Aren turned, ready to fight again, his body tense, but the man at the entrance, who had already closed the door behind him – something Aren hadn't even heard – raised his open hands, palms forward, in a clear sign he wasn't looking for a fight.

  "Easy, I come in peace," the man said, his eyes glinting in the dim light. "I see your friend is in bad shape. What an unfortunate situation. Listen, let's make a deal. I'll help her, and you'll come work for me later. How does that sound?"

  "Can you save her?" Aren asked, his voice hoarse with desperation. He lowered his fighting stance slightly but remained on guard, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

  "Here," the man, dressed in black like the other two, though his clothes were of a higher quality and fit him better, pulled a small vial from his pocket. It was filled with a transparent liquid that shimmered with sparkles, like captured starlight. "Give her this to drink, and she'll be healed. It's a new development from the Veridians, water charged with Ether. So, do we have a deal?"

  "Deal," Aren snapped, not bothering to weigh the options. Isla's life hung in the balance. He had no choice but to trust this stranger.

  The man tossed the vial to Aren. It was tiny, smaller than his palm, literally one gulp. Aren quickly knelt beside Isla and gently poured the liquid into her mouth, carefully lifting her head.

  The moment she swallowed, a faint, shimmering aura enveloped her. The healing magic was working, plain as day.

  "Take the knife out, you idiot!" the man exclaimed.

  Aren had been hesitant to remove the knife, fearing it would only worsen her condition, but now that she was regenerating, he quickly pulled the knife from her chest, trying to be as careful as possible.

  Isla cried out in pain, a sharp, piercing sound that tore at Aren's heart, but quickly calmed, her face relaxing. Her wound began to heal immediately, the skin knitting back together, the blood receding. Within just five seconds, there was no trace of the wound left, not even a scar.

  Isla's eyes snapped open, as if waking from a deep sleep, and she coughed up the remaining blood, her chest heaving.

  "Isla, are you okay?" Aren asked, his voice filled with relief. A huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

  "I... I'm fine," Isla said, her voice weak but clear. She was still in shock, her eyes wide and unfocused, but she was alive.

  "I'm Lycas, by the way," the man spoke again, stepping closer. He was a young man, about 35 years old, with dark hair and neatly trimmed stubble. He was slender and of average height, but Aren immediately knew he was very strong, radiating an aura of quiet power. "I don't know why you kids need the Black Market, but you passed the test with flying colors," a harsh laugh escaped him.

  So, it was a test. That damn information broker sent us to be slaughtered and even took our money, the bastard. Aren filed that information away for later. He had a feeling he'd be paying that broker a visit in the near future.

  Lycas continued, "I'll give you access and the location of the Black Market. Find me there, and you'll do a few tasks, as we agreed. I could really use talent like yours. Kid, you knocked out two Tier 2 Enchanters using less Ether than it takes to heat a cup of tea. And those movements! I've never seen anything like it!"

  "Get to the point," Aren interrupted, his voice gruff. He wasn't in the mood for compliments.

  "So grumpy, but as you wish," Lycas said, shrugging. "Here," he held out another rolled-up piece of paper. "The entrance to the Black Market is marked here. When they ask, say the password, 'The moon's shadow hides the merchant's hand.' By the way, you can keep their coins and the ring. It affects your flows, helping you direct Ether where you need it, though only by 10%, but the effect is constant as long as you wear it. Anyway, I have to go. I'll be waiting for you at the Black Market, and don't even think about running. Tracking is my profession." With that, Lycas opened the door and left, disappearing into the streets.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Aren stared at the parchment in his hand. Damn it, now I owe a debt to some clown.

  He glanced down at Isla, who was still sitting on the floor, her face pale but her eyes clear. "You okay to walk?"

  Isla nodded, though her movements were still shaky. "Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Aren."

  Aren offered her a hand, pulling her to her feet. He noticed she avoided his gaze, a flicker of unease in her eyes. "We can't walk around town looking like this." He gestured to Isla's blood-soaked clothes. "I'll give you my tunic. I'll wear one of these goons' cloaks."

  Isla nodded silently. Aren yanked the cloak off one of the fallen bandits, or whoever it was. Ugh, did this guy even bathe this month?

  After the quick change, they dumped the bloody clothes in the shack and headed back out into the street. Good thing this world doesn't have DNA tests and a central database. No one will ever know whose blood is on those clothes.

  "Let's get out of here," Aren said. "We need to get back to the castle before dinner."

  As they left the dilapidated hut, Aren couldn't shake the feeling that they'd stumbled into something far bigger and more dangerous than they'd imagined. Since these thugs weren't after Isla specifically, it means their cover hasn't been blown yet. We can still go back without raising suspicion. The worst is over. And Isla will definitely think twice before running headfirst into danger again, right?

  They walked in silence as the sun began to dip below the horizon. They had a few hours of daylight left. Aren resisted the urge to lecture Isla. He hoped she'd learned her lesson. The fact that he now owed some underworld figure a debt didn't bother him as much. In fact, he was already itching to check out this Black Market and see what kind of shady deals went down there. He hadn't even bothered to open the parchment with the market's location. Getting back to the castle was the priority. Besides, Lycas wouldn't lie about something like that, not when he expected Aren to pay him back.

  Once they were outside the city gates, Isla suggested they switch to running. She insisted she felt fine. So, they picked up the pace, jogging until they reached the secret entrance to the castle. Aren changed to his regular clothes first, and while waiting for Isla he counted the coins he took from the attackers. It was 50 silver coins and 40 copper. Isla gave away 10 gold ones like it was nothing. I wonder how much exactly it can buy you here?

  They stashed the disguises in a bag hidden between two large rocks. Aren also left the coin pouches, the ring, and Lycas's map there. He couldn't risk keeping them in his room. The servants might find them during cleaning and start asking questions. They navigated the maze of tunnels and emerged inside the castle walls. Twenty minutes until dinner. Isla said they both needed to wash off the grime and blood. With that, they hurried to the bathhouses, male and female respectively. There wasn't time for a proper bath, so Aren just dumped a bucket of cold water over his head, dried himself off, and rushed to the dining hall. Isla and her family were already seated at the table. How did she get here before me?

  "Aren! Where have you been? I couldn't find you all day! I finally perfected your stance!" Leo boomed, leaping up from the table. His massive frame sent the heavy chair skidding back as if it were made of bamboo.

  "Uh… I got lost in the castle again," Aren mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

  Darius chuckled, nearly choking on his drink. "I'll have a servant draw up a map. It's been a while since we've had new residents in the castle. We've forgotten how confusing it can be."

  Aren took his seat at the table. His hands throbbed from the earlier fight, a dull ache that intensified as he tried to move the heavy chair. He hadn't noticed it so much on the way back. He fought to keep his face neutral. He suspected he'd broken a few fingers. Isla ate in silence, picking at her food. She clearly had no appetite after her near-death experience. Lady Orianna looked at her daughter with concern, but Isla whispered something reassuring in her ear, and her mother nodded in understanding.

  After dinner, Aren retreated to his room. He collapsed on the bed, his entire body aching. We found the Black Market. Isla's alive. I've got a ring that might help with my ether training, and I even kept the money. All in all, it turned out pretty well. I'll have to ask Darius if I can go into town alone.

  With those thoughts swirling in his mind, he drifted off to sleep.