[Leif's Pov—Commoner's Market—Continuation]
The old woman's voice was like a whisper carried by the wind—soft, aged, and yet… strange.
"Come here, my child," she said, her words floating like smoke through the air. "Perhaps you'll find something meant for you."
Her stall was tucked deep in a shadowed corner, half-hidden behind curtains of bright fabric and strings of beads that chimed faintly with every breeze. The air around her seemed thicker—heavier somehow.
My feet moved before I even thought about it. It wasn't excitement this time… it was something else. A pull. A quiet, invisible thread that wound around my heart and tugged.
I didn't even realize I'd let go of Alvar's hand until I heard Zephyy's sharp voice. "MASTER!!"
The sudden cry snapped through the noise of the market. I froze mid-step, turning just enough to glance back at my pocket, where his little blue head was peeking out, eyes wide.
