Morning sunlight slowly filled the room.
A thin beam of light passed through the window and landed directly on my face.
I turned my head away.
Five seconds later the light followed me again.
"…Great," I muttered.
I pulled the blanket over my head, hoping the sun would lose interest.
It didn't.
A loud knock suddenly hit the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Magic! Wake up!"
I didn't move.
Another knock.
"Magic, I know you're awake."
I sighed and slowly sat up.
"You say that every morning," I said loudly.
The door opened.
Chakshu stepped inside like he owned the place.
"You're welcome," he said.
"For what?"
"For waking you up before noon."
I looked at the clock beside my bed.
"…It's 9:30."
"Exactly."
Chakshu looked around the messy room.
Clothes on the chair. Books on the floor. A half-empty cup on the desk.
He shook his head.
"You live like a hurricane passed through here."
"It's called creative organization," I replied.
Chakshu sat down on the chair.
"Anyway," he said, "you heard the news?"
I rubbed my eyes.
"If this is about my wanted poster again, I'm already aware."
"No," Chakshu said.
"It's about the market."
I looked at him.
"What about it?"
"They're hiring people for small jobs today. Carrying supplies, helping vendors, stuff like that."
I stretched my arms.
"And why should I care?"
Chakshu gave me a look.
"Because normal people work."
I stared at him.
"Normal people also don't have wanted posters."
"That's not an excuse."
I stood up and walked toward the window.
Outside, the town was already busy.
People walked through the streets. Shops were opening. The sound of carts and voices filled the morning air.
Just another normal day.
Chakshu stood up.
"Come on," he said. "Let's go to the market."
I grabbed my jacket from the chair.
"Fine," I said.
"But if someone tries to arrest me again, you're explaining everything."
Chakshu laughed.
"Deal."
A few minutes later, we stepped outside and walked into the busy streets of the town.
The morning air felt fresh. Shops were opening, people were talking, and carts rolled across the stone road. Vendors were setting up their stalls while others shouted about fresh bread or fruit.
The town was already full of noise.
Chakshu walked beside me with his hands in his pockets.
For a while we just walked quietly through the street.
Then he glanced at me.
"So," he said.
I already knew what was coming.
"So what?" I replied.
He looked straight ahead as we walked.
"Why are you even wanted?"
I shrugged.
"Good question."
Chakshu stopped walking.
"No seriously," he said. "Why?"
I kept walking for a few more steps before stopping too.
"I told you," I said. "It's probably a misunderstanding."
Chakshu stared at me.
"A misunderstanding that led to wanted posters?"
"Yeah."
"That's not how misunderstandings work."
I leaned against a wooden fence nearby.
"Look," I said, "I didn't rob a bank."
"Good."
"I didn't steal anything important."
"Also good."
"And I definitely didn't attack anyone."
Chakshu crossed his arms.
"Then why are you wanted?"
I thought for a moment.
Then I said calmly,
"I may have… annoyed a few important people."
Chakshu blinked.
"…Annoyed?"
"Just a little."
"How little?"
I scratched the back of my head.
"Well… remember that government office building near the capital?"
Chakshu slowly nodded.
"Yeah?"
"I might have climbed on the roof of it."
Chakshu stared at me.
"…Why?"
"There was a really good view."
"And?"
"And the guards didn't like that."
Chakshu rubbed his forehead.
"Magic…"
"What?"
"You climbed onto a government building."
"Technically, yes."
"And you're confused about why you're wanted?"
I shrugged again.
"It still feels like an overreaction."
Chakshu looked at me like he was trying to decide if I was joking.
"You're unbelievable," he said.
"Thanks."
We started walking again toward the market.
The streets were getting even busier now.
People passed by us, talking and laughing, completely unaware of the conversation we were having.
Chakshu shook his head.
"You know," he said, "most people try to avoid trouble."
I looked ahead at the crowded street.
"Trouble usually finds me first."
Chakshu sighed.
"I believe that."
The smell of fresh bread filled the air.
Chakshu stopped near one of the stalls.
"I'm getting something to eat," he said.
"You just woke me up," I replied. "You're already hungry?"
"I woke up hours ago."
He pointed at a nearby food stall.
The vendor was pulling warm bread out of a small oven. Steam rose into the cool morning air.
Chakshu bought two pieces and handed one to me.
I looked at it.
"You're paying?"
"Yes."
"Wow."
"What?"
"That's rare."
Chakshu rolled his eyes.
"Just eat."
We leaned against a wooden post near the stall while people walked past us.
Chakshu took a bite of his bread.
Then he looked at me again.
"You know something?"
"That you regret waking me up?"
"No."
"That would make sense though."
He ignored that.
"You're way too calm about being wanted."
I took a bite of the bread.
"Panicking wouldn't help."
"True," Chakshu said.
"But most people would at least try to figure out who's after them."
I shrugged.
"If someone really wants to find me, they'll come eventually."
Chakshu shook his head.
"You say things like that way too casually."
As he said that, two town guards walked past us on the road.
Their metal armor clinked as they moved through the crowd.
For a moment Chakshu watched them carefully.
Then he leaned a little closer to me.
"…You see them?" he said quietly.
"Yeah."
"You think they know?"
I glanced at the guards.
They kept walking without even looking at us.
"Doesn't look like it," I said.
Chakshu relaxed a little.
"Good."
I finished the last bite of bread.
"Besides," I added, "if they did recognize me, they would already be chasing us."
Chakshu looked at me.
"…Please don't say things like that."
"Why?"
"Because every time you say something like that, trouble appears five minutes later."
I looked around the busy market.
People talking.
Kids running between stalls.
Vendors arguing over prices.
Everything looked peaceful.
"I think today might actually be a normal day," I said.
Chakshu stared at me.
"…You just guaranteed something bad is going to happen."
I smiled slightly.
"Relax."
For a moment, everything really did seem peaceful.