"Aeryth, are you awake?" Sera knocked on the door.

Aeryth closed the notebook—scribbled with hundreds of cryptic runes—turned off the lamp on her desk, and the only magic book Light had left her. She had memorized the awakening rite spell by heart—practiced it hundreds of times, drew every rune in the spell circle with picture-perfect accuracy.

All the spells had the same basic fundamentals. Be it the awakening ceremony spell, a fireball spell, or whatever the hell—treasure hiding spell in the library. The complexity changed, the structure itself remained the same. She marveled at how easily Sera cast the fireball spell, even though it was so hard to imagine in theory.

She left her desk, moved to the door, and peeked outside. Sera stood outside—a cowl on her head—and dark clothes that supposedly hid her in the darkness. It did not.

Aeryth opened the door fully

"Take your sword," Sera pointed at the big sheathed sword by the bedside.

"We are not going to fight, right?" Aeryth asked. Of course, she didn't want a dumb, long sword on her back pocking out in the middle of the market. That seemed like a good way to start a brawl.

"Of course not." Sera said, "But, who knows what wanders in those places at night? Let me have it. I'll give it back, should the need arise."

That seemed like the logical thing to do. "Have you never been there before?" Aeryth asked.

"I regularly visit. It's a fun place to watch. So, I know how important carrying a weapon is. It's magical in all the wrong and right ways," Sera chuckled.

Aeryth nodded.

Last evening, Aeryth found a red door that led to the basement. A basement that was invisible unless you're lucky enough to stare at the clock's pendulum as the moonlight drifted through one of the vents on the ground floor. Also, the basement didn't exist according to Sera. Half the treasure hunt had been nothing but luck.

As for the white tiles—they made no further progress.

Today was Saturday. Tomorrow, the library wouldn't open, making tonight the perfect day to peer into the basement door.

"Woah, this is heavy," Sera said as she recklessly swung it.

"Careful, long swords are dangerous to self if handled... like you're doing now," Aeryth watched Sera overswing a few more times, not listening to her words. She sighed.

Sera was a trouble, one that was plaguing her time. It was good in some ways. For one thing, Sera hogged so much of her mind that Aeryth didn't have time to think about the gloomy reality of her situation. Well, most of the time in days.

"Compared to a normal sword, maybe." Its weight was balanced compared to the crude swords she had used in her village. They never felt crude before she used the one Tor made.

Aeryth returned to pick up the purse she had gotten to keep all the wrong money in. Her heart protested she couldn't be reduced to someone who needed to use bribe money to survive. Yet, that was the sad reality.

Unless she was awakened, and able to control mana, she didn't have permission to leave the city. No hunting.

Aeryth pulled open the drawer in her desk, and hid the knife under her sleeve. She had gotten it because the city was dangerous, she didn't trust the guard, and the sword could only take her so far.

Sera flicked her eyes around the room and frowned. "If I ignore the desk, it's like you don't even live here."

Aeryth felt a jolt of worry creep in her heart. "I don't have much to add, this is fulfilling enough. More than what I deserved."

"Your room is not any different from the room beside yours, or the floor down. Everyone deserves this much, including you."

Aeryth forced a smile, not saying anything.

Aeryth followed Sera down the stairs and noticed the main door was shut and sealed. "This way," Sera beckoned.

She followed behind Sera into the bathrooms.

"Here?"

"Yeah, I broke the window a few days ago in case I failed to steal the main door key," Sera said, grinning.

"I thought, you were boss of this place."

"I wish. But, unless, absolutely necessary, I am bound by the same rules as you, and I'll be whipped by the new dorm mother, same as you, if we are caught." Yet, there was not an ounce of worry on her face.

The new dorm mother was sharp as a whip, so whip mother was a running joke in the quarters. She heard the jokes during the breakfasts and dinners. There hadn't been any trouble since the change. Neither did she encounter Mira again. Aeryth didn't know what happened to the old one. She didn't care for the new one either.

