Noctis unlocked the door, the key turning with a soft click. My own eyes darted nervously, scanning the moonlit street for any sign of knights. As the door creaked open, we surged inside, swiftly bolting it shut behind us. The sudden silence of the house pressed in.

“Are you sure we can trust this Amelia lady?” Liora asked, her voice laced with a familiar thread of doubt.

“I think we can,” Noctis replied, his silhouette leading us deeper into the home. “Ah, here’s the office.” We gathered inside, the scent of old paper and dust thick in the air. The bookshelf loomed on the opposite side of the room.

“My turn,” Adrix said, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. Finnian, however, was already captivated by the leather-bound spines lining the walls.

“Finn, focus! We have to keep moving,” Liora urged, gently pulling him away by the wrist before releasing him.

“I’m sorry,” Finn mumbled, his gaze fixed on the floorboards. “Trying to distract myself.”

“Found it!” Adrix exclaimed, pressing his hand against a seemingly bare stretch of wall. Mana spiraled around his fingers, electric blue light spreading outwards across the surface. Before our eyes, a door shimmered into existence. The sight of it, raw magic reshaping reality, sent a familiar shiver down my spine.

“So, uh, who’s going… to, uh, open it?” Finnian stammered, shrinking back a little.

“Finn, pull yourself together. You’ve seen far worse than an underground marketplace,” Liora said with conviction, though her eyes softened a fraction.

“That’s true,” he replied, taking a deep breath that shuddered on the exhale.

“I’ll do it,” Adrix declared, pushing the spectral door wide. It revealed not a room, but the beginning of a passage framed by giant stone walls. Lanterns hung along the descending hall, their flames flickering with an unnatural blue hue, visibly imbued with magic. The only sound at first was the echoing of our footsteps on the stone. As we ventured further, the murmur of voices grew louder, weaving with calls of “Come take a look at my goods!” and the clatter of commerce. A wave of relief washed over me; it was good to see people carving out a space for freedom. Did the king genuinely not know about this hidden place beneath his city?

Wooden stalls filled a bustling cavern, each teeming with people examining the diverse wares on display. Every vendor offered something distinctive.

My gaze swept over the overwhelming variety. “So, how precisely am I supposed to know what I’m looking for?” I asked aloud, the question hanging in the vibrant air.

“That, I don’t know,” Noctis admitted. “We’ll have to go stall by stall,” he added, gesturing towards the right.

“Try looking for how mana flows,” Adrix whispered, his voice alarmingly close to my ear. His breath, warm against my skin, sent a sudden shiver down my spine. Our eyes met for a fleeting, breathless moment.

“I suppose I can try that,” I managed, my voice tighter than I intended.

He stepped beside me, offering a faint, almost casual smile. A pang of disappointment flickered within me; it seemed I was the only one whose thoughts were straying from the urgent task at hand.

As we moved from stall to stall, we each scrutinized the items. “I’d like to buy this,” Finnian announced without warning, holding up a slim, leather-bound book.

“That will be one silver, please,” the vendor replied, a woman with shrewd eyes.

At least Finnian found something, I thought, a faint smile touching my lips.

“What’s the book about?” Liora asked, peering at the cover.

“The history of Tirilla. I thought it would be a fun read,” Finnian said, beaming as he gently tucked the book into his satchel.

Noctis came to stand beside me. “Anything standing out to you, Lyra?”

“Not particularly, unfortunately,” I sighed, my eyes scanning another table laden with curious objects.

“We’ll find it, I’m sure,” Noctis reassured me, his calm a steady presence.

If only I knew what ‘it’ was. Adrix, meanwhile, had stopped at a stall deeper into the market, intently studying a collection of amulets. “Adrix seems to be enjoying himself,” I commented.

“I think he’s in his element with so many artifacts around. I’m shocked he hasn’t tried to buy out the entire place,” Noctis chuckled.

“The others wouldn’t be too happy about that,” I mused. Then, something snagged my attention. A unique mana signature emanated from an object on a nearby table, glowing with a faint, almost smoky white light I’d never encountered. It drew me in. I reached out and picked up the ring. It was silver, intricately worked, set with a vibrant, teardrop-shaped opal gem that seemed to pulse with inner light.

“Do you know what this is?” I asked the gentleman behind the stall, an elderly man with kind eyes.

“No, I do not. All I know is it’s uncommon and holds some value,” he replied, his voice a soft rumble.

“Okay, that’s alright. How much is it?”

