Eren wiped his brow with the back of his hand as he shuffled through the narrow, dimly lit corridors of the lower level. The air smelled of brine and sweat, a mix that lingered long after the storm had passed. He glanced around at the tattered banners hanging limply from the ceiling and the worn faces of those trudging past him, each locked in their own struggles.

With his hands shoved deep into his pockets, Eren made his way to Lantern Pub. The faint glow of flickering lanterns spilled onto the dank floor, casting playful shadows on the walls. Inside, the noise of laughter and clinking glasses filled the air. Heward Urusla stood behind the bar, polishing a glass with an old rag, his eyes darting over patrons like a hawk surveying its territory.

"Look what crawled in," Heward called out, a smirk creeping across his face as Eren approached.

Eren kept his gaze steady but couldn't hide the tension coiling in his stomach. "Just looking for work," he muttered, hoping to keep it brief.

Heward leaned against the bar, arms crossed. "Work? In here?" He chuckled, a deep rumble that seemed to vibrate through Eren's bones. "You've got guts coming to me for scraps."

"Better than starving." Eren squared his shoulders, determination lighting up his icy blue eyes.

"Maybe." Heward studied him for a moment before leaning closer. "How about you put those guts to use tonight? I'm short-staffed."

"What do you mean?" Eren's brows furrowed.

Heward gestured around the pub. "I need someone to help serve drinks and keep an eye on things while I handle… other matters."

Eren hesitated, weighing his options. "What's in it for me?"

"A cut of the tips." Heward grinned wide enough to show crooked teeth. "And maybe a warm meal if you're lucky."

The prospect stirred something in Eren's chest—hope or dread; he couldn't tell which. He glanced at the crowded tables where laughter echoed like sirens in a storm. A night here could mean more than just survival; it could offer a chance to blend into something larger than himself.

"Fine," he said finally, heart racing at both opportunity and uncertainty.

"Good choice." Heward clapped him on the shoulder, leaving Eren feeling both reassured and wary under that heavy touch. "Now get moving before I change my mind."

as the boy accepted working for the Lantern Pub, Heward sent him to the back end of the pub, where he met the lady called Mistress. She was also middle aged, but ran the place like a queen. He also looked and found a few bartenders and cooks listening to her orders. When he went through to the employee section, Mistress looked at him and asked if he was the new hire. He agreed, and she instantly gave him an apron and told him to be the bartender. She told Eren to follow under Luna Faroe, as he was new. Luna was one of the red hair bartenders. dialogue

Eren trudged to the back end of the Lantern Pub, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and apprehension. The dim lighting shifted to an even darker hue, and the air thickened with the scents of sweat and alcohol. He pushed through a heavy curtain that separated the bustling front from the employee section.

A woman stood in the center of the room, her presence commanding. Mistress, they called her. She wore an apron tied snugly around her waist, and her sharp eyes flicked over Eren as he entered.

"You must be the new hire," she stated, her voice steady and authoritative.

"Yeah," Eren replied, trying to keep his nerves at bay. "Heward sent me."

She appraised him for a moment before nodding slightly. "You'll need this." Mistress handed him an apron, its fabric worn but clean. "You're on bartending duty tonight."

Eren accepted it with a quick nod, adrenaline coursing through him.

"Follow Luna Faroe. She'll show you the ropes." Mistress gestured toward a red-haired girl who stood nearby, cleaning glasses with quick precision.

"Luna!" Mistress barked.

Luna looked up, her glasses sliding down her nose as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks flushed under Mistress's gaze. "Yes?"

"Take this one under your wing." Mistress motioned toward Eren. "He's fresh meat."

Luna hesitated before stepping forward, her meekness contrasting sharply with Mistress's commanding presence. "Okay," she said softly, offering Eren a tentative smile that barely reached her eyes.

Eren felt a swell of gratitude mixed with uncertainty as he stepped closer to Luna. "What do I need to do?" he asked.

"Just keep up," she replied, leading him to the bar area where patrons called for drinks in loud voices. "We'll start with mixing simple ones."

