The market was alive with sound and movement. Merchants shouted their wares, bartering with eager customers. The scent of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the air as children darted through the narrow pathways, weaving between stalls with infectious laughter.
Erchid walked steadily through the chaos, his eyes locked on the golden-haired figure ahead of him. He exhaled sharply, muttering to himself, "How did I get myself into this mess?"
His thoughts drifted back to three nights ago, to the haunted house, where the two of them had sat in silence beneath the weight of the past. Out of nowhere, she had spoken.
"We should go to the market on the third day at noon."
Before he could question her reasoning, she rose to leave. But as she turned away, she hesitated and looked back at him.
"Vanessa," she said with a pout. "That's my name. Rude of you not to even ask."
Her expression was so childish, so unexpectedly playful, that Erchid had let out a rare laugh. Seeing him laugh, Vanessa had giggled as well, their laughter mingling in the cold night air.
Now, back in the bustling market, Erchid called out, "Vanessa, slow down."
But she only quickened her pace, darting ahead through the sea of people. He sighed, keeping up with her until she came to a sudden stop in front of a stall selling sweets. A vendor dipped sticks into a thick red syrup, the glossy liquid clinging to the surface like melted rubies.
Vanessa turned to him, eyes gleaming. "Look, look! I want to buy this."
She was brimming with excitement, as if seeing such a thing for the first time. With a smirk, Erchid pulled out a few coins and paid the vendor. As she took a bite, her expression lit up in delight.
"Aren't you getting one?" she asked, turning to the vendor. "Give him one too."
"I don't want—" Erchid began, but before he could finish, Vanessa took the sweet and stuffed it into his mouth.
He tensed, glaring at her, but she only giggled. Her laughter melted his irritation, and with a sigh, he wiped the sticky red syrup from his lips.
"You've made a mess," he muttered, reaching out instinctively. His fingers brushed against her cheek as he wiped away the sticky remnants.
For a brief moment, their eyes locked. The world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them standing amidst the sea of people. It was as though fate itself was pulling them together, drawing them into something deeper, something neither of them fully understood.
A sudden commotion shattered the moment.
"Grab him!" someone yelled.
A boy dashed through the market, clutching stolen fruit to his chest. He barely made it a few steps before crashing into a donkey cart, the stolen goods spilling onto the ground. Before he could recover, a man seized him roughly by the arm.
"Thief! You need to be taught a lesson!" the shopkeeper bellowed, dragging the boy forward. The child whimpered, struggling against his grasp as the man reached for a cane.
The first strike landed with a crack. The boy cried out, pleading for mercy, but no one in the market moved to stop it.
Vanessa took a step forward.
Erchid grabbed her wrist, his grip firm. "Don't interfere. This has nothing to do with you."
She pulled her hand away. "Let me go."
Erchid watched as she stepped toward the scene, the man now drawing a knife.
"Three fingers," he said coldly. "A brand and a warning for others who think to steal."
Just as the blade was about to descend, Vanessa caught the man's wrist.
"Let him go," she said, her voice calm but unwavering. "Don't you think this is excessive?"
The man's expression darkened. "This has nothing to do with you, young miss. Leave before you get hurt."
Vanessa didn't release her grip. The shopkeeper growled, raising a hand to shove her aside—
A second hand caught his wrist from behind.
"Be careful," Erchid said, his voice dangerously low. "Think twice before moving that hand."
Furious, the man turned his rage on Erchid, swinging a punch.
Erchid sidestepped effortlessly, striking the man hard in the neck. The shopkeeper crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Silence spread through the crowd, whispers rising in the aftermath. Erchid crouched beside the trembling boy, pressing a few coins into his palm.
"Go," he murmured. "Before the guards arrive."
The boy hesitated, then ran, vanishing into the maze of stalls.
Erchid stood, tossing a handful of coins into the shopkeeper's pocket. "For your troubles," he muttered before grabbing Vanessa's wrist and dragging her away.
In the shadows of an alleyway, they stood in silence.
Finally, Erchid spoke. "I don't know if you're stupid or just naive."
Vanessa glared at him. "Should I have just let them cut a child's fingers off? He made a mistake, but that was cruel."
"Cruel?" Erchid snapped, his voice edged with fury. "That's how the world works. Survival of the fittest. The weak are devoured. Law of equivalent exchange—you commit a crime, you get punished. You kill, you get killed. That's reality. You need to keep a cool head or you'll get yourself hurt. Or worse."
He turned to look at her—only to find her staring at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Erchid fell silent.
Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I just wanted to help. I couldn't stand there and watch him suffer. He was just a kid..."
Something in him wavered. The fire in his eyes dimmed.
Vanessa bit her lip. "Why did you interfere?"
Erchid hesitated before exhaling, his voice much softer. "Because I couldn't watch you get hurt."
A pause.
"And... the boy reminded me of myself."
Vanessa's breath hitched. For the first time, she saw it—the cold, calculated mask slipping, revealing something raw and vulnerable beneath.
Before he could react, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him.
Erchid stiffened. Then, hesitantly, he lifted his arms, resting them around her. Her scent, soft like lilies, filled his senses.
In the silence of the alley, they stood there, holding onto each other—two souls bound by something neither of them had words for.