Lucian was startled by the woman's presence.
His body tensed for a moment, and his gaze sharpened—alert. He kept his eyes fixed on the woman standing a few meters away. Questions immediately filled his mind: "How does she know I'm here? She even looks like she's been waiting for me at this spot?" he thought.
His heartbeat gradually quickened. Instinct urged him to turn and run. His foot shifted slightly backward, ready to flee.
But—
"No need to run," she said. "I just want to talk to you."
Lucian froze. He knew running now wasn't a smart choice.
The pain in his chest—lingering since last night—still hadn't fully subsided. Even the mere thought of escape brought that sharp sting back, a cruel reminder of his body's limits.
He took a slow breath to steady himself, calming his thoughts, and finally gave a faint nod.
"Alright," he said quietly. "I couldn't run anyway."
His gaze remained sharp, though there was a hint of calm now in his posture. This conversation… might change the course of his search.
But Lucian didn't respond to the woman right away.
Instead, he turned and stepped into a nearby bakery, as if ignoring the threat hanging in the air between them.
"Excuse me," Lucian said, the doorbell chiming as he entered. "Mr. Sanny, do you have any bread left?"
Behind the empty bread rack stood an old man, smoking.
"Huh, it's Fenn. He's in the storage room. I'll grab it," the man muttered.
Mr. Sanny turned and disappeared into the back. About thirty seconds later, he returned with a single loaf of bread clutched to his chest.
"The usual?" he asked. "Funny seeing you here with a woman."
Lucian quickly glanced back. "Ah… that's—not important."
He placed four Sen coins on the counter, then walked out of the shop without another word.
Mr. Sanny could only shake his head.
The woman still stood where she was, her expression cold yet calm, waiting.
Lucian nodded toward a wooden bench not far off, under a small canopy beside an abandoned shop.
"We'll talk there," he said quietly, biting off a piece of bread.
They walked side by side in silence until they sat facing each other, only a weathered wooden table between them, worn thin by time and weather.
The woman opened the conversation, her voice flat yet firm:
"You took something from the Narami Library. A spellbook.
I want to negotiate. Hand it over—willingly."
Lucian chewed slowly, eyes staring into the distance before finally turning to her with a blank expression.
"And if I refuse?" he asked calmly.
The woman gave a faint smile. A smile with no warmth whatsoever.
"I'll kill you," she replied coldly.
Lucian raised an eyebrow, then let out a low laugh—not from amusement, but because he knew she wasn't joking. He lifted the bread sack and leaned back in his chair.
"I could give it to you… but I have one condition."
The woman narrowed her eyes. Her gaze sharpened, unreadable.
"Fine. What's your condition?" she asked in an even tone.
Lucian stared at her for a few seconds, not answering right away. He seemed to be thinking, but in truth, he was watching—searching for a reaction, weighing whether this was a trap or a genuine negotiation.
Finally, he spoke softly.
"I want to know your reason for wanting that spellbook. Or at least… who wants it so badly."
She didn't respond right away. Just smiled slightly, as if she'd expected that request.
"An interesting question… but you haven't exactly told me who you really are either, have you?"
Lucian shrugged. "I don't need to know who you are… unless you're planning to kill me right here."
The woman leaned in slightly, her face closer to Lucian's, that unfriendly smile still lingering.
"If I wanted to kill you… I wouldn't be sitting here talking."
Lucian gave a faint smirk. "That's why we're both sitting here, hiding our knives while pretending to be polite."
"She actually looks kind of beautiful when she's serious," he thought.
A silence fell. Only the sounds of the market and footsteps of passersby filled the space between them. The two sat like shadows, measuring each other through veiled words.
At last, the woman said,
"You'll get your answer… after I get the book."
She slid a small knife back into its sheath.
Lucian leaned back in his chair, playing it cool, though his eyes stayed sharp.
"And what if I lied?"
She simply smiled again. "I'll hunt you down. And if I have to—I'll kill you."
