The Black Market wasn't a place you stumbled into — it was a place you found only if you knew where to look. Hidden beneath the crumbling ruins of an old temple, it pulsed with life and danger. Merchants whispered of forbidden weapons and stolen techniques. Assassins and bounty hunters sat side by side, their eyes always watching, hands never far from their blades.
And now, I was one of them.
The scent of incense mixed with blood and coin filled the air as I moved through the crowd, Yoon-Hee close behind me. She hadn't wanted to stay behind — and despite my warnings, I couldn't deny the determined glint in her eyes. So I let her come, but not without a knife strapped to her waist and a promise that she'd listen to my every word.
"Stay close," I muttered, weaving through the throng. "And don't trust anyone."
"I only trust you," she whispered back.
That… was dangerous.
We stopped at a stall covered in silk and shadows. The man behind it had the look of a viper — thin, sharp-featured, and smiling like he was waiting for you to make a mistake.
"I'm looking for information," I said, keeping my voice steady.
"Information has a price," the man purred. "What's your coin?"
I tossed a small pouch of silver onto the counter. It wasn't much — but enough to show I wasn't wasting his time.
"The Bandit King's men," I said. "Where are they striking next?"
The viper's smile grew wider. "Ah, you're not the only one asking that question. Seems the whole world's waiting for the Bandit King's next move." He leaned in. "But if you want a hint… head to the Ironwood Pass. A caravan's moving through there tomorrow night. And word is — they're carrying more than just silver."
Before I could ask what that meant, Yoon-Hee tugged on my sleeve. Her face had gone pale.
"Seol-Yeong," she whispered. "We're being watched."
I didn't turn around. I didn't need to. I could feel it — the weight of a dozen eyes, the slow shift of bodies in the crowd. And then I heard it: the soft scrape of a blade leaving its sheath.
"Run," I said.
Yoon-Hee didn't hesitate. She bolted, and I turned just in time to block the first attack. Steel flashed, and my blade met it with a ringing clash. The man in front of me was fast — but not fast enough. I stepped into his guard, slammed my elbow into his throat, and he went down choking.
But there were more.
"Get him!" someone shouted.
I ran.
The market erupted into chaos. Stalls overturned, people screamed, and the crowd surged like a living beast. Yoon-Hee was ahead of me, her small figure darting through the gaps. I followed, my sword in hand, cutting down anyone who got too close.
We burst out of the temple and into the cold night air. But the danger wasn't behind us — it was ahead. A group of figures waited at the edge of the woods, and even in the dark, I recognized them.
The Bandit King's men.
"Looks like we've got ourselves a bounty hunter," one of them sneered. "And a pretty little prize, too."
Yoon-Hee's hand went to her knife. But I stepped in front of her.
"Go," I said quietly.
"I'm not leaving you—"
"Go."
She hesitated — then ran. And I turned to face the bandits alone.
They came at me all at once. I didn't wait. My blade flashed, and the first man fell with a gurgling cry. The second swung a club — I ducked low, slicing his hamstring, and he collapsed with a scream.
But there were too many. A sword nicked my arm. A fist slammed into my ribs. I staggered — and then there was a sharp pain in my side as a dagger found its mark.
I fell to one knee, blood pooling beneath me.
"Not so tough now, are you?" the leader sneered, raising his sword for the final blow.
And then his head fell from his shoulders.
Yoon-Hee stood behind him, her knife dripping with blood.
"You shouldn't have come back," I rasped.
"I told you," she said, her voice shaking. "I only trust you."
And in that moment, with my vision darkening and the sound of more bandits closing in, I realized something:
If we wanted to survive this world — we would have to trust each other.
No matter what it cost.