Eren watched as she effortlessly poured whiskey into glasses and topped them off with ginger ale.

"Here." Luna pushed a bottle toward him. "Try it."

He grabbed it, fingers fumbling slightly as he attempted to mimic her movements. The sound of laughter and clinking glasses surrounded them, drowning out any lingering doubts.

"Just remember," Luna said while reaching for another glass, "don't let them see you sweat."

"Not bad for a newbie," Luna said, a hint of admiration creeping into her voice as she handed him a glass to serve.

Eren felt warmth spread through him at the compliment. "Thanks," he replied, his lips curving into a genuine smile.

As the hours slipped by, he gained confidence. He poured drinks with precision, slid them across the bar to waiting patrons, and even cracked a few jokes that earned chuckles from nearby tables. Luna's gaze lingered on him now and then, an approving nod accompanying her own swift movements.

Just when Eren thought he'd settled in nicely, a shadow shifted at the edge of the dim light. A figure clad in black robes stepped through the curtain, his presence commanding immediate attention. The fabric swallowed him whole; only a hint of his face peeked out beneath the hood.

Eren hesitated for a moment as the man glided toward an empty chair in front of him. The air around him seemed to thicken, almost electric. The patrons murmured among themselves but maintained their distance from this newcomer.

"What'll it be?" Eren asked, his voice steady despite the sudden weight pressing down on him.

The man lowered himself into the chair slowly, deliberate. "A drink," he replied, voice low and smooth like velvet sliding over steel.

"Sure." Eren grabbed a bottle behind him and glanced back at Luna for guidance. She met his gaze with wide eyes but didn't intervene.

Tentatively, Eren poured dark liquor into a glass—something strong enough to satisfy an imposing presence like this one—and slid it across the bar. The glass stopped just short of where the man's fingers reached out to claim it.

"Do you have a name?" Eren ventured cautiously.

"Names hold little meaning in places like this." The man took a sip without breaking eye contact. "But you may call me Shade."

Eren swallowed hard but kept his composure. The flickering candlelight cast shadows that danced ominously around Shade's figure as he took another sip, seemingly unfazed by the atmosphere swirling around them.

"Enjoying your night?" Shade asked, his gaze unwavering as he surveyed the pub's clientele with keen interest.

"It's… different," Eren replied slowly, still grappling with this strange encounter while Luna busied herself nearby.

Eren froze, words tumbling through his mind like autumn leaves caught in a gust. "Uh, it's been… fine," he managed, the weight of Shade's gaze unsettling him.

Shade nodded slowly, as if weighing Eren's response. Then, with an unsettling calmness, he dropped a bombshell. "I'm here for you."

Eren's heart raced. "For me? Why?" Confusion laced his voice; this stranger felt like a puzzle piece that didn't fit.

Shade shrugged slightly, nonchalant. "Important matters require important people." His eyes glinted under the dim light as he studied Eren with an intensity that made him squirm.

"What kind of matters?" Eren asked, swallowing hard.

"Step outside with me if you want more information." Shade's tone remained even, almost inviting.

Eren hesitated. "Information for what?" He sensed the weight behind Shade's words but couldn't shake off the unease creeping into his chest.

"You decide." The man's enigmatic smile left Eren feeling cornered.

Eren glanced around the pub—patrons still nursed their drinks, laughter bubbling at distant tables—but none could offer refuge from this looming confrontation. He rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "I can't. I'm on the clock."

Shade's expression shifted slightly; amusement danced across his features, though it barely reached his eyes. "A shame," he said softly, leaning back in his chair as if surrendering to the moment.

Eren turned away from Shade's piercing gaze and busied himself with cleaning a glass behind the bar, thoughts spiraling through his mind like frantic birds seeking shelter from a storm. What could this man want with him? He didn't belong to any important matters—he was just trying to scrape by.

The tension hung thick in the air as Luna exchanged quick glances with Eren from across the bar, her brows knitted in concern at this unfolding drama. He felt her worry but couldn't find solace in it—not while Shade watched him like a hawk surveying its prey.

