Aiden walked slow on purpose.
Not because the market was crowded—though it absolutely was—but because Leona kept bouncing in his arms every time she saw something colorful, and Liri kept tugging his hand whenever a new smell drifted through the air.
The capital market of the Albinos Kingdom stretched wide and bright beneath the afternoon sun.
White stone streets gleamed, polished smooth. Tall arches carved with elegant human runes framed the market lanes, banners of pale gold and ivory hanging between buildings.
Everything looked refined, structured, and prosperous. Human voices overlapped constantly—merchants calling out prices with practiced smiles, guards patrolling with spears resting casually on their shoulders, bells chiming whenever a shop door opened.
And yet… there was an ugly truth beneath it.
Every stall had them.
Demon slaves.
