Dipti was hurt. She had seen Aeren's sincerity—felt it—but after learning that it might have been nothing more than a lie, a game, she didn't blame him.
She blamed herself. It's my fault, she thought quietly. I didn't realize it sooner.
She had been alone for too long. That loneliness had made her vulnerable, had made her instinctively accept Aeren's presence, his words, his warmth. If her parents hadn't been away—locked in an endless war between Demon and God—perhaps she wouldn't have felt this way at all.
Her gaze drifted toward Aeren.
He was playing idly with the white fox. His stall had been empty for days now, all his fruit long since sold. Yet he remained there, lingering beside her stall, waiting—because Dipti's stock still wasn't exhausted.
Why is he doing this? she wondered. Does he really think I'm foolish enough to believe his lies just because he speaks sweetly? Her brows knit together. Or is he truly innocent?
A name surfaced in her mind. Aman. That bastard could have planned all of this. Her doubt shifted, slowly, painfully. Maybe Aeren isn't at fault at all.
Just as her thoughts tangled further—
"Excuse me?"
The voice snapped her focus away from Aeren. Dipti looked up. A young man stood before her, wearing neat armor and refined clothing. His face is handsome, his posture confident. He is examining her last remaining accessory—a beautifully crafted pendant.
"Yes, kind sir," Dipti replied politely, a gentle smile forming on her lips. Who is he? His hair gleamed faintly under the divine light, and his eyes met hers directly, steady and calm. It had been ten days of nonstop work, and yet she hadn't met anyone like this before.
She adjusted her hair slightly, her smile brightening without her realizing it. "How can I help you?" she asked warmly.
Behind her stall, unseen and unacknowledged—Aeren watched. And the white fox went still.
"Can you tell me what this pendant does?" the young man asked, his eyes fixed on the item in his hand. "And how much does it cost?"
He didn't look at Dipti at all—only at the pendant, as if she were merely part of the stall. Dipti noticed. A flicker of irritation rose in her chest, but she steadied herself and forced it down.
"Well," she said calmly, professionalism returning to her voice, "you have a good eye. Most people didn't notice this piece at all. They didn't think it was special, which is why it's the only one left."
She stepped closer and placed her hand gently over the pendant.
"But this is my masterpiece," she continued. "I put a great deal of effort into it. It can calm your realization, stabilize your cosmic breathing, and it works continuously without consuming any of your energy." She lifted it carefully, letting the divine light catch its surface.
"It harmonizes naturally with the heaven, supporting you in every possible way. And most importantly—" she paused slightly, "—it's beautiful. It shines even in darkness, which makes it especially useful if you ever travel beyond the City of God."
Before she could say more—
"Yes, I helped her with that pendant," Aeren said suddenly, stepping beside her. "You'll definitely like it. Take it—you won't regret it."
The interruption was abrupt.
The young man—Rud—looked up, momentarily surprised by Aeren's presence. His attention shifted from the pendant to Aeren, then back again.
"And who are you?" Rud questioned.
"I'm Aarav Dev. I believe this pendant will help you," Aeren replied with a smile, looking straight into his eyes.
"Is that so?" Rud said thoughtfully. "Thank you."
He studied the pendant once more, clearly satisfied, then finally looked at Dipti—this time with a small, polite smile.
"I'll take it," he said. "How much is it?"
Dipti blinked once. Behind her, Aeren's expression remained unreadable. And the white fox's ears twitched.
Dipti smiled warmly. "Well… it's three Cosmic Coins," she said, then quickly added, "but I'll give it to you for two."
She had answered almost too quickly. As she shifted slightly, she noticed a flicker of doubt pass through Rud's eyes. Her smile faltered for just a moment. Too much, she realized.
"It's too expensive," Rud began.
Dipti accepted that immediately. She turned her head toward Aeren, who was still standing beside her, watching Rud—and then her. For a brief moment, the two exchanged looks, saying nothing, yet understanding far more than words could convey.
That silent exchange was broken by a voice.
"Hey—Rud, did you find what you were looking for?" A young woman had stepped up beside him, her voice clear and confident.
Both Aeren and Dipti noticed her at once.
Rud glanced at her and nodded. "I like the pendant," he said honestly, "but it's too expensive. Let's go, Nalini."
He took her hand, irritation faintly visible as he shook his head, and began to turn away.
"Wait," Nalini said suddenly. "Let me talk to them."
Her gaze had fixed on the white fox. She couldn't look away. There was something about it—something different.
Rud stopped at once, surprise crossing his face. "Are you sure?" he asked, clearly confused.
Nalini nodded without hesitation. She released his hand and walked straight toward Aeren, closing the distance between them. Her eyes flicked once to Dipti, then back to Aeren.
"How much for the pendant?" she asked calmly.
Aeren met her gaze. "Two Cosmic Coins."
The white fox stirred slightly in his arms. And Nalini's eyes narrowed—sharp, curious, and calculating—as if she had just sensed something far more valuable than a pendant.
But Nalini wasn't looking at the pendant. She is looking at the fox.
Her perception, honed by years of understanding animals and monsters, read the small creature's fear like a language. The fox trembled not from cold, but from something deeper—a terror born of helplessness. Nalini's expression hardened slightly. She's trapped, Nalini realized. Caught by someone she can't escape.
"What's the fox's name?" Nalini asked suddenly, her tone shifting.
"She doesn't have one," Aeren replied evenly.
"Then I'll call her Booch," Nalini said. She turned her attention fully to the pendant now, studying it with new intensity. "The pendant is called Booch?"
"Yes," Dipti answered softly, uncertain why Nalini cared so much about the names.
"Alright," Nalini said calmly. "I'll buy the pendant, Booch, for two Cosmic Coins."
Rud stared at her, stunned. "Nalini, what are you—"
She raised her hand, stopping him mid-sentence.
Dipti and Aeren exchanged a brief look, both momentarily surprised, but they quickly composed themselves.
"Sure," Dipti said, reaching for the pendant. She wrapped it carefully and handed it to Nalini. "Here you go."
The transaction was simple. But beneath it, something far more complicated had just begun.
As Nalini took the pendant, her eyes met Aeren's one final time. In that moment, a silent understanding passed between them—she knew. She knew about the fox. And she would remember.
****
Dipti returned home after closing her stall, walking alone this time.
She stopped in front of her long, quiet house and looked at it for a moment. Then her gaze shifted to the neighboring place—a cottage-like home surrounded by fruit trees, warm and open, where Aeren lived.
She paused. Then she turned away and entered her house.
Dipti went straight to her bed and lay down, staring up at the ceiling. He's not home. He was with me earlier… but Aarav took the path toward Tarvan instead. She closed her eyes briefly. Don't think about him, Dipti. Nothing good will come from it.
But she couldn't stop thinking.
Her mind drifted to her parents—locked in an endless war, climbing ranks through cultivation, reaching heights she could barely comprehend. They had achieved Middle Flow, earned the honor of becoming royal guards. For a commoner, such cultivation was almost unheard of—a silent peak of achievement, proof of talent and unyielding effort.
I want to reach that place too, Dipti thought, her chest tightening. But no matter how hard she searched within herself, she couldn't see the path forward.
In this world, there were five major realms of cultivation. Most commoners never moved beyond the first—the Breathing Foundation. Many spent their entire lives there, unable to break through. At best, a commoner could reach Middle Breath. Only beyond that could one gain entry as a noble guard—crossing from Breathing Foundation into Flow Harmonization.
Her parents had reached Mid-Flow. Beyond that lay Peak-Flow, a place reserved almost entirely for nobles.
If I were just a little stronger, she thought bitterly, I could have fought beside my family. But I'm not. Like everyone else, I'm stuck.
Dipti lay there in silence, her thoughts spiraling. The cultivation realms stretched endlessly above her—Vital Flame, Completion Flow, Initial Flame. And then, beyond even that, the legendary realms spoken of only in whispers.
Eternal Breath.
Cosmic Embodiment.
Realms no one had ever witnessed, yet every god knew of them. Centuries ago, he had spoken of them—taught the gods about cultivation itself, revealed truths that shaped their understanding of existence.
Who was "he"? Dipti wondered vaguely, exhaustion pulling at her thoughts.
But she couldn't hold onto that question. Her mind drifted instead to simpler, more painful things.
Aeren. Aman. The bet. The fox. Everything.
She wanted to forget it all. Wanted to climb higher, become stronger, escape this weakness that made her vulnerable to his words, his warmth, his presence.
But as she lay there in the eternal light of the City of God, no darkness to mark the passage of time, Dipti realized the truth:
She couldn't outrun her own heart.