A collective gasp rippled through the gathered crowd like a wave crashing against the shore.
"The Lightning Princess… she's one of the strongest Awakened alive," a spectator exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement as he tried to impress those around him with his knowledge. "It's said that she's reached the very peak of mortality and has already stepped into immortality!"
"Yeah, but she vanished from public view for years," another chimed in, his tone skeptical but edged with awe. "There were even rumors she had died. Could it be that this is someone else—another Awakened who controls lightning?"
"No," the first man shook his head vehemently. "It's her. I'm a hundred percent sure of it."
Excitement surged like a wave. To see an Awakened was rare enough; but to witness the Lightning Princess herself was nothing short of legendary.
Dozens of SpectraComms were raised in unison, holographic screens flickering to life as people scrambled to capture the moment. Bright flashes and buzzing lenses sought to immortalize her figure in pixels, proof that they had once stood beneath the same sky as the legendary princess.
Others, however, murmured about the mysterious Merchant, wondering at the one who had caught the attention of such a figure.
"Does this mean the Merchant's outrageous claims were actually true?" someone whispered with a dawning realization.
"Tch! If I'd known, I would have bought something from him. Who knows? I might have been Awakened by now!"
"Idiot," another scoffed, clicking his tongue in disdain. "Didn't you hear her? She called him a swindler herself. Don't tell me you'd hand your credits to a scammer just because of a flashy moment like this."
Murmurs spread, growing thicker with speculation about the Merchant's identity and his sudden disappearance.
'She definitely doesn't look like the owner of that voice,' Adriel thought in stunned disbelief, his mind struggling to reconcile the image he had conjured with the reality before him. From the sharpness and force behind that voice, he had expected someone wild-eyed and furious, a woman with anger carved into every line of her face. Instead, what greeted him was a vision of beauty so striking it left him momentarily speechless, a presence so far removed from his expectations that he doubted whether the voice from the sky had truly belonged to her at all.
"He isn't here…" she murmured under her breath. Her voice was so soft it was swallowed by the wind, audible to no one but herself.
Her violet-tinged eyes shimmered faintly, a subtle glow visible only to those who dared to stare too long. Then, without warning, her body dissolved into lightning. A blinding crack tore the sky as she vanished into the dark clouds above.
The clouds lingered for some seconds before clearing up quickly, reverting back to the clear and sunny sky. The only thing that could signify that something occurred was the debris where the Merchant's stall once stood.
The crowd stood frozen in stunned silence, as if bound by a spell, before the dam finally broke. A flood of voices erupted all at once, loud and frantic, each person desperate to make sense of what they had seen.
Adriel lingered in his own silence, eyes locked on the patch of sky where the Lightning Princess had disappeared, lightning swallowed by clouds, etching the image into his memory.
At last, he tore his gaze away as his stomach growled sharply, dragging him back to reality. The energy drink he had taken earlier had dulled his fatigue, but it was no substitute for food. His body demanded more.
'I should take a shortcut or else it would take forever to reach home,' he decided. He could have taken a ride home, but he was so close to his house that it would be a waste of valuable credits. He didn't want to buy any food or take a cab. He just wanted to reach the house.
With that, Adriel pushed forward, weaving his way out of the still-buzzing street. After a short walk, he arrived at a narrow alley, the familiar shortcut he had taken countless times before.
—
Adriel walked into the alley, his mind still replaying the earlier scene in scattered fragments. The passage stretched long before him, about the length of four school buses laid end to end. Tall, looming buildings on both sides smothered the sunlight, leaving the alley dim and shadowed, its visibility poor. From what Adriel could see, there wasn't a soul around.
He continued on at a steady pace, footsteps echoing faintly against the narrow walls, until a vague silhouette caught his eye ahead. A lone figure stood there, unmoving, facing the same direction Adriel was walking. From his angle, he could only see the figure's back.
'Eh… that person looks familiar,' Adriel thought, narrowing his eyes as he drew closer, curiosity pushing him forward. Step by step, the dim outline sharpened, and recognition struck him like a jolt.
A gray cloak, its hood drawn low. Intricate inscriptions of gold and silver etched into the fabric.
Adriel's breath caught. "Isn't that… the Merchant?" he muttered under his breath, a ripple of confusion running through him. "What is he doing here? I thought he had disappeared…"
As if in answer, the figure suddenly turned around. Adriel's heart lurched. The hood shifted with the motion, but inside was no face, no features—nothing but a void. Peering into it was like staring into an endless abyss, one that absorbed all light that tried to illuminate its interior.
For a long moment, neither moved. They simply stared at one another across the distance—about twenty meters apart. Adriel's pulse hammered in his ears as unease twisted into something sharper.
Then, without a word, the Merchant turned his back once more and began walking away, opposite to Adriel's direction.