Aeryth held back a sigh as Sera pulled the glass vent. She should've seen that coming. A part of her wondered what even was she doing.

The other wanted to know what was the treasure, and the second one had taken hold of all her actions.

"Help me get this off," Sera said, holding the frame.

Aeryth hurried to her side, took the frame, and placed it against the wall. "What if the new dorm mother sees this?"

"Oh don't worry, there's no way to tell who did this. God bless that poor soul who finds this in the morning," Sera grinned as she slid out. "You need a hand?"

Aeryth shook her head. She took a deep breath. She jumped up and grabbed the edge, hunger with her finger flat on the vent window. Slowly upped and squeezed out the other side.

"You made that seem easy..." Aeryth muttered. Her dress had some dirt on them. She jumped down and landed on her feet. "I survived." Aeryth sighed.

"Why are we not allowed to leave after nine?" Aeryth asked.

"Because, we are weak, and there are enough bad elements outside to not leave."

"Then, why are we leaving," Aeryth couldn't help but ask.

"Because rules are stupid. Don't worry about them."

Aeryth shrugged. First, the market, then the library. That was the plan.

After pouring over the books, she found a creature with lightning bone marrow—the ant queen in the Lesterforge Gorge, which was a two-day journey by horse.

If she were going to go that route, it would require an enormous amount of money. First to commission the realm travellers to go along with her. It was impossible to reach the gorge without fighting hordes of monsters and bandits. Then, more money to commission people strong enough to cleave through an entire army of ants and reach their queen. In short, it was impossible for at least a decade by herself.

"Excited?" Sera asked.

"No, I don't expect to find any fortune," Somehow, just finding that thing in the store seemed so easy that it seemed impossible.

They stood on the road. "We will go by carriage."

"Is it that far?" Aeryth asked

"No, about half an hour walk should get us there, if we follow my special shortcut."

Hair on the back of her neck stood painfully at the idea of going with Sera's shortcut.

"Sure," she steeled herself.

Sera laughed. "You hype yourself like you're going into monsters' den. But no, as much fun as that path will be, Lady Sia said we should take the carriage."

"She knows?" Aeryth's brows shot up.

"Yeah. She knows everything, what everyone is doing. At least most of the time. I am sure there are sneaky ones, take me, for example. She doesn't know we are going to the library later."

Aeryth wasn't as sure about that Sera as was. Yet, a better question was, if she knew and didn't object, didn't she permit them to leave in the night?

Sera stopped a carriage with an open roof, and she took the ride. The carriage in this city was different from the village. No horses pulled them, but a sort of mana-powered machine. It made a high-pitched whine when running.

The seats were comfortably cushioned.

How much is the fare of this thing?

The thought of money gnawed at her conscience.

Eating on her parent's money was completely different than this. Being dependent on an unknown person and the wrong money.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am fine," Aeryth said. "I cannot help but wonder if there are these mana-powered machines, then why do people use animals as rides to travel outside the city?"

Sera scratched her head, "Hmm... there are many reasons, for one thing. These things are powered by mana, though there are safety wards around the motor... any magical beast can cause the whole engine thingy to go roar with one scream. And they are not good for rocky paths outside the walls... and, and, we need to control these things without relaxing—else they run into the walls and go boom. In short, they are useless things outside the walls."

Aeryth nodded.

"I forgot to mention, these things are crazy expensive. Like no expedition is worth it if you harm on these carriages."

"Money... yeah, it's not worth it then," Aeryth mumbled.

Staying in this city for this long had given her an understanding of something Vital—earning money was harder than it seemed, and she was not good enough to make anywhere close to the money to live the life she was currently living, thus she postponed her idea of leaving the quarters for the foreseeable future.

A well-worth room like the one she currently stayed in came for three thousand jades a month in the fourth district, and then there were additional costs of maintenance, and then food, clothes, and everything.

"You look worried. I'm all ears, you know."

"I am fine, if a little worried about what will happen in the future."

