Two coins! Eryn looked at the shiny surface of the currency and back to the setting sun. The dome shimmered, making the light flicker momentarily and cast a hazy shadow that was barely visible. But time was of the essence.
Looking across the street, he saw a merchant store for elixirs. There were two shadow watchers close by a restaurant, clad in their black military tunic.
Resigning to fate, Eryn let out a sigh and crossed the street. This part of the city was less frequented by his kind.
As he passed over where the restaurant was, he could have sworn he felt the cold pair of eyes on him. The fact that they were seated outside made him question his decision, but he found himself standing in front of the merchant's desk. There was no going back.
"Sir?" Eryn called.
The merchant, lounged in his wares, looked up. His already sweaty and tired face conjured more lines of disdain when he saw the person standing in front of his store.
Adjusting his pair of study glasses and trying his best to hide his disgust, he moved his massive body over the counter.
"How may I help you?" He asked, placing his hands on the counter to reveal the dormants' mark on his arm.
"I need two elixirs, one week wear off," Eryn replied.
The merchant let his eyes scan Eryn's outfit, as if deciding his networth, before he declared, "That'll be three umbras."
Eryn's grip tightened around the two coins in his pocket.
"Let me see what you have. Might be the green slop I bought around the corner last week. It was barely strong and gave my father nightmares."
And leaning over the counter as if to whisper a sacred secret, Eryn added, "You see. There are rumors that your merchandise has been diluted."
Eryn moved back to study the look on the merchant's face and it was just as he had expected. Everyone knew he offered the best elixirs in the black market.
"That's scandalous!" The merchant fired, his fatty cheeks shaking in anger. He picked two vials in the shelf and placed them on the counter for Eryn to inspect.
"These ones are blue, commonly used by the higher ups and not for the likes of you. You should all be glad I'm selling them to you at a cheaper price before you tarnish my name." He barely breathed through his explanation.
Eryn held two of the vials in his hand, acting intrigued by the quality.
"Three umbras you say?" He asked.
"Cheap and quality stuff."
He felt the two coins in his pocket. Just one umbra away from the correct price. This was all his savings for the week.
The merchant, upon sensing his hesitation, leaned forward. Their eyes met, and he could have sworn he saw a smirk line on Eryn's thin lips.
Two coins were placed on the counter, and before the merchant could register it, Eryn had sprinted, vials clutched in his fist.
"I swear I'll kill you if I put my hands on you, thief!" He heard the merchant yell behind. Just as he had expected, the shadow watchers rose to action and joined the chase.
Eryn knew the streets better than anyone. After all, he'd grown up in them, leaving like an outcast in the dome of Solmir.
Glancing behind his shoulder, he saw the shadow watchers skid into a corner before they caught him in their periphery.
Eryn knew these were not your normal soldiers. To be a shadow watcher, one had to pass the entrance military test which nearly killed half of the recruits.
Most of the dome dwellers bore dormant marks, proof they had been tested and found wanting. Eryn had no mark at all. He had never been tested. Never chosen. Never even given the chance to fail. The stakes had never been this high.
He took a narrow passage that led to the edge of the dome before cutting back in a main street. Looking over his shoulder, he thought he had lost them, but they sprung out of another alley, now closer to him than before.
'Fuck! They knew my next move.' Eryn cursed. Right ahead were two alleys, each of which would define his fate. If the shadow watchers caught him, he'd be cast out of the dome, into the shadowlands. This was every citizen's nightmare.
Getting caught meant his father wouldn't have his elixir in time, which was more catastrophic than being cast out of the dome.
Making a quick decision, Eryn took the alley that led to the market. He jumped over a stall of fruits and knocked it over. The owner yelled in frustration but that momentarily worked as one of the shadow watchers stepped on a banana and fell on his back, hitting a loose cobblestone as he toppled back.
But that did little to deter him from the chase. His shadow morphed to bring him up in an unnatural gait before he resumed his posture, his broken bones aligning back in position.
Eryn knew that was barely enough but it would buy him time to widen the gap between them. He vanished into a corner before the shadow watchers caught up.
From his hiding spot, Eryn heard as the two came to a halt. Just as he had expected, they checked the trash cans first. But he was no fool to hide there, especially where the street ended.
"Check over there," he heard one of them order. The sound of approaching steps rhymed with his racing heart, silently resigning himself to fate.
As if the gods heard his silent prayer, the devices slapped on their wrists beeped. The two exchanged knowing glances: they had been summoned!
Eryn let out a sigh when he heard them leave. Pushing himself out of the heap of debris strewn on the street, he coughed lightly before he stood up. His once dirty outfit was even dirtier now. What was important now was he had survived another day and got the elixir.
Speaking of the elixirs, he put his hand in his pocket to inspect the vials when he felt something squishy and sticky in his pants. Taking the two vials out, he discovered a crack in the already empty one.
'Well, I might as well be fucked' Eryn thought. But he knew what he had to do. After all, his father wouldn't survive a nightmare without the vial. As for him... Well.