Her threat hung in the air like cold mist. Her voice calm, but razor-edged—as if death was just a word away. The atmosphere shifted. People still wandered nearby, but for Lucian, the world shrank, leaving only him and the woman in a space thick with invisible pressure.
For a moment, he locked eyes with her. No doubt in those eyes—if he broke the deal, he knew his life was forfeit.
"Well, what choice do I have," Lucian muttered, as if giving in, biting the bread again with casual ease. But there was no resignation in his eyes.
The woman gave a brief glance, expression unreadable.
Lucian rose slowly, brushing dust from his coat. Without a word, he began to walk away, leaving behind the warmth of bread and the tension that hadn't fully faded.
But before he got too far, he paused. Still with his back to her, he asked, voice steady, nearly flat:
"What's your name?" Lucian asked. This time, he needed to know who this strange woman was that had been following him.
The woman lifted her chin slightly, then answered without hesitation.
"Hana Voltiane."
Lucian stood in silence for a moment. The name—unfamiliar in his fragmented memory—stirred something uncomfortable within him.
He resumed walking, his footsteps echoing over the stone street, merging back into the crowd now thick with the rhythms of daily life. But his thoughts were far from calm.
Hana Voltiane.
He would remember that name.
Not just because of her threat, but because behind her mystery, Lucian could sense—she was hiding something far more dangerous.
Tonight, he planned to return to that place, with her.
Not just to keep his promise, but to search for information on the cursebreaker book—and perhaps more importantly—the soul-binding magic text. Something that might reveal who had taken control of his body… and his soul.
His steps were steady, but his mind clouded with questions.
Because in this world, one name could mean salvation… or destruction.
Hours passed.
Night fell, blanketing the sky in cold fog and long shadows.
Midnight struck when Lucian once again stood at the same place—where he and Hana Voltiane had talked.
Few words were exchanged. Only brief glances, enough for them both to understand what needed to be done.
Moments later, they moved toward Narami. Lucian walked with purpose, but each step felt heavier. The city's buildings blended with the night mist, cloaking them in shadows. Their bodies moved like smoke, slipping through the chill of the wind.
When they reached the Victoria Kingdom district—grand and tightly guarded—Narami stood like a silent fortress, no longer as vulnerable as before. The number of guards had doubled. Every corner glowed with enchanted lanterns. There were no obvious openings.
Lucian narrowed his eyes. "Too many guards… just the two of us—it's too risky," he muttered.
But Hana didn't respond. Without a word, she leapt from the rooftop, landing lightly on the ground and immediately activated her wind magic. Her body shot forward toward the library.
Lucian cursed under his breath. "Damn woman," he growled, and followed—no other choice left.
They slipped in through a side air vent—narrow and high up, but barely watched. Inside, there was no time for talk. Lucian immediately started scanning the shelves, searching for the cursebreaker book or soul magic texts he needed.
But just as he rummaged through a section, a sudden burst of wind magic struck him from the side.
Thud!!
His body was hurled back, slamming into a shelf of books. His head hit hard, and the crash echoed as shelves came crashing down. The spellbook he'd brought flew from his grasp.
His head throbbed. Vision blurred. He struggled to get up, but his body weakened. Footsteps approached—guards rushing toward the noise.
As his consciousness faded, someone stepped close… light footsteps… the shadow of a woman standing beside the fallen book.
Hana.
Lucian managed a faint, pained smile when he recognized her.
But it vanished the moment pain stabbed him again from behind.
A second attack—also from Hana.
He collapsed, eyes slowly closing completely.
Moments later, voices filled the library.
"Over here! Find the source of the noise!" shouted a man clad in steel armor, with a spear slung across his back.
Several guards entered the room, one kneeling beside Lucian's unconscious body.
"He's still alive!" the man called out. "Get the others—we're taking him in!"
Heavy footsteps thundered from all directions…
and in the midst of it all—Hana had vanished.