Adriel exhaled shakily, only then realizing he had been holding his breath the entire time. Relief washed over him in a wave—until the Merchant stopped mid-stride. His figure froze like a statue, and Adriel's body mirrored the motion, every muscle tensing as his gaze locked closely onto the still, hooded figure.
The Merchant lingered in that strange, motionless position for what felt like an eternity before suddenly continuing forward.
Adriel frowned, his nerves loosening as he watched The Merchant walk away.
'Is something wrong with him, why does he keep moving and st…'
"Good day kiddo, do you wish to purchase anything?"
Adriel nearly had a heart attack. He was a step away from fainting, frozen in place with wide eyes locked on the hooded figure that had just appeared before him.
His mind spun wildly, struggling to process what had happened. A second ago, the Merchant had been more than twenty meters away—yet now he stood directly in front of him.
Adriel swallowed hard, his thoughts jamming like a broken gear, unable to form words. Slowly, he brought a trembling hand to his chest, as if to steady the frantic pounding of his heart, and drew in a deep, shaky breath.
'I've never been so scared in my entire life' he thought, every nerve in his body still quivering from the shock.
He gave a slow nod, absentmindedly responding to the Merchant's question.
"Good, may I ask how much is your budget and if you have any specific thing you wish to purchase?" The Merchant inquired.
"Erm… my budget is… um… 249 credits," Adriel finally said with a serious face after thinking hard.
The Merchant said nothing. He merely stared. Adriel froze under the gaze, his own eyes awkwardly locking with the darkness under the hood.
Desperate to break the silence, Adriel blurted out, "C-Can I buy anything with it?" His voice wavered despite his attempt at confidence.
"Of course. Of course, you can buy something with that amount…" His tone was light, like he was humoring a child. "…That being said, do you have anything in particular you wish to purchase?"
'I don't actually need anything right now, but I can't just admit that. Besides, this is The Merchant, who was pursued by the Lightning Princess and still managed to escape. A figure like this won't cross my path twice so I can't waste this rare opportunity. What should I say?'
After thinking for a moment, Adriel finally made up his mind.
"Weapons, I will take weapons."
"Mhm… weapons," the Merchant murmured.
He tilted his head upwards, then froze completely, his body going rigid like a statue.
'Is he addicted to freezing in place and then suddenly moving?' Adriel thought with mild concern.
Without warning, the cloaked figure flicked his wrist. In an instant, a neat display of weapons shimmered into existence upon a faded piece of fabric that Adriel could swear hadn't been there a moment ago.
"Simple tricks," the Merchant said casually, noticing Adriel's wide-eyed stare. "You'd learn it yourself if you awaken."
Adriel quickly forced down the thought of how the weapons had materialized out of thin air and crouched to examine them.
There was no shortage of variety—swords, spears, chains, gauntlets, daggers, crossbows, and more. As he looked over them, that all-too-familiar weight of indecision settled heavily on his chest.
After a long moment, Adriel glanced up at the cloaked figure. "Are these all?" he asked.
The Merchant chuckled, a dry sound laced with amusement. "Heh… with the amount of credits you carry, yes. You could always add extra if you want better quality and options, but truth be told, these are the finest you'll get for that price."
Adriel continued browsing the spread, and after some hesitation, resolved to settle for a sword—if only out of courtesy, to avoid wasting the Merchant's time. But before he could speak, the Merchant interrupted.
"If none of these catch your eye," he said, his tone shifting ever so slightly, "I do have a pair of daggers I could let go for that price. But…" he trailed off, "…I'm not sure you'd like them."
Adriel's ears perked the moment he heard the words pair of daggers. His curiosity spiked instantly. "Let me see them," he said, unable to hide the interest in his voice.
The Merchant waved his hand once more, and in an instant, the assortment of weapons vanished, replaced by a single pair of daggers resting neatly on the same piece of fabric.
The daggers were forged in a sleek, midnight black, their blades gleaming faintly as though they drank in the surrounding light. Each one measured about eight inches in length, with a width of roughly an inch and a half. The design was simple yet deadly—straight blades with a subtle, inward curve along the edge, ideal for slicing with precision. The tips tapered to sharp points, their penetrating power unmistakable.
Adriel lifted them carefully, testing their weight in his hands. They felt balanced, fitting into his grip as though they belonged there. He swung them a few times, each movement smooth and fluid, and couldn't suppress a grin tugging at his lips.
"I kinda like them," he admitted, flipping one into the air. The blade spun gracefully before he snatched it mid-descent, the motion crisp and practiced.
His eyes flicked back to the Merchant, curiosity burning in them.
"But why did you say I wouldn't like them?"
"They are a failed product." the Merchant said calmly. "An experiment, to be precise. They were meant to be a pair of daggers that ignited with flames when used on an opponent. Instead of the burning effect they were designed for, however, they produced something far more dangerous—an explosive one."
Seeing Adriel's puzzled expression, the Merchant elaborated.