"What's there to be worried about? Since Lady Sia is looking out for you, you will be just fine."

I don't want anyone to look out for me. Light left, without even saying goodbye, we will never meet. I don't want to rely on someone else—another unknown savior.

Being on her own was the safest way to the safety she desired. Away from the worry of others. Of the obligation of going out with someone like right now. Or even the need to entertain Sera. She was the most undesirable part of her life.

Everyone's going to leave me one day. Die. Just like villagers. The less people I know, the less I know about people's lives, the better. I need to cut off Sera from my life as soon as possible. The more I know—spend time with her, the more painful it will be when she inevitably leaves.

Aeryth focused on the city escape instead. The places they traveled through the tenement-lined street, up a bridge, and into the second district, which was mostly empty lots.

This place would've alarmed her a week ago, but now, she knew Sera was someone who didn't want to harm her. Though a part of her didn't want to trust Sera, she kept it in reign. Distrust was only good mildly. Or she would live the rest of her life fearing her own shadow, worried when it might grow a pair of hands to wrangle her into the darkness.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

After twenty minutes of a silent, bumpy ride, the street grew bustling again. There were no high-rise buildings here, mostly one or two-story, and completely different than the ones in the fourth district. As if they were in a different city.

The carriage stopped.

"This is as far as we go." He said.

They got off, and Sera gave him two twenty jade slips.

"Twenty jades?" Aeryth asked. That was a lot of money for a one-way trip.

"It's standard fare for traveling anywhere inside the district after ten and before six in the morning."

Aeryth nodded, "I'll pay you back later." while her eyes fixated on the absurdly packed and cramped market.

"We don't need to go there, right?" She mumbled. The library had been quiet for the most part. The market, however, was too narrow and filled with people for her comfort—almost everyone seemed on a euphoric high to find something.

"Yeah. This place is great, right?" Sera seemed happy and excited rather than tense.

Aeryth fought down her nerves. "Are you also looking for something?"

"No, I just like this place. There are a lot of desperate fighting, and it's fun to watch them."

"How's that fun?" Aeryth asked. She failed to see the fun in that. Then again, she was not from here. Perhaps it was akin to hunting for the sake of it in Sera's eyes.

The first few displays were sparse. Selling cups and trinkets like earring bracelets. Each article priced in thousands.

A grey-haired man crouched, picking up the bracelet from the display. "How much?" He asked.

The store owner glanced at it, smoothening his muddy pink beard. "Only four thousand jades."

Aeryth's mouth gapped at the price, as did the old man's. "What? For this fake shit? That's why your store is serving ghosts." And the man left fuming and cursing under his breath.

"Are those really fake?" Aeryth wondered. The store owner looked at her, and Aeryth snapped her head down and kept walking.

Sera had stopped a few steps away from her.

"Let me know when you stop," Sera said like a motherly figure.

"I'm not a child. I am more than capable of handling myself."

"Says every child ever." Sera grinned.

"You're not older than me."

"I'm seventeen, two years senior. Call me big sis." Sera puffed her chest proudly. "Or not. That would be awkward. These people are thugs and conman. Nothing here is worth even twenty jades. Let alone thousands."

That gave Aeryth some confidence. It seemed like a thousand jades was money that mattered for even someone like Sera. Wait, was Sera rich? Aeryth realized she didn't know the first thing about Sera except for her first name. Was Sera her first name? Another question arose in her mind.

That's a good thing. The less I know, the better.

"This way is clothes... I think." Sera tilted her head. "Now that I think about it. We could've gone to a regular shop for clothes."

"This my only chance of finding Concentrated Lightning Bone Marrow, so I don't mind,"

Aeryth paused. Looking at the crossroads. "Are you suggesting we don't buy clothes from here?"

"Since we are here, checking out doesn't hurt."

Aeryth nodded. They took the left path. "Is this a night-only market?" Because it was Sera, and Aeryth could make a bet she only suggested nighttime to make it a more thrilling experience.

"No idea. I only ever come at night and leave around midnight or soon after."

