The week leading up to the job passed in a flurry of activity. Git and Sona worked seamlessly together, their experience with One-Bill’s operations evident in the way they handled the logistics. I mostly watched and absorbed everything I could—how Git laid out plans with surprising precision, how Sona’s shadows shifted as she practiced her skills, and how they moved around each other like two halves of a whole.

It was during one of these practice sessions, as we sat around a low-burning lantern in Git’s cramped apartment near the Festival of Sin, that the revelation came.

“We’re almost done with this,” Git said casually, tightening the straps on his lightweight armor. “Just a few more jobs, and we’re out of here.”

“Out of here?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sona glanced at him with a smirk, tossing a ball of shadow between her hands. “He means us. Git and me. We’re planning to leave the capital soon. Been saving up.”

“Where will you go?” I asked, genuinely curious. I had known they had grown closer but this seemed like a big step. I almost felt saddened that they would no longer be consistent faces in my life. “What will you do?”

“Be Raiders, probably,” Git said with a shrug, leaning back against the wall. “Plenty of cities in the Amarri Empire need people who know how to fight and get out. Big rewards if you don’t get killed.”

Sona shot him a sharp look. “Not just anywhere. I want to see the rest of Minor Eden—one of the major powers, at least. Maybe we’ll even work our way out of the Paradise Cluster someday.”

Something about Git and Sona’s camaraderie made me pause. For the first time since arriving in the capital, I felt like I belonged somewhere. They treated me as more than the weird kid with a bizarre class—they treated me like a friend.

And that made me feel even more like a fraud chaotically lost, I had treated this life like a game only wanting power and more just like in the Realm Saga Online I wanted to see my numbers of gold go up to complete harder missions. Here these two were trying to make something of themselves to find a home together and progress. I had drifted from my friends and family seeking greed, but what else would level the playing field? I had no other plans to obtain power. No, I still needed this and I won’t abandon them.

“Warning Unwise,” Hexa replied bluntly. “We have no need for additional funds or unnecessary danger.”

“Jesus christ” I think, snapping at Hexa “Im having a moment dont read those thoughts too you fucking weirdo”

“You know I cannot do that Johnathan I am bound to your very essence.” Hexa replied coldly.

“Don't call me that I complained genuinely confused.” Hexa’s voice Chimed back. “Then Please do not curse at me for doing my job.”

The night of the job arrived with a chill in the air, the faint glow of the moon casting long shadows over the quiet streets near the warehouse district. We moved as a team, our steps light and deliberate. Git led the way, his Wind Rogue class granting him speed and dexterity that I could only envy. Sona followed, her Shadow Weaver abilities blending her form into the dark with an eerie grace. I brought up the rear, my Void Architect skills simmering beneath the surface, ready to activate if needed.

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The warehouse loomed ahead, a massive structure of stone and reinforced wood. Its windows glowed faintly from the mana-powered lanterns inside, and the rhythmic patrol of guards created pockets of opportunity.

Git signaled for us to stop, crouching low as his sharp eyes scanned the area. “Two guards at the main entrance,” he whispered. “Sona, you’re up.”

Sona grinned, her form dissolving into a swirling mist of shadows. She slipped into the darkness with practiced ease, her presence vanishing entirely. Moments later, the guards slumped to the ground, tangled in faintly glowing black threads.

“Clear,” her voice echoed softly from the shadows.

We moved quickly, slipping through the entrance and into the warehouse. The interior was a maze of crates and shelves, the air thick with the faint hum of mana-powered security systems. Hexa fed me a constant stream of updates as we moved.

“Security enchantments detected. Recommend avoiding the tripwires near the center aisle.”

Git led us toward the marked location on our stolen map, weaving through the rows with an uncanny sense of direction. We reached the far end of the warehouse, where a large, intricately carved chest sat on a pedestal. The faint glow of protective enchantments surrounded it, pulsing like a heartbeat.

“This is it,” Git whispered, kneeling beside the chest. He pulled out a set of delicate lockpicks, his hands steady as he worked. “Fancy thing like this? Gonna take a minute.”

Sona crouched nearby, her shadows weaving around her like a living cloak. “Make it quick. We’re exposed here.”

The lock clicked open with a soft hiss, and Git lifted the lid carefully. Inside, nestled in a velvet-lined box, was a small cloth bag that glowed faintly blue. The light was soft but mesmerizing, like a piece of the night sky had been captured and bottled.

I leaned closer, my breath catching as I recognized it. “Living mana,” I whispered.

Even Hexa sounded intrigued. “A rare and highly valuable resource. Its properties are unparalleled—used in teleportation gates, mana restoration, and advanced enchantments. This is not the kind of item that goes unnoticed.”

Git whistled low, his fingers hovering over the bag. “One-Bill’s got guts, I’ll give him that. Taking this? That’s asking for trouble.”

Sona’s expression was unreadable, her eyes fixed on the glowing bag. “We’ve got it now. Let’s move.”

We barely had time to close the chest before a slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the warehouse. The sound froze us in place, and a chill ran down my spine.

“Well done,” a smooth, sinister voice drawled. “I must admit, I’m impressed. One-Bill’s little brats, breaking into our warehouse. I didn’t think he had the gall—or the stupidity to do that again.”

A man stepped into the faint light of the warehouse, his appearance as polished as his tone. He wore a tailored suit, his dark hair neatly combed, and his glasses caught the glow of the lanterns, he resembled a butler from earth. In one hand, he held a long, elegant fencing sword that glinted menacingly.

“I despise having to clean up his messes,” the man continued, his voice laced with disdain. “But here we are. Another set of One-Bill’s expendables, sent to steal from me.”

Git stepped forward, his daggers drawn. “Who the hell are you?”

The man smiled, cold and unfeeling. “A necessary evil. That's what the King calls our enterprise. You, however, are entirely unnecessary.”

In a flash, he raised his sword, the blade catching the light as he took a step closer. “But don’t worry—I’ll make this quick.”

The air grew heavier as he advanced, and I could feel the void stirring inside me, ready to erupt. My heart pounded in my chest as I braced for the fight, Hexa’s voice cutting through the chaos.

“Prepare yourself, Wolfhart. This will not be a simple encounter.”