“I’m sorry, but my stall doesn’t accept coin. I trade for other goods of interest,” he said, a hint of pride in his tone.

“What kinds of goods are you looking for?” I asked, my mind racing, wondering if I possessed anything he might want.

“I look for things of high quality, finely crafted or rare. It’s more of a hobby, you see. People are more willing to part with something of value for something they deeply desire.” Amelia’s advice about the mana potion flashed in my mind. I hastily pulled it from my bag. “Would you accept this as trade?” I asked, holding up the glowing blue liquid.

His eyes widened. “Where did you get such a thing?”

I certainly shouldn’t share the truth. “I stumbled upon it. Got lucky, I suppose,” I said, watching his reaction intently. He reached out to take it, and I instinctively drew it back a fraction. “So, do we have a deal?”

“Yes! A deal indeed!” He practically snatched the potion as he handed me the ring. We walked away while the others continued Browse. I slid the ring onto my finger; it was cool against my skin.

“So, do you think that’s it?” Liora asked, joining me.

I paused, a strange certainty settling within me. “Yes, this is undoubtedly it. What it does, though, I have no idea.”

A loud crash, followed by a piercing scream, ripped through the marketplace. One of the stalls now had a perfect circle of black ash etched into its wooden side. Beneath it lay a small woman, her body horrifically burnt, her breaths shallow and ragged. A man nearby began to speak, his voice trembling. “I…I…I didn’t mean to, I swear! I was merely examining the artifact. I didn’t know it would do that,” he stammered, falling to his knees. “I’m so sorry.”

Before I could fully process the horror, Liora was already at the woman’s side. Oh no, she can’t! I thought wildly, reaching for her, but I was too late. Her mana swirled, a radiant gold aura enveloping the injured woman. Everyone within sight watched in stunned silence as the burnt flesh knitted and healed completely in a matter of seconds.

Finnian, his customary gentle demeanor erased by a stark urgency, grabbed Liora and roughly pulled her away from the now-healed woman.

“What are you doing?!” he erupted, his voice cracking. “Noctis and Adrix both told you—you can’t do that!”

“What was I supposed to do? Not heal her? Let her die?!” Liora retorted, her voice rising, trembling with emotion.

“That’s not…” Finnian trailed off, his anger faltering under her fierce gaze.

“See? That is precisely what you’re asking! I can’t believe you’d let someone die right in front of you!” Liora exclaimed, her voice echoing faintly as a hush fell over the immediate area. Other shoppers were turning, their curious eyes focusing on our group.

“Hey, guys, you need to calm down,” Noctis said, his tone a low, urgent warning.

“I can’t calm down!” Liora cried, then turned and dashed off, disappearing into the crowded marketplace.

“We need to go after her, but we must stay together,” Noctis urged, his gaze sweeping over us. We began a desperate search, weaving through the remaining shoppers and peering around stalls.

“Ten-minute warning! Please start leaving in small groups!” someone yelled, their voice cutting through the thinning crowd. No, this isn’t good, my anxiety spiked. Where had she gone? There was no sign of her.

As the marketplace emptied, we remained, our search growing more desperate. Still nothing. “I’m sorry, but you guys need to leave. It’s about time for curfew,” a gruff voice said from behind us. A burly man in a guard’s einfachen uniform stood there.

“Can we have a few more minutes?” Finnian asked, his voice laced with panic.

The man shrugged. “Up to you. Simply don’t get caught after curfew.” He turned and walked away.

“Only a few minutes, then we need to go,” Noctis said, his tone firm but strained. We continued our frantic search, checking behind stalls and in shadowy corners—places Liora would not typically hide.

“Do you think she went home?” Adrix asked, his voice tight with worry.

“She could have,” Noctis replied, though his expression was doubtful.

“No,” Finnian said with certainty. “She would have come back after cooling off.”

“Well, she’s not here,” Adrix stated, a touch of dryness in his tone.

“Let’s check back at Amelia’s. Can we at least agree on that?” I suggested, needing a plan.

“Fine,” Finnian conceded, his shoulders slumping. “I hope she’s okay.”

“She will be,” Noctis said, giving Finnian’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Now, we need to go.”

We followed the muted glow of the lanterns back up the passage. Reaching the office, I noticed a clock in the corner. “Uh, guys, it’s ten-fifteen. It’s past curfew. What’s the plan?”

“We could stay here for the night,” Adrix suggested, glancing around the dusty room.

“Yeah, but what about Liora?” Finnian countered, his voice raw. “If there’s even a chance she could be back home, I need to see her, make sure she’s okay.”

“Do you really think risking us getting caught is wise?” Adrix asked, his tone sharp.

“We won’t get caught. Use a barrier,” Finnian insisted, desperation creeping in.

“I would normally agree. But we’re in the capital… they most likely have ways of detecting mana,” Adrix countered, his concern evident.

“I’m certain it’ll be fine,” Finnian insisted, though his voice lacked its earlier conviction.

“Said the guy who was afraid to open a summoned door, and now you want me to summon a barrier that risks us getting caught?” Adrix retorted, frustration coloring his words.

“Guys, calm down,” Noctis interjected, holding up his hands. “This isn’t solving anything. Let’s discuss it.”

“Fine,” Adrix said curtly, turning to Finnian. “Say she isn’t there. Then what? Run out into the streets tonight? No, we’d have to wait until morning.”

Finnian fell silent, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I’m worried about her. I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

Adrix looked at Finnian for a long moment, his own frustration softening. He let out a sigh and gave Finnian a brief tap on the shoulder. “She’s strong. We’ll find her. But I think we should find a room on this floor for the night and head out at first light.”

We headed upstairs and found an empty, sparsely furnished bedroom. Peeking out the window, my heart sank. A significant number of knights patrolled the streets below, their lanterns like malevolent fireflies.

“How bad is it?” Finnian asked, his voice low as he sat heavily on the floor.

“We wouldn’t have made it,” Noctis replied grimly. “Especially if they can detect mana. Trying to get home tonight would have been reckless.”

Silence settled over us, thick with unspoken fears. Finnian lay down, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. I desperately hope she went home, I thought, a knot tightening in my stomach.

Adrix came to sit beside me. “Do you mind if I take a look at that artifact?”

I slipped the ring off and handed it to him. He found a spot on the floor, turning it over and over, scrutinizing it under the faint moonlight filtering through the window.

“So?” I asked, leaning over to watch.

“I’m not sure yet. Let me try and push some mana into it.” His own mana, a steady sapphire blue, began to gradually envelop the ring, probing and testing. “Hmm, interesting.” He murmured, his eyes yet fixed on the artifact, “I’ve only heard about something like this.” Everyone’s attention shifted to Adrix.

“So, what does it do?” Finnian asked, his voice still tinged with sadness but also a flicker of his typical curiosity.

“It’s masking my mana. Whenever I push energy in, it doesn’t show through, if that makes sense. It absorbs or redirects it.”

“Why would Lyra need that?” Noctis asked, his brow furrowed.

Adrix looked at me for a moment, his lips pressed together, then handed me the ring. “Put it on, please,” he said, his attention then turning to the others. “Lyra’s mana color is unique.”

“Mana has unique colors?” Finnian asked, a flicker of genuine interest in his eyes.

“Yes. Depending on factors like the core’s capacity, mana can have a specific color or signature. Hers is already distinct because she’s an alchemist; she holds substantial power. But the more I observe her mana, I realize there’s something else different about it, though I can’t quite place what.” He looked at me again, his gaze intense. “When she wears this ring, it’s masking her true signature. Keeping her hidden.”

“Is it possible… that’s how they always found me?” I asked, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. “Why someone broke into my house?”

“It’s very possible,” Adrix confirmed grimly. “It would also explain why the shadowveil were attracted to you in the woods, if they were far from Pillard Forest and sensed a potent, unusual signature.”

“Wait, when was Lyra attacked by shadowveil?” Finnian asked, his head snapping up. He looked from me to Noctis, confusion etched on his face. “You never said anything about an attack, only the break-in and being on the run.”

Adrix’s eyes locked onto Noctis, a silent communication passing between them that I couldn’t decipher. Noctis cleared his throat. “I, uh, told him, Lyra. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I said, though a knot of unease tightened in my chest. Secrets between them. “But Finnian, yes, I was attacked a few days before we left, while I was mining mana crystals.”

He nodded slowly, his gaze dropping. Silence fell over him again, his thoughts obviously returning to Liora.

“We should try and get some sleep,” Noctis said, breaking the heavy quiet. We all settled into our own spots on the floor. Sleep, however, eluded me. My mind raced, trying to reconcile the revelation about my unique mana and the attacks, all overshadowed by the gnawing worry for Liora. If only she would walk through that door, I thought, my eyes fixed on the unmoving wood, a silent plea in my heart.