The night air over Acadia's lower market was thick with smoke and chatter. Lanterns swung from ropes above the stalls, throwing patches of light on the dirt road as the smell of roasted meat and old fruit mixed together in the air.
Julian pulled his hood lower and moved through the crowd. The place was still busy even at this hour with traders shouting prices, coins clinking, and a drunk singing out of tune near the well.
He stopped at a wooden stall stacked with beast parts and crystals. The merchant behind it, an older man with a scarred cheek, squinted at him.
"What do you need, traveler?" the man asked, wiping his hands on his apron. "Buying or selling?"
Julian looked around once to make sure no one was watching before opening his hand. Two dark crystals floated above his palm, small but glowing faintly red.
The merchant's eyes widened a little. "Howler horns, huh?"
Julian gave a short nod. "Still warm when I got them."
The man chuckled. "You're either brave or stupid to fight Howlers alone." He leaned closer, studying the crystals. "I'll give you seven silvers."
Julian frowned. "Seven? That's too low. Make it ten."
"Ten?" The man laughed. "I said seven. Business is business. Take it or leave it."
Julian stared at him for a moment with his jaw tight before sighing. "Fine."
The merchant dropped the coins into his hand as Julian muttered under his breath, "Should've just left them to rot."
He moved to another stall, this one smaller with bottles and herbs hanging from the roof. The woman there smiled weakly. "Medicine? You look like you need it."
Julian nodded. "Something for fever. My... mother's got Ember Fever," he said quietly, sliding a few coins across the counter.
The woman's expression softened. "Ember Fever, huh? Nasty thing going around these days." She reached under the stall and brought out a small clay jar wrapped in paper. "This mix might help bring the fever down. Not a cure, but… it should ease her pain."
Julian unwrapped the jar and stared at the dull orange paste inside. It looked thin, weak medicine made from whatever cheap herbs she could scrape together.
He sighed. "Yeah," he muttered, almost under his breath, "this won't be enough."
The woman frowned. "What was that?"
"Nothing," Julian said quickly, forcing a small smile. "Thanks."
He tucked the jar into his pouch and turned away with heavy shoulders.
If this doesn't help her… I'll need to find something stronger. He thought.
He turned to leave, planning to go home before anyone noticed him. But as he reached the edge of the market, a ripple of silence spread through the crowd.
Ten men walked in — soldiers, all wearing dark armor marked with the Black Sigil on their chests. People quickly stepped aside as the soldiers scanned the crowd with sharp eyes and hands near their weapons.
Julian's heart sank as he turned away fast, pulling his hood tighter.
Erevos' voice came softly inside his head, calm as always.
"Your pulse quickens. I assume these men are not friends."
"Not even close," Julian whispered. "Last time I saw their kind, they tried to burn me alive."
"Then remain unseen. Weakness draws no attention."
"I'm trying."
He kept walking, slow and steady, but the soldiers were spreading out, checking people one by one. Some grabbed hands while others forced hoods down. They were looking for something.
The Relic display flickered in front of Julian's eyes.
[Scan Complete]
[Detected Affinity Levels: Average Tier – 3]
[Host Comparison: 2]
Julian swore under his breath. "Great. Outnumbered and outclassed."
"An expected outcome for those who run instead of grow."
"Not the time, Erevos."
One of the soldiers turned his way. "You. Take your hood off."
Julian froze. Ten of them. He knew the mark above his right eye — the faint silver line — would give him away instantly. The last group that saw it had tried to kill him on sight.
The soldier stepped closer. "Didn't you hear me? Take your hood off."
Julian's eyes darted around. The crowd was already moving away, leaving open space with nowhere to blend in.
Erevos' voice came again, low and even.
"You cannot win this fight. But you can choose how you lose."
Julian took a slow breath before moving. A spark burst from his hand as lightning snapped through the air. The flash blinded the soldiers for a second.
And immediately, Julian ran.
"Get him!" one of them shouted.
He darted between stalls, knocking over crates and baskets as shouts echoed behind him. Fire flared as the soldiers gave chase, their armor clanging on the cobblestones.
He took a sharp turn down a narrow path with ragged breath. The alley twisted once, twice, then ended in a blank stone wall.
"Perfect," he hissed. "Just perfect."
Julian turned with sparks already building between his hands, waiting for when the soldiers would take the turn, but before he could release them, light flashed beside him as a figure appeared out of thin air.
A girl. About his age, dressed in travel leathers with a cloak glowing faintly with runes. Her eyes were sharp and calm.
"Come with me, Julian."
He flinched, taking a step back. "How do you—?"
"No time." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me."
From the corner of his eyes, he could see the Relic Display.
[Spatial shift detected]
[Source: Arcane Arc]
[Caution advised]
Julian hesitated, but the soldiers were seconds away. He clenched his jaw and nodded once.
Light wrapped around them both before they vanished from the alley.
The soldiers burst in a moment later only to find the wall empty.
One of them looked around, confused. "He was just here!"
Their leader cursed under his breath. "Spread out. He couldn't have gone far."
They turned and ran back into the maze of streets, leaving the dead-end silent.