Kael’s hand shot towards his club-hammer. It was a reflex, honed by a week of life or death battles and years of survival in the slums. Fight or flight. But this was different. This wasn’t a realm. This was the Market. The man laughed, a soft, low rumble that sent a shiver down Kael’s spine, his breath rasping against the stone. His heartbeat accelerated.

The world seemed to slow down. But this time, it was more than just the System, more than his enhanced reflexes. It was as if time itself were holding its breath, waiting for something significant to happen.

“Easy, easy, no need for violence here.” The words, smooth, disarming, the man’s hands rising in a placating gesture. “No trouble. Just business.”

He moved closer then. His scent, leather and metal and something sharp, almost metallic like blood, invaded Kael’s space. He could feel a wave of apprehension rising within him, but he forced it down. Fear wouldn’t help them here. He glanced at Yareeth.

She was watching the man, her eyes narrowed. Her gaze, that sharp, calculating look he’d seen before, a predator’s assessment. He felt strangely reassured by it, by the knowledge that she, too, recognized the danger, the subtle threat that radiated from this stranger.

"What do you want?" Kael asked, forcing himself to meet the man’s gaze. The darkness here was more palpable.

The man’s smile widened, a slow, deliberate curve of his lips that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “My… associates are very interested in materials like the Heartblood you brought me. Unique things. Rare. Resources that defy…” He paused, his gaze flickering towards Yareeth before returning to Kael, amusement dancing in his eyes, “Expectations.”

He could feel Yareeth shifting beside him, a subtle tension. She knew. The air itself hummed, as if their pact, their connection, echoed his caution.

Kael’s mind raced, a storm of possibilities, his instincts— honed by years spent surviving in Mudtown — whispering warnings, but the man’s offer. It was the coins they’d gained, the food, the upgrades, the confidence. He wanted it. “We’ve… we’ve got access to some things, yeah.” He tried to sound nonchalant, as if he bartered these strange, powerful substances every day. His heart hammered against his ribs, the rapid rhythm echoing the unspoken question: was this another trap?

He couldn’t afford to be naive, not again. He’d trusted Taris. Had been betrayed, cast out. And now, he’d pulled her into this life, too, a fear she couldn’t escape, despite the realms. The system’s pronouncements. His own reckless decisions, driven by the System’s logic. He had a responsibility. But… what if this was the answer? A way out of Mudtown’s grasp, a power he hadn’t even considered.

The man, still smiling, watching him, saw the flicker of uncertainty in his gaze. "I can see you're curious. It’s… a way to… leverage your skills. To… elevate your status."

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It was a gamble, a risk, a deal with the Devil, and yet, a glimmer of… anticipation flickered through Kael, a yearning for power that was stronger than his fear. The man was playing him. He knew it. But something in his tone— a mix of respect and challenge — made him want to lean in, to explore the possibilities, the offer. It was a seduction, a whisper of something more than just scavenging for scraps, more than just fighting to survive.

It was a taste of control. His weakness, a strength, she’d said.

“No need for worry,” the man continued, his voice a low purr. He gestured towards Yareeth, and for the first time Kael understood who the real target was, why he was here. She was… valuable.

“Just making an offer, my friend. A… mutual exchange.” His words a question.

He’d seen this before, in Mudtown's back alleys, the way the Mud Rats had sized up the weaker children, assessing their potential, exploiting their vulnerabilities. But Yareeth… He watched her tail swish, a rapid rhythm. It was as if she could smell his anxieties, his curiosity, but more than that, this man’s darkness.

He felt her scales brush against his arm as she shifted her weight, and the fear he was trying to control, it lessened, replaced by a strange, primal understanding, their connection buzzing, a silent agreement in the shadows. They were in this together. He wasn’t alone in this fight, in this decision. He felt the Shard humming beneath his skin.

They would do this. Together. The world, as if recognizing the significance of the moment, seemed to hold its breath, the air in the alley thickening. They exchanged a look. Hers was a question. His was… a choice.

"Think it over,” the man said, stepping closer, the air shimmering with an energy. Kael glanced at the nearby stall— crystals, bones, trinkets — and then to the pouch on Yareeth’s hip, the scent of those herbs she’d gathered, a counterpoint to this man’s power. “Those things you found. We have ways to amplify their value.”

Kael knew they didn’t have much of a choice, not really. The slums were a prison, and the realms… he’d already tasted their unpredictable nature. What this man offered… It was more than just a chance at wealth. A different kind of survival, one that wasn’t confined by the rules he was still learning, a path toward something he hadn't dared to imagine.

The realization, as the man retreated a few paces. Their path, suddenly opening before them. "Come find me… when you’re ready." He wasn’t asking. It was a challenge disguised as an invitation, a threat veiled as a promise, the power he radiated an intoxicating brew against the dull ache in his chest.

His hand slid into his cloak. Kael, tense now, his every muscle ready to spring. But as the man's hand re-emerged, holding a small token—it was carved, intricate dark wood — he relaxed, his choice already made. Yareeth’s gaze was sharp, and yet, she hadn’t flinched, her dagger still sheathed. He liked it, this courage. This shared strength. This was what he’d envisioned, back in the swamp, when the realm was crumbling around them.

The token was a contract, a lifeline, a path. Kael understood those things.

“The Broken Fang,” the man said, a sardonic amusement playing on his lips as he studied them. It was as if… he could see the hunger in their eyes, the shared greed, the need for something more, “Ask for Talik.”

He melted back into the shadows, disappearing into the crowded market. The token’s weight in Kael's palm felt heavier than it should, the etched symbols — an open hand, palm up on one side, a tightly closed fist on the other — pulsing faintly as he closed his hand around it. The warmth spreading outwards. Yareeth’s gaze, flickering towards him, then back to the point where the shadow man had disappeared, a silent understanding. They were caught in a web now, a dangerous, seductive game that promised power and wealth. It made Kael’s heart pound with a mix of anticipation and unease.