Aeryth nodded. She had never been to a place this bustling before. Towns, markets, festivals, carnivals, she had been to many places, not anywhere far or fancy. None of those places held a candle to the crowd here. And the energy, as they shouted about the price and argued, was almost like they were on the verge of slaying their biggest hunt in life.

People also seemed eager to jump at the stall owners if they refused to lower the price. More than a few customers stood with a bloodied nose, groaning after the smack from the brass knuckle the store owner wore. Aeryth marveled at the absurdity and lack of control in this place.

"Excited yet?"

"No," Aeryth replied bluntly.

"Are you ever excited about anything?" Sera sighed, shaking her head.

Aeryth fixed her eye on Sera. "What do you think?"

"Your eyes are scary you know," Sera looked away. "You'll make a child cry just with your eyes." Sera laughed like it was a funny joke.

"I wish," Aeryth whispered under her breath.

They arrived at the cloth section. Rows of clothes stall on both sides of the street, one climbing on top of another, reaching as far as her eyes could see—not very far.

Stacks of packed clothes behind them, and a mound of open, wrinkled, wrenched clothes in front—on a blanket lay on the ground.

She stopped at one. The store owner glances at them. An old woman, quite healthy, and a scowl on her face. "Gonna buy something? Or waste my time?" her voice sharp.

Aeryth shook her head. She stepped away from the store.

"You don't wanna take a look?" Sera asked.

"There's no need. That woman wants to rush me into buying something before I can make a clear decision... that's obvious from her attitude. Either her clothes are bad, or she just wants to sell them for a higher price."

"Is that a thing?"

"Yeah. The sense of urgency to buy or get away ultimately makes us buy something that's a bad deal," Aeryth replied.

Sera sighed. "What will happen to me without your sagely wisdom."

Aeryth stopped at another stall. There were a few other people buying. She bent over and picked up a dress that caught her eye.

The material was soft. "How mu-" She stopped, her eyes flicked down at the fringes. "It's worn?"

The stall man yanked the dress from her hand. "Got no time for Inspectors. Go away."

Aeryth sighed. "I don't think we'll find anything worth here. It's all stolen, most likely. Or given away after the death of the original wearer."

"Ehh... I guess, that makes sense. I never buy anything from here, since Lady Sia has forbidden me."

"Yet, your first instinct was to use me to satiate your curiosity."

Sera made a hurt expression. "Your words wound my heart."

Aeryth sighed. Maybe... it was a mistake.

They continued deeper, and now there were well-made storefronts between the stalls.

Sera dragged her into one.

"Welcome, dear customer," said the guard at the door.

The door was made of glass.

Aeryth hesitated. "This place seems expensive."

"It's fine," at this point, Sera was all but pushing Aeryth in.

Aeryth caved in. "It'd be embarrassing if we enter and leave without buying anything."

"Oh, don't worry. I got you covered. You will pay me back for our treasure later. C'mon."

The person at the door watched them in amusement.

The store was spacious from the inside. Different sections for different types of clothing. Men's clothing was a complete part of the store.

"You want another dress?"

"That would be unwise. This dress is very light because Light gave it to me. A normal dress in this weather will be... cumbersome."

Sera still urged her to check it out and asked a store worker whose job seemed only to guide people in the store and show off clothes.

Mannequins wore the dresses, ranging from extremely light to things of nightmares, only useful if she were to sit for a portrait that would be used for a cover story.

I have not seen a single person wear these clothes. Any of these.

"How about this one?"

Sera pointed at a black-colored frock with silver fringes and sleeves. Form-fitting, full sleeve with a wavy lower half. It was beautiful and simple of all she had seen so far.

She looked down at the price. Nineteen hundred and ninety-nine jades.

"I'll pass." She said, begging her voice to not give away the reason.

I should not have come here.

The store staff didn't comment and continued to show them different ones. Aeryth suppressed her urge to yank Sera, who was now wondering which one to buy, and leave the store.

"I really like this one, why don't you try it?" Sera said again, picking up the grey dress.

Aeryth sighed. She leaned closer and whispered in her ears, "I don't have enough to get this."

"It's on me," Sera said. "Or do you want to leave the store without buying anything?" Her grin was a telling sign that here Aeryth would give in. Her fist clenched, and a so very sweet voice in her mind whispered to punch her at least.

Aeryth imagined what the lady guiding her would think if they left after this much effort. Begrudgingly, she accepted. "I'll pay you back. Both the money and this scheme."

Sera's grin wavered slightly.

----------------------------------------

Turned out, that dress was unusually expensive. Rather the dress section was overpriced. The section where normal tunic and leggings were sold was cheap, not as cheap as she wanted.

Aeryth also bought a white tunic with a flowery pattern, black leggings, and undergarments, she needed and still had hundred ninety jades left. Initially, she had about seven hundred. Four hundred from the bribe and three hundred something for the week works. It was a lot, at the same time, very much not. After all, if a single book was a week late, it was fined more than that.

"That dress is grossly overpriced," Aeryth muttered as they left the store. Two bags of clothes in her hand. One was in a cheap paper bag, while the dress was in a clothes bag with a zip.

Sera looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, everything else I got is one-third the price of that thing. It makes no sense."

Sera shook her head. "This is a duel dress. You can say it's a fighting dress. Or even simpler, you can battle in this dress without them hindering your movement. I heard they are made of a special fabric of a magic beast breed in farms. So, of course, it's gonna cost you a lot."

"Tor had cheaper armor in his store, and I assure you they are actually useful in a battle," Aeryth said.

"They are not fashionable," Sera made a face beyond Aeryth's understanding.

"Who needs fashionable clothes in a battle."

Sera raised her chin but didn't say a word.

Aeryth let out a sigh. She looked down at the dress she currently wore. The cheap soap had done numbers on it. It still looked great.

I guess, that's why I can practice sword in these without any problem. Even after Light said she wouldn't leave me with anything, she gave me something so overpriced.

Still, it made her heart flutter. It had been two weeks since she had last seen Light, and at this point, she had given up all hopes of ever seeing her again. Just like everyone else.

Aeryth glanced toward Sera. One day, Sera too would vanish, leaving Aeryth in the dark alone. This past week, they had met almost every day. Maybe, tonight was the last time they were ever meeting.

"Aeryth?" Sera called.

Aeryth hurried to her side, a step behind her.

The stall only grew weirder as they ventured deeper into the market, leaving behind the clothes section. People covered in sweat, the density, alcohol, and other things, all of it masked by the floral scent that emanated from the stores.

"Those are called gehrang flowers, their scent makes people calmer," Sera said.

"I know," Aeryth replied. "We used them during our hunt. It calms down many monsters in the forest, as they equate it to peace. Horned beasts, however, become increasingly violent."

"Horned beast."

"Yeah..." Aeryth shrugged. "I don't know why."

"That's good to know, I was planning to use them. My spells take a good minute to strike, so I need someone to keep them busy. In return, I always one shot everything."

Aeryth nodded. Her steps came to a stop as she noticed a particular clock that spun opposite. The store owner noticed her gaze and then looked down at her clothes in a frown. The washed-out color due to bad soap made it seem cheaper than it was. His gaze stopped at her bracelet, eyes shone with greed.

Aeryth covered her wrist with the other hand.

"Come here," He beckoned in the most pleasant voice he could muster. Sera, of course, heard him and approached the store.

"What's that clock?" Sera asked

"An artifact made by Legendary Tor before he was cursed. It can stop time for a specific target or group target for three seconds."

Aeryth's eyes narrowed at the name. Tor. He was cursed? She tucked that info in the corner of her mind. She told herself she didn't care.

"Are you interested?" He gave them a grin he must have thought was charming, but yellow teeth gnarled teeth made them charming in all the wrong way.

Aeryth shook her.

His smile turned into a frown. "Go away, don't waste my time."

Sera still kept looking at it.

Aeryth called Sera a few times before she got her attention.

"I was just wondering how did you this get here. I remember seeing it in his basement once. He called it a defective product."

"It's not defective!" The store owner waved his hand fan, vigorously. "Sho! Go away. Wasting my time, and throwing mud on this honest establishment. Guards! Guards!"

Begrudgingly, Sera tore away her eyes. They hurried out.

"Was it really Tor's? Or did they make a counterfeit?" Sera mused.

"It may be defective, but why would he not sell it? That store was selling it for Eight thousand jades, that's a lot of money. But, stopping time for someone seems very handy if used appropriately." Aeryth couldn't understand the reasoning for not selling it.

"He's very stingy about the quality of his items, if he says something is defective, then no one in this world can make him sell that thing. I tell you from first-hand experience,"

"I see." Aeryth nodded. If even Sera failed to make him sell it, then, "It could either be a counterfeit, or he may be in desperate need of money. He's old and of the retiring age, after all."

"Why would he need the money?" Sera asked Aeryth like she was supposed to have the answer.

"I don't know. Maybe, his wife is ill or something."

"That can't be..." Sera shook her head. "I know I shouldn't talk about his past, but he does not have any family, anymore. I will let Lady Sia know. She should handle this matter herself."

Aeryth didn't say anything.

They continued. The weirder and weirder artifact bared its fangs. From color-changing masks that spoke to a broad sword that turned into a spear by folding the flat blade into a rod.

Still, they didn't find any store with any semblance of elemental items.

"We should check out the stores that sell mana cores. Lightning Bone Marrow sounds like something from a monster, after all. There's a store," Sera muttered, looking at the crossroad. "Is that on the left or the right?"

Aeryth had a feeling they were going to be lost.

"How about we go left first and then right?" Sera smiled at her.

"Are you looking for something?" A man asked. Aeryth zipped her head back. A masked magician. He had a card laid on the table.

A diviner? Aeryth wondered. Or a hoax fortune teller.

"That's none of your business," Sera snapped angrily.

Aeryth found her reaction curious.

They took the left turn and continued.

"Who was he?" Aeryth couldn't help but ask.

"Bastards thinking they can tell the future. They are the worst kind of people. Better stay away from them."

Aeryth took that as 'I asked for a fortune, and he gave me a bad one and charged me an absurd amount of money.'

So they venture deeper into the left wing. Until, it looped slightly, breaking into two paths again.

"It's like a web."

"Maybe, we should ask someone for the direction..."

Aeryth looked around. No one seemed an appropriate candidate. Everyone was on edge.

They continued to take a left and left until they came out of the alley, and found themselves at the magician's store again.

"Now, even fate is saying you should accept my hand." He flicked a card at Sera's face.

Sera caught it between her fingers. Ember crawled up the card. It turned to ashes.

"Sera, I think asking for direction is fine,"

They had walked an hour at this point.

Sera looked at her and sighed. "I am searching for a place that sells mana cores and elemental stones.."

"The clouds on your heads are rather grey, a few strokes of lightning along with it. Each step shall be filled with care, lest you tip over a boiling pot," He said, tapping a card on Aeryth's head, who stepped back. "If you go left then right, you'll find the thing you need."

The magician didn't say anything else.

Sera beckoned her to follow. Aeryth did, her eyes still lingered on his words.

Until they walked out onto another path. Aeryth kept musing his words, and despite Sera's forewarning, she found herself dreading his words. Take each step with care. Are there traps on the ground?

She looked down, carefully taking each step forward.

She crashed on someone's back since she was so focused on the ground.

Of course, I bump into someone after hearing his foretelling. How smart.

She cursed herself, looking up at the burly man, reeking of alcohol.

A grin spread on the man's face. He Ricker Tresmine, the drunk monkey from the library.

"Oh...." He clapped his hands, grinning. Seven of his friends, half drunk and half delirious, also stood with him.