"Think carefully," Shade called out softly as Eren turned back to face him again, unsure how to proceed under such scrutiny.

"I'll meet you after," Eren finally said, swallowing hard. "But where?"

Shade chuckled softly, a sound that echoed ominously in the air. "Right outside the pub. Where else?"

Eren nodded, the unease still coiling tightly in his gut. He turned back to the bar, forcing himself to focus on pouring drinks and serving patrons, each clink of glass pulling him further into the rhythm of the night.

As he worked, Luna approached him, wiping her hands on her apron. "What was that all about?" Her voice carried a hint of concern as she leaned against the bar.

"I don't know," Eren replied, glancing at her with wide eyes. The truth felt too tangled to explain. "He just… wanted to talk."

"Be careful with him," she warned, folding her arms across her chest. "He's not someone who seems safe to talk to."

Eren nodded but felt his heart race at the thought of their impending meeting.

The shift wore on, a blur of laughter and shouting mixed with clinking coins and spilled drinks. Eren lost track of time as he maneuvered through the crowd and poured more drinks than he could count. When Mistress finally called time on his shift, relief washed over him.

He stepped up to Mistress's side as she counted out his earnings for the night.

"Not bad for your first day." She slid seven Oren coins across the bar toward him.

Eren picked them up eagerly and added them to his tips from throughout the night—another eight Oren scattered between pockets and hidden under glasses—bringing his total to fifteen Oren. A small fortune for an orphan scraping by in Velen.

"Thank you," he said, unable to hide his smile.

Mistress gave a curt nod before turning back to oversee the departing patrons. Eren gathered his belongings and stepped away from behind the bar, feeling lighter with each step he took toward freedom.

With coin jingling in his pocket, he headed for the exit of the Lantern Pub, anticipation bubbling within him as he approached what lay ahead—meeting Shade outside under a shroud of night in Javlar Section's shadows.

he exits to see Shade standing in a corner, smoking a cigar. Eren approached him and asks him to speak, to which Shade nods and then suddenly punches him. It landed directly on his side part of the face, and Eren falls. Shocked, he looks up to see Shade smile maliciously, and that's when Eren starts bolting. He runs, but before he fully escaped he felt a stinging feeling, and when looking down he saw a Ksita Trap, which are used for land animals in the islands. It snaps in and his leg is locked in teeth of solid metal. He starts to scream, but it is cut off by Shade with another punch to his face, and he's knocked out. Before he's knocked out, he slightly hears Shade say, finally i can receive my pay from him. Eren is then unconscious.

Eren stepped outside the Lantern Pub, the cool air hitting him like a splash of water. He scanned the dimly lit street and spotted Shade in the shadows, a cigar perched between his fingers, smoke curling lazily into the night.

"Shade!" Eren called out, taking a tentative step closer.

Shade lifted his gaze, the glow from the streetlamp casting an eerie light on his face. He nodded slowly, exhaling smoke as if contemplating something deep.

"What do you need to talk about?," Eren pressed, urgency edging into his voice.

Before he could utter another word, Shade lunged forward, his fist connecting with Eren's cheek in a swift motion. Pain exploded on the side of Eren's face as he stumbled backward, crashing to the ground.

His heart raced with shock.

Looking up through blurred vision, he saw Shade grinning maliciously down at him. The darkness twisted around them, and Eren's instincts kicked in—he scrambled to his feet and bolted down the alley.

He ran blindly at first, adrenaline propelling him forward until he felt a sharp sting pull him back.

Glancing down in horror, he saw metal teeth clamped around his leg—he had stepped into a Ksita Trap. Panic surged as he struggled against its grip, each movement only tightening its hold.

"Help!" Eren screamed, desperation lacing his voice.

But before anyone could hear him or before he could formulate a plan to escape, Shade was upon him again. Another punch landed hard against his face—pain washed over him as darkness encroached on his vision.

Eren felt himself slipping away just as Shade leaned closer, a chilling whisper brushing against his ear.

"Finally I can receive my pay from him."

With that final thought echoing in his mind, everything faded to black.