"The blades were crafted to flare up once aether was channeled into them. But during testing, nothing happened. Not even when fire-attributed aether was poured through them. It was as though the daggers simply absorbed it, storing the energy in a dormant state. Obviously, something had gone wrong during the forging process. Further trials revealed another flaw: their frames couldn't withstand the build-up of aether. Each injection of aether had drastically weakened their durability."
Adriel listened intently, though terms like aether and fire attribute were beyond his understanding. The Merchant, however, wasn't done.
"And that isn't even the worst part…" He leaned in slightly, voice dropping. "When their durability reaches its limit, they don't merely crack or shatter. They explode. The blades detonate into thousands of fragments, each shard propelled at tremendous speed. The wielder, the target—anyone nearby—would be shredded. At that point, they can no longer be called weapons. They're bombs. Suicide bombs."
Adriel froze, his hands tightening around the hilts. Then, with deliberate care, he set the daggers back down as if they might already go off at the slightest provocation.
"I told you, you wouldn't want to buy them," the Merchant said, already moving to store the daggers away.
"No—I want them," Adriel replied after a brief pause of thought.
The Merchant blinked. "Eh? You want them?"
"Yes," Adriel said firmly.
"Didn't you hear everything I told you?" the Merchant pressed.
"I did," Adriel nodded. "But you also said they'll only explode once their durability runs out. That means I'm safe until then. Besides, I doubt I'll face an opponent strong enough to break them anytime soon."
The Merchant chuckled lightly. "Well… when you put it that way, I suppose you're not wrong."
His tone grew serious again. "Just a word of advice—if you see cracks spreading across the blades, know that they're close to exploding. And don't smash them against hard surfaces. They're not shock-absorbent; that'll only wear them down faster."
"Got it. Thanks for the warning," Adriel said with genuine gratitude.
The Merchant tilted his head. "Do you want sheaths for them?"
"Yeah, but won't that cost extra?" Adriel asked cautiously.
"Think of it as a gift—from a senior to a junior," the Merchant said with a faint smile. He waved his hand, and a pair of dark-blue sheaths materialized next to the daggers.
The Merchant produced a strange-looking rectangular device, clearly meant for collecting payment. Adriel fiddled with his SpectraComm for a few moments before finally swiping it across the device, completing the transaction. A soft chime rang out, and the daggers—now sheathed—were handed to him. He strapped the belt securely across his waist, resting the daggers against his lower back.
"Sigh... The quota has been met," the Merchant muttered under his breath, so quietly it almost blended into the air. "...I can finally…"
"Can I ask you a question?" Adriel said out of the blue.
"Yes, you can," the Merchant replied smoothly, though his posture suggested he was already preparing to leave.
"Why was that lady chasing you?" Adriel asked carefully.
The Merchant tilted his head slightly, as though amused. "And who told you she was chasing me?"
"She shouted 'swindler' right before you disappeared. Then she landed exactly where your stall had been, clearly ready to strike. It's obvious she was after you." Adriel's voice was steady, his words deliberate.
The Merchant chuckled, shaking his head. "You're quite observant, kiddo. Just forget about that crazy woman. She's nothing but a lunatic trying to smear my good name."
"So you didn't scam her?" Adriel pressed.
"I just…" The Merchant paused with a short sigh, then waved a hand dismissively. "It's a complicated matter, kiddo."
"Anyway, goodbye. See you next time," the Merchant said, though he knew full well there would be no next time. After all, Adriel wasn't awakened.
Adriel gave a small wave as he watched the Merchant stroll farther and farther until, without warning, he stopped.
'Yea…I expected that,' Adriel thought.
The Merchant took a single step forward—and vanished.
Adriel just stared at the empty spot in silence.
'At this point, I'm not even shocked anymore,' Adriel thought, his gaze fixed ahead. By now, he had grown almost numb to the Merchant's antics. No matter how bizarre or impossible the man's actions seemed—twisting the laws of nature, mocking the very foundation of physics—none of it truly fazed him anymore.
Then a flicker of realization crossed his mind. 'Tch, I forgot to ask why I can't see his face under that strange hood…' Regret lingered for a moment, but he brushed it aside.
"I should get going," Adriel murmured, turning back toward the path he'd been on before crossing the Merchant's way, his steps carrying him in the direction of home.
But then—he froze.
It wasn't instinct that made him stop, nor a conscious decision—his muscles simply refused to obey.
'What the hell… I can't move?!' Adriel's mind raced in panic. He strained with everything he had, trying to twitch a finger, clench his fists, roll his eyes, even blink—anything—but his body remained completely unresponsive. He was trapped inside his own body.
Then—
"Mhm… he's not here? I could've sworn I sensed his presence…"
A familiar voice brushed against Adriel's ears, its feminine tone sending a chill racing down his spine, every hair standing on end.