The moons hung low outside her window, silver light spilling across the quiet room. Lea y on her bed, staring at the ceiling as her rapier rested against the wall, the metallic gleam faint under the soft glow. Her chest still burned from the day's training, muscles aching, pride bruised.

  She couldn't win against Auger fairly. Not today, not ever, if she relied solely on strength or skill. His bde moved like water, unyielding and precise, every strike a lesson she wasn't yet capable of mastering.

  A bitter smile tugged at her lips... then I don't fight fair.

  She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest, her yellow eyes narrowing as she repyed every moment of the duel.

  Every parry she failed, every thrust blocked, every calcuted attack that ended with her being forced back, Auger had exposed the limits of her style...

  The maxim of her primary Path surfaced in her mind... do harm, but stay out of reach.

  Her pulse quickened. That was it. Not brute skill. Not finesse alone. Tricks, deception, talismans... her tools, her shadows, her Malediction powers.

  Everything she had ever been taught twisted into a method to create openings, to strike when least expected.

  She ran through possibilities quietly in the dim room...

  Use shadows to extend reach...

  Blend destructive bursts of Judgement into feints...

  Employ talismans to distract or trap...

  Force the opponent to react first, then punish mistakes...

  Lea's fingers twitched with excitement. It wasn't dishonorable. It wasn't weakness. It was a strategy, a Pathstrider's way.

  She leaned back against the headboard, her mind already mapping scenarios, imagining Auger's strikes and where she could counter with tricks, traps, and bursts of power that would leave him guessing. She didn't need to match his skill; she needed to outthink it, to make him react instead of dictate the fight.

  Her grin widened.

  I'll fight differently. I'll be unpredictable, untouchable, dangerous in ways nobody will see coming... he thought, yellow eyes gleaming in the moonlight

  The night settled around her, but Lea's mind raced with strategies, a storm of talismans, shadows, and tricks ready to weave into her fighting style. For the first time, defeat didn't sting. It sparked a new kind of fire.

  She closed her eyes, letting the possibilities roll over her like a tide.

  "Do harm... but stay out of reach. Always."

  And with that thought, she drifted into a restless, scheming sleep, plotting the Pathstrider's next dance.

  =0=0=

  The next morning, sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the manor, casting soft beams across the polished floors.

  Lea stood in the breakfast hall, yellow eyes sharp and inquisitive, her mind already working through yesterday's lessons and the implications of her new Pathstrider tactics.

  "Auger, where exactly is the entrance to Lacrosa in Zangrill?", Lea asked, her tone practical but her eyes betraying curiosity.

  "I have one installed in my basement.", Auger replied calmly, voice even, as if discussing the weather.

  Lea blinked, taken aback.

  "You... what? You mean, like... a direct entrance? Here? In your manor?", her yellow eyes widening in disbelief.

  Auger simply shrugged, "It's a quirk of a good patron. Convenient, isn't it?"

  Lea staggered back a step, processing the words.

  "A good patron installs interdimensional portals in their own basement?! Who does that?! That's insane!!", she excimed, hands waving as if to emphasize the absurdity.

  "Not insane, really.", Auger said, calm and teasing, "Just thoughtful. Efficiency is a virtue, after all. You wanted access. Now you have it."

  Lea exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair, still fbbergasted but also impressed, "I... I don't even know how to process that."

  Auger gave a faint, knowing smile, "Then take your time. Just don't forget the proper protocol when you use it. Lacrosa isn't a pyground."

  Lea's pulse quickened, her yellow eyes glinting with thought.

  "And... I guess this expins why you're always so prepared.", she muttered, a faint grin tugging at her lips.

  "Preparation isn't optional for those who seek mastery," Auger replied, voice calm, almost teasing.

  "Then I'm going.", she bowed and left for the basement.

  ...

  Fitting the dwelling of a noble, even the basement, which also acts as the wine celr, was kept clean and in good condition.

  At the end of the other side was a fancy wooden door with the hammer and sickle carved into it. Lea held her passcard up to it, opening the door to the elevator.

  Entering and pushing the button to Lacrosa, she quietly contemptes what to get inside the massive underground city.

  The elevator rumbled softly as it descended, a faint hum filling the confined space. Lea leaned back against the polished wooden wall, arms crossed, her yellow eyes fixed on the glowing numbers above the door.

  Her thoughts swirled like restless crows... tricks, traps, deception. If she wanted to stand a chance against Auger or anyone of his caliber, she needed more tools.

  The elevator slowed with a mechanical sigh before the doors parted, revealing Lacrosa.

  The underground city stretched vast and alive. Lanterns burned with steady golden light, casting warmth across cobbled streets and towering iron structures.

  Merchants called out from their stalls, selling everything from strange powders to forged weapons; the air itself carried the scent of incense, oil, and steel.

  Lea stepped out, her parasol in her hands, cloak shifting with her movements. Directly ahead of the elevator section was a polished brass board dispying the Lacrosa public map.

  She approached it, tracing her gloved fingers along its surface as her eyes scanned for what she needed.

  "Shops, shops... there.", her eyes narrowed, following the etched lines and bels.

  Alchemy Row, near the center quadrant. Smoke bombs, votile mixtures, powders for distraction.

  Seastone Market, in the eastern wing. Specialized minerals, rare dusts, perfect for talisman crafting.

  Maskmaker's Alley, tucked along the southern streets. A narrow cluster of vendors offering everything from porcein masquerade masks to steel visors used by mercenaries.

  A grin tugged at her lips, "Perfect."

  She tapped the sections mentally, committing the path to memory. First, the smoke bombs, quick, simple tools for confusion. Then the seastone dust; her talismans would bite sharper with a proper supply. And finally... the mask. Something to complete the picture. If she was going to fight dirty, to be the shadow her Path demanded, then she needed a face her enemies would fear and never forget.

  Her eyes glimmered with anticipation as she pulled her hood up, vanishing into the current of bodies moving through Lacrosa's streets.

  She would fight like a Malediction Pathstrider in full...

  The streets of Lacrosa bustled with noise and movement, the press of cloaks, boots, and whispers forming a constant hum.

  Lea moved through the crowd with her hood drawn low, her rapier hidden beneath her cloak. Her yellow eyes darted across the carved signs above each ne until she spotted the one she needed.

  A narrow archway marked with a swirling fsk symbol opened into Alchemy Row.

  The air inside was heavy with mixed scents of sharp herbs, acrid smoke, and metallic tangs. Shelves lined with bottles, vials, and powders glistened under the glow of rune-mps, while merchants in stained aprons hawked their wares with practiced energy.

  Lea stepped inside the first stall that looked reputable enough, its front crowded with small wooden crates, each beled in neat chalk... Fsh Powder, Incendiary Oil, Smoke Capsules. Behind the counter stood a sharp-eyed woman, her fingers stained bck from soot.

  "Looking for distraction tools?", the merchant asked, her voice brisk but not unfriendly.

  "Smoke bombs.", Lea said ftly, pcing her gloved hand on the counter, "The kind that st long enough to vanish in a crowd."

  The woman arched a brow, sizing Lea up with a knowing smirk, "Serious business then. I've got a set, five for fifteen Cee. Made with seastone dust, they'll spread thick and fast."

  Lea narrowed her eyes, feeling it was a bit too much, "Too much for something that small. Ten Cee."

  The merchant chuckled, shaking her head, "Twelve. And you won't regret it."

  Lea's lips curved faintly, straining a smile since she isn't good at these things, "Deal."

  She slipped the card over to the merchant, who put the card up against a stone with an alchemical circle in front, a gryph lit up in front of the device showing [-12], then the merchant gave her back her card and the pouch.

  Lea untied it just enough to peek inside, looking at five compact spheres, each wrapped neatly in oiled paper, faintly warm to the touch. She tightened the string, tucking the pouch securely beneath her cloak.

  One piece of the pn is in pce.

  "Next... seastone.", she muttered under her breath as she stepped back into the street, eyes narrowing toward the eastern wing of Lacrosa.

  Her talismans would be useless without the key component, and seastone dust was exactly what she needed to push her craft further.

  Her strides quickened, boots tapping against the cobblestones as the scent of alchemy faded behind her.

  The eastern wing of Lacrosa opened into a broad vaulted hall, its ceiling braced with iron arches etched in faintly glowing runes. A massive sign swung above the entrance, painted in silver and blue: The Seastone Market.

  Lea stepped inside, her yellow eyes widening as light caught on rows of glittering dispys. The crystal-like stones shimmered like frozen seawater, each refracting pale rays in every direction.

  At the front, the biggest pieces sat on raised velvet pedestals. Some were as rge as her torso, each one humming faintly with power. Then her gaze fell on the price tags. 120,000 Cee. 150,500 Cee. 140,200 Cee.

  Her jaw tightened.

  "Who the hell can afford that...", she muttered under her breath. That was more than the cost of a mansion.

  She forced herself to move along, passing into the narrower aisles. Mid-sized chunks of seastone lined the shelves, each the size of a clenched fist. Their prices ranged from 1,550 Cee up to 2,720 Cee.

  Lea almost winced at each tag, shaking her head, she thought... that's... still absurd...

  Finally, she reached the smaller trays at the back. Vials of dust and tiny shards were neatly arranged, faintly glowing under the mplight. Here, the prices dipped to something she could actually stomach.

  200 Cee per vial.

  A stout merchant in a blue waistcoat, his fingers glinting with rings, looked up from his ledger.

  His tone was smooth, practiced, "Dust for enchanting, miss? Finest cuttings from the veins in the Sicilian Archipego. Stable, clean. Two hundred Cee each."

  Lea crouched, studying the powder. Even through the gss, she could feel it's density, heavy with energy, perfect for talismans.

  Her lips curved in relief... finally, something that won't bankrupt me.

  "I would like three vials, please.", she stated.

  "Alright, just tap your card here if you have one.", he pointed at the stone with the alchemical circle on it.

  She pulled her passcard from her pocket, tapping it to the ste reader built into the counter. The device chimed, glyphs flickering [-600 Cee].

  The merchant passed her three sealed gss vials, their contents shimmering like powdered starlight, "Wise choice, miss. This batch won't st, so you are lucky that you came early."

  Lea tucked it carefully into her satchel. Smoke to vanish. Dust to strike. One st thing left...

  She straightened, the noise of the market swelling around her. Now for a mask. Not just for hiding my face... but for leaving Lea behind, and letting the Pathstrider take her pce.