The market was already alive with noise when Quinn arrived. Stalls lined the narrow paths, their awnings flapping in the breeze while sellers shouted over one another to lure buyers. Spices, fruits, and dried meats filled the air with a mix of sharp and savory scents.
But beneath the usual chaos, there was a different kind of buzz — whispers traveling faster than the trade itself.
"Did you hear? A human child stole from the stalls this morning!" A female demon hissed to another, clutching her basket.
"A child?" her neighbor snorted. "Not just that she stole, she ran straight for the border!"
Quinn paused, his sharp eyes narrowing as he pretended to inspect a crate of goods.
"Yes," another voice joined, this time a wiry elder hunched by his stall. "The little thief grabbed food and bolted. We thought to chase her, but the moment she reached the river between us and that cursed abyssal land… tch, we stopped. No one dares follow where death lingers."
A chorus of agreement rose around him.
Quinn's gaze darkened. A human child… near the border? His thoughts immediately flew to Zi. Though she was safe in the cave, the news still clawed at his chest. If others began to suspect a child moving between realms, it would draw attention he didn't want.
He straightened, his jaw tight. "So that's how she came about the things she brought back. She not only lied to me... She also stole from these demons. She is going to get punished by me."
He turned and glanced around, he looked around but did not see the elder from yesterday. His stall was also closed.
He frowned. "You're the reason I came here today," he sighed. "I'll just have to—" before he could complete his sentence, someone rushed towards him and fell at his feet.
"H-help me."
Quinn was stunned for a moment. The person who had fallen at his feet was a human, a young man who seems to be in his early twenties.
"What—" before he could speak, some group of demons marched towards them.
"Lord Ye Mo's guards are here! Let's leave," the demons on the streets gasped. Some ran away while some bold ones stayed behind but his themselves.
"Hey, kid, give him to us!" One of the demon guards grunted. He was carrying a large blade with him.
Quinn gazed at them, his eyes studying them carefully. He noticed recently that he could feel the aura of things around him. Take for instance, Zi. Earlier in the morning, when he was speaking to her, he noticed the faint warmth of her presence, soft and fragile. But these demons… their aura was heavier, oppressive, like coals smoldering beneath ash.
Quinn's brows furrowed. 'These guards… they aren't ordinary. If I fight recklessly here, it won't end here and Zi will be in trouble... But, I can't leave this one here.'
The young man at his feet clutched Quinn's ankle weakly, his face pale and streaked with blood. "Please… save me…"
"Kid!" one of the guards barked again, raising his weapon. "That human belongs to Lord Ye Mo. Step aside before you get yourself killed."
Quinn's lips pressed into a thin line. He could already sense it — if he handed the boy over, he'd be dragged off and torn apart. The guards' intent was sharp, murderous.
He glanced down at the boy, then back at the guards. "What did he do to deserve this?"
The leading guard sneered. "That's none of your business. A worm who trespasses the demon market has only one end. Now move."
Quinn's eyes narrowed. "Since he came to me, he's now mine," he muttered under his breath.
Quinn's hand curled slowly at his side, and a faint shimmer of black fire licked between his fingers. He kept his movements small, subtle, but the guards tensed as the air around them thickened with a strange, suffocating heat.
"Last warning, brat," the leader snarled, his blade glinting. "Hand him over!"
Quinn didn't answer. He slammed his palm to the ground.
A pulse of abyssal flame erupted in a wave, dark fire racing outward like a spreading shadow. The guards cursed, stumbling back as the heat seared the earth beneath their boots. The nearest one dropped his weapon with a cry, clutching his scorched hand.
Gasps echoed from the bystanders. "That… that flame!"
Quinn didn't wait. He grabbed the wounded boy by the arm despite his average size and hauled him over his shoulder, his eyes darting toward the narrow streets. "Hold on if you want to live," he muttered to the boy.
The boy's weak fingers clung to him instinctively.
"After him!" the leader roared, recovering his footing.
The sound of pursuit thundered behind him as Quinn sprinted, weaving through startled merchants and scattering crates of goods in his wake. The boy's weight slowed him, but his steps were steady. He could hear the demons gaining.
Up ahead, the glimmer of water caught his eyes — the boundary.
Quinn's chest tightened. 'Once I cross, they won't dare to follow me in.'
He pushed harder, ignoring the shouts and clamor behind him. Just as the guards closed in, he leapt, splashing into the shallow river. Cold water rushed around his legs, but he didn't stop until he reached the opposite bank.
The moment his boots struck solid ground again, he turned his head.
The guards had stopped at the river's edge, snarling but unmoving. Their eyes burned with frustration, but none dared step into the cursed waters.
"Cowards!" one spat, but even at that, he didn't advance.
Quinn adjusted the boy on his shoulder, his lips curling into a grim smile. "That's far enough."
Without another glance, he turned and continued his walk back into the abyssal land, the shouts of the demons fading behind him.
"T-thank you," the boy whispered weakly.
Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Don't thank me yet," he said. "How are you certain that I really saved you, what if I do something bad to you?"
The boy sighed weakly. "I'll still thank you."
Quinn narrowed his eyes but kept walking. Finally, they arrived at the cave and went in.
Seeing her brother, Zi was happy and rushed to welcome him but her footsteps was halted the moment she saw him with another person.
"Brother, who is he?" She asked him, staring at the boy.
Quinn glanced at his sister and without replying to her immediately, he laid the boy down close to where they usually sleep.
"After you have rested, you tell me who you are and what you were doing in the demon realm," he said to the boy. Then facing his sister, his expression became serious... It was so serious that Zi instinctively backed away but that wasn't going to help her. He glanced at the boy and said to her sister, "follow me outside!" He turned immediately and headed for the entrance.
Zi bit her lips as she followed him. It was an order from her brother, there was no room for negotiation.
Once they were outside, Quinn began. "You lied to me and stole from those demons. Why?"
Zi bit her lips the more while gazing at the ground. She couldn't lift her head up.
"Are you deaf!" Quinn yelled.
Zi instinctively shivered and fell to her knees. "Brother, I am sorry! I wanted to do something for you once! I couldn't watch you being hungry because of me so I.... I..."
"So you resort to stealing from others and then lying to me?" Quinn asked, helping her to finish what she couldn't started. A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
Zi tried to look up, but meeting her brother's burning gaze, she lowered her head once more.
"Who told you that I needed that kind of service?" Quinn asked her. "Did I tell you that I am hungry? And even if I was, since when did it become your duty to take care of me?"
"I—"
"Listen!" Quinn roared. "You have no justification whatsoever for your actions. Don't ever take what isn't yours and don't ever lie to me again!"
"I am sorry, brother," Zi mumbled, her voice shaky.
Quinn sighed and turned to head back into the cave. "Remain there until you learn your lesson!" With that, he walked back inside.
The sleeping boy stirred up. "Don't you think you're being harsh on your sister?" He asked.
"How's that your concern? Well, since you're awake, let's focus on you. Who are you and what were you doing there, most importantly, why were you being chased?"