The Labyrinth Market was a maze of dead ends, hidden doors, and blind corners. It was designed to trap fools—and today, I was the biggest fool of all.

I bolted through the crowded streets, weaving between stalls hawking glowing vials and strange trinkets. Behind me, the bounty hunters shouted, their footsteps pounding against the uneven cobblestones.

“There’s no way out, thief!” one of them yelled. “Hand over the shard, and we’ll make it quick!”

Sure. Like I’d trust the guys chasing me with swords.

I ducked under a low-hanging sign and veered into a side alley. A merchant cursed as I knocked over a stack of vials, the glass shattering and releasing a cloud of neon-green smoke. I didn’t stop to apologize.

The shard throbbed in my hand, its blue light growing stronger. The whispers I’d heard in the Rift were faint now, but they were still there, tugging at the edges of my mind.

I glanced over my shoulder, my dark hair falling into my eyes. The bounty hunters were close, and I wasn’t exactly built for endurance. I’m average height, lean, with a wiry frame that’s better suited for sneaking than sprinting. My tattered coat flared behind me as I ran, its many patched pockets stuffed with trinkets from a dozen bad decisions.

The alley ended in a dead end. Of course.

I spun around, clutching the shard tightly as the bounty hunters entered the alley. There were six of them, all armed. The leader—a bald man with a scar running down his cheek—grinned as he stepped forward.

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“Nowhere left to run,” he said. “Hand over the shard, and maybe we’ll let you live.”

I forced a smirk, though my pulse was racing. “Tempting. But I think I’ll pass.”

Scarface raised his hand, signaling his men to advance.

I didn’t wait. The shard hummed in my hand, and I reached for the power inside it—the part of me that burned. The cobblestones beneath my feet cracked as a wave of blue light surged outward, sending the bounty hunters stumbling.

Scarface recovered quickly, swinging his sword at me. I ducked, rolling to the side and slamming the shard into the ground. The light flared, and a jagged fissure opened between us.

“Nice trick,” Scarface said, stepping back cautiously. “But how long can you keep it up?”

Long enough to escape, I thought.

I grabbed a loose piece of rubble, tossing it toward the opposite wall. The shard’s power surged as I fractured the rock mid-air, scattering it into a cloud of glowing shards that filled the alley.

The bounty hunters shielded their eyes, cursing. I darted past them, slipping into another alley.

I didn’t stop running until I reached a quiet, shadowy corner of the market. My chest heaved as I leaned against the wall, the shard still glowing faintly in my hand.

“That was sloppy,” a voice said, smooth and mocking.

I spun around, raising the shard defensively.

A woman stepped out of the shadows, her silver hair catching the dim light like spun moonlight. Her violet eyes gleamed with something between amusement and annoyance. She was tall and slim, dressed in sleek black leathers that looked both practical and expensive.

“Relax,” she said, twirling a knife that seemed to materialize in her hand. “If I wanted you dead, you’d already be dead.”

“Comforting,” I said, lowering the shard slightly. “Who the hell are you?”

“Aeryn,” she said, smirking. “And I’ve been looking for you.”