In the capital city of Asterion, within the noble district where the wealthiest and most powerful families maintained their estates, an enchanting floating palace hovered above a small lake. Or perhaps it was more accurate to call it a pond—the body of water wasn't particularly large, but it was deep and crystal clear.
The palace itself seemed to defy gravity, suspended above the water's surface without any visible means of support. Elegant bridges connected the floating structure to the surrounding land, allowing access from multiple points around the lake's perimeter. These bridges were architectural marvels in their own right, constructed from materials that seemed to glow faintly in the light.
This building was called the Enchanted Palace, and it was one of the most important locations in the entire capital.
At the underground part of the Enchanted Palace lay the black market—a place where you could buy and sell anything and everything. Slaves, forbidden techniques, restricted pills, stolen artifacts, classified information, illegal weapons. If it existed and someone wanted it badly enough, the black market could provide it. For the right price.
Together, the respectable establishment above and the shadow market below made the Enchanted Palace a nexus of power and commerce unlike anywhere else in the kingdom.
In this Enchanted Palace, there were private rooms reserved for nobles and VIP members alike. These rooms varied in size and luxury depending on the status and wealth of those who rented them, but all provided privacy and security for conducting sensitive business.
In one of these underground rooms, Crystal Aserra sat with her maid Mari. They were waiting for the black market to officially open for the day. The market operated on a schedule known only to regular patrons and those with proper connections. You couldn't just walk in at any time—you had to wait for the opening, which was signaled in ways that varied to prevent unwanted attention from authorities.
So they had to wait.
Meanwhile, Mari looked at her lady with growing concern. Crystal was sitting in one of the room's comfortable chairs, her posture relaxed but her face worryingly pale. The color hadn't returned to her skin since that morning's failed attempt to access her Chaos World, and if anything, she looked worse now than she had earlier.
Mari couldn't stand it anymore. She had to ask.
"My lady, have you eaten today?"
It was a simple question, but weighted with all of Mari's worry and care. Food wouldn't solve whatever was wrong with Crystal, but it might help. At least it would be something Mari could do, some way to be useful.
Crystal looked back at her maid and smiled. The expression was gentle, probably meant to be reassuring, but her face was looking paler by the moment. The smile only emphasized how washed-out her complexion had become, making Mari's concern spike even higher.
And there was nothing Mari could do about the real problem. She didn't know what was wrong with Crystal, didn't understand why her young miss seemed to be deteriorating despite the physician's assurances that her injury was minor.
Crystal's reply was simple and direct. "Let's order food then."
It wasn't exactly an answer to whether she'd eaten, but it was permission for Mari to do something productive with her worry.
Mari nodded quickly and left the room to place an order with the Enchanted Palace's kitchen. The establishment was known for its excellent cuisine even beyond its black market reputation. If nothing else, Crystal would have good food while they waited.
This left Crystal alone in the room.
She looked around slowly, taking in her surroundings with the careful observation that had become second nature in her previous life as a military commander. The room was spacious, big enough to host a small meeting or negotiation. Multiple chairs were arranged around a central table, and there were more comfortable seating options along the walls.
The décor was deep brown, rich wood paneling that gave the space a warm, masculine feel. There were no windows—they were underground, after all, and windows would compromise the privacy and security that patrons paid for. But the room was enchanted in subtle ways that kept it comfortable. The temperature remained moderate despite being below ground level, never too warm or too cold. The air circulated properly, preventing the stuffiness that would normally plague a windowless space. And there was lighting that seemed to come from nowhere in particular, illuminating the room with a soft, even glow.
Crystal sat in the comfortable silence, her mind working through plans and contingencies. She needed specific items from the black market. Information, primarily. Details about Noah's current activities and connections. But also, if she could find them, certain restricted cultivation resources that might help with her sealed Chaos World situation.
Meanwhile, in another private room elsewhere in the Enchanted Palace's underground section, Lyra Valen sat alone. She was lost in her own thoughts, her mind a dark and chaotic place filled with self-recrimination and despair.
The bruises from where Raven had choked her were already forming on her neck, dark purple marks that stood out starkly against her pale skin. Her ribs ached with every breath, a sharp pain that suggested at least one was cracked if not broken. Blood had dried at the corner of her mouth, leaving a rust-colored stain.
This was normal. This was her life. Being the Chaosless daughter, the mistake, the family shame.
Just then, someone opened the door to her room. A man entered, dressed in the uniform of the Enchanted Palace's higher-ranked staff. He looked around the room, his gaze sweeping the space professionally before spotting Lyra sitting in the corner.
He walked toward her with measured steps, then bowed slightly.
"My lady, it is ready," he said simply.
Lyra stood up slowly, wincing as her injured ribs protested the movement. She followed the man out of her private room without saying anything. There was nothing to say. This was expected, routine.
The man led her through the Enchanted Palace's underground passages. But instead of going deeper into the black market sections like Crystal and most other visitors, he led Lyra upward and through a series of corridors that seemed to wind in nonsensical directions.
They eventually reached a section of the palace that few ever saw—the central core of the Enchanted Palace itself.
It was a garden, and it was breathtaking.
The lake in which the palace floated had been diverted through some incredible feat of engineering or formation arrays. Water was being lifted impossibly upward and poured back down, creating a looping waterfall that surrounded the garden on all sides. The water cascaded in sheets, creating a constant gentle roar that was somehow soothing rather than overwhelming.
The garden itself was filled with glowing trees. Not metaphorically glowing—actually glowing, their bark inscribed with runes that pulsed with soft light. The leaves were silver in color, catching and reflecting the light from the trees and the waterfalls, making the entire space look divine. Otherworldly. Like something from a celestial realm rather than a building in a mortal city.
Lyra entered the garden, and despite her pain and her dark thoughts, she couldn't help but appreciate the beauty of this place. It was the one spot in her life that felt peaceful, that didn't judge her for what she lacked.
She looked around before finding her usual spot to sit—a stone bench positioned to have the best view of the central waterfall. She moved toward it slowly, each step measured to minimize the pain in her ribs.
Just then, a woman walked into the garden from a different entrance.
The aura coming off this woman was immediately recognizable to anyone with even basic cultivation sense. She was a Master Phase expert, someone who had reached the fourth of the five major cultivation phases. This woman could level buildings with techniques, could fight entire squads of normal soldiers single-handedly, commanded respect wherever she went.
Yet she approached Lyra with careful deference, bowing as she drew near.
Lyra sat down on her stone bench, and the woman stood at a respectful distance before speaking. Her tone was flat but respectful, the careful neutrality of someone who understood power dynamics very well.
"Hello, Palace Master. The black market will open soon."
The title made the woman's deference make sense. Palace Master. Not of the Valen household, but of the Enchanted Palace itself. Lyra, the supposedly useless Chaosless daughter, was actually the true owner of the most important commercial establishment in the capital city.
It was a secret known to very few. A secret that had kept Lyra alive when her own family would have preferred her dead.
Lyra looked at the woman. She didn't smile—she'd forgotten how to smile years ago. She just looked away, her gaze turning back to the waterfalls.
"Let the black market begin," Lyra said quietly.
It was permission and command in one. The woman bowed again, deeper this time, then turned and left to carry out the order.
After the woman departed, Lyra stood from her bench. She had to leave before the market opened to avoid being connected to its operation. The entire point of her secret ownership was that it remained secret.
She walked out of the garden through a hidden exit, moving back toward the section of the palace where she could pretend to be just another noble visitor rather than the person who controlled everything that happened in these underground halls.
Back in Crystal's underground room, Mari entered carrying multiple trays of food. Of course, she knew what Crystal liked—she'd been serving her young miss for years and had memorized all her preferences. But looking at Crystal's pale face, seeing how weak and unwell she appeared, Mari had decided to order everything. Every dish she thought might tempt Crystal's appetite, every nutritious option that might help restore her strength.
The table was soon covered with an impressive spread. Roasted meats, fresh vegetables, exotic fruits, soups and broths, delicate pastries, expensive teas. It was enough food for several people, far more than Crystal could possibly eat alone.
But before they could start eating, before Crystal could even reach for a dish, something in the room moved.
A section of the wall that had appeared solid and unbroken suddenly shifted. The wood paneling slid aside with barely a whisper of sound, revealing what had been hidden behind it.
A staircase. Leading down into darkness, descending to gods knew where. The passage below was too dark to see clearly, the stairs disappearing into shadows that seemed deeper and more absolute than natural darkness should be.
But everyone who frequented the Enchanted Palace knew what this meant.
The black market had opened.
Crystal looked at the revealed staircase, then at Mari, then at the food spread across their table. Her pale face took on a determined expression.
"Let's eat quickly," she said, reaching for a bowl of soup. "We have shopping to do."
Mari nodded and began preparing a plate for her lady, though her eyes kept darting nervously toward that dark staircase and the secrets it led to below.