that dream.
What if it wasn't just a dream? What if it was a warning?
I didn't know this man. Not his name, not where he came from.
For all I knew, he could be a serial killer hiding out here.
A stranger with secrets sharp enough to cut.
Right now, all I had was my life—
And I wasn't ready to gamble it.
It was almost morning, and the sun was already up.
Still restless from the night, I went straight to Mira's room, seeking answers. I knocked on her door.
She opened it slowly, eyes barely open, and mumbled sleepily,
"Zera? What are you doing here so early?"
I leaned in, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Mira, this is important. You know the fight you told me about yesterday—do you know why it happened?"
She rubbed her eyes.
"Yeah… I heard someone say those men attacked the guards over money."
"Oh…" I exhaled quietly, a wave of relief washing over me.
So it was the men who attacked, not the guards.
If it had been the other way around… maybe my dream would've meant something else. Something worse.
Mira tilted her head.
"Why are you asking this so early in the morning?"
I hesitated for a second, then looked her in the eye.
"I'm dealing with something. Please just support me, Mira. I'll explain everything when the time is right—just trust me."
And with that, I walked away, leaving Mira standing there, confused and half-awake.
I came home… and there he was—my serial killer—waiting for me.
Half-awake, he asked groggily,
"Where were you?"
"Oh, nothing… just some work came up," I replied, brushing it off with an excuse.
But before I could say anything else, he suddenly started screaming,
"Help! Help me!"
Then he dove behind me, clearly terrified.
"What happened?" I asked, confused and slightly panicked.
"Raaaatt!!" he shrieked, pointing toward the corner.
I burst out laughing—hysterically.
The serial killer is scared of a rat? I thought, still laughing uncontrollably.
"Don't laugh!" he snapped, still hiding behind me.
"Do something about it!"
Through giggles, I teased,
"Why are you even near me, mister? Didn't you say you'd never come close to me?"
I kept laughing as I grabbed a broom.
One swift motion later, and the rat was out of the house.
I turned back to him—still a bit red in the face from embarrassment—and said, barely holding back another laugh,
"Alright, sir, you deal with your trauma. Breakfast's over there."
And I walked out of the room, chuckling to myself.
A serial killer? Him? Not even a chance.
I went to a different market that day, dressed in clothes that hid my face. I moved through the crowd silently, eyes sharp, scanning for the perfect target. And then I saw him—a rich, pudgy man waddling down the street, lost in his own world, stuffing snacks into his mouth like he owned the place.
Perfect.
There was a little boy nearby, probably just wandering around.
I leaned down and whispered, "Hey kid, want to earn some quick money?"
He nodded. The game was on.
The boy ran up to the man and suddenly burst into loud, dramatic tears. "Where are you taking me, mister? Please don't hit me!"
I rushed over, yelling at the top of my lungs, "What are you doing to my son?!"
The man blinked, panicked. "N-nothing, ma'am! I was just walking—"
Too late. My inner protective 'mother' came out like a raging storm. I shouted, scolded, and shoved him—just slightly. In that moment, my fingers worked like magic, swapping his heavy coin pouch with a nearly identical one filled with stones that I always carried for moments like this.
Still yelling, I grabbed the boy's hand and stormed off.
Once we turned a corner, I handed him a few coins as his reward, and he scampered away happily. I strolled home, practically dancing. This was one of my best snatches in a long time.
I smiled to myself. Yep, luck's on my side. Money is practically begging to be mine.
When I got home, it had been hours since I left. That's when I saw him, sitting in the corner. His face looked like he had just finished crying a minute ago.
I raised an eyebrow and said, "What happened? Saw a rat again?"
He gave me a small, sad smile and shook his head. "No."
I sat down beside him and said, "Listen, you're definitely not a gentleman—but I'm a decent person. So, tell me. Who are you really? I'm willing to hear you out. Just say it."
He looked away and muttered, "I'm fine."
I shrugged. "Hey, don't worry about telling your secrets to a broke, weak girl like me. I can't exactly use them against you. But if you're not comfortable, that's fine too."
I stood up, ready to walk away.
But just as I turned, I heard his voice.
"My name is Rayan."