Port city of Erynport welcomed them with a deafening uproar. The scent of saltwater mingled with black smoke drifting from the blacksmith forges, while its narrow alleys were crammed with sailors and merchants. For Kaera and Eira, this wasn't a place to wander—it was a place to refill coin pouches that had long run dry.
In front of the bounty board, Eira narrowed her eyes, studying a slightly worn poster.
"Target: A thief named Vale.
Charge: Stealing a sacred relic from the old fire temple.
Reward: 800 coins."
She read it aloud.
Her gaze then locked onto the sketch of a locket printed on the notice.
"Kaera, you see the glyph on this locket? Looks like... ancient demon script."
Kaera, who had been leaning against the wall, stepped closer. Her sharp eyes thinned. Her heartbeat spiked without warning.
"I recognize this pattern," Kaera's voice turned heavy.
"It could be the crest of a high-ranking demon clan... the clan that destroyed my village."
Eira fell silent.
The noisy marketplace seemed to fade into nothing for a moment.
"So Vale's not just some petty thief. He must know something about your past."
Kaera didn't reply, but her grip on her katana tightened.
"We find him tonight."
----
HUNT BENEATH THE STREETS
Night fell, and Erynport changed its face. The once-crowded alleys turned dark and hollow. Kaera moved like a shadow—silent, not a single footstep heard.
Behind her, Eira closed her eyes, activating Echo Veins. Vibrations of heat and sound beneath the ground guided them to a hidden door wedged between the ruins of an old building.
The moment Kaera's hand touched it, the demon glyph carved into the surface flickered faintly, as if welcoming its master home.
They descended damp stone steps. The echo of dripping water against the cavern walls sharpened the unease in the air.
At the center of a chamber lit by candlelight stood a young man in robes. Around his neck, the stolen golden locket glowed dimly.
"Two cute girls here for money? Or for something a little... deeper?"
Vale's voice dripped with mockery. His eyes flared crimson in the dark.
"That relic isn't yours. Hand it over. Now."
Kaera drew her katana. A cold aura bled into the room.
Vale let out a soft chuckle. "Funny... I'm just looking for answers. Same as you, Kaera."
Kaera froze. How did this thief know her name?
Sensing something wrong, Eira pulled back her root-carved bow. Vale's aura wasn't human anymore—he was a demon in disguise.
"This locket... it carries the memories of a demon who once bowed to Astaroth," Vale continued, deliberately stirring Kaera's emotions.
"You're lying!" Kaera shouted, but her hand had begun to tremble.
----
DANCE OF BLOOD AND SHADOW
ZASSS!
Vale struck first. The shadows around him stretched and sharpened into black spears.
Kaera lunged forward, deflecting each strike with her blade, while Eira covered her flank with Verdant Shard arrows.
Suddenly, Vale gripped the locket. Violet light burst outward, flooding Kaera's mind.
Fire... screams... her mother's terrified face—
Kaera stood paralyzed. The world spun. She nearly drowned in the false memories conjured by the relic.
"Kaera! Focus!" Eira's shout shattered the illusion.
"He's dragging you into a past he doesn't even understand! Don't let him win!"
Kaera inhaled sharply, the air heavy in her lungs. Her blue eyes darkened into deep crimson. Fine violet demon patterns crawled across her arms and cheeks.
"You're right, Eira. I won't drown again!"
With a leap that cracked the stone floor, Kaera shot toward Vale. She moved too fast for the shadows to follow. One clean swing severed the cord around his neck.
BOOM!
A surge of demon aura exploded as the relic broke free. Vale collapsed, smoke rising from his body. Weak—but alive.
The smoke thinned, leaving him sprawled across fractured stone. Kaera stood over him, breath ragged. She gripped the broken fragment of the golden locket, her hand trembling, eyes fixed sharply on Vale as he coughed blood.
"Tell me." Her voice was low, but edged with a threat that could stop a heart.
"What do you know? Where is that demon clan now?!"
Vale slowly lifted his head. He tried to smile, but only a bitter, irritating chuckle came out.
"Demon clan? Astaroth?" He shook his head weakly.
"You're easy to fool, kid."
Kaera went still. Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"I stole that locket from a black market on the outskirts of Erynport," Vale admitted between coughs.
"It's not a sacred relic. It has nothing to do with your father's memories. It's just a cheap hypnosis tool—black market trash designed to project a victim's memories or trauma. I just needed time to escape, so I fed you a story to keep you frozen."
ZAP!
His words hit harder than any arrow.
Kaera stared at the fragment in her hand. The violet glow that once seemed "mystical" had faded completely, leaving behind nothing but a lifeless piece of metal.
No clues. No answers. Just emptiness.
Eira stepped closer, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Kaera... he just used your emotions."
Kaera brushed her hand away, subtle but firm. She sheathed her katana with a sharp click.
Her face returned to that dead-eyed stare—cold, hollow, and this time laced with a hint of self-loathing.
"800 coins," Kaera muttered.
"That's all we earned tonight. The rest... was just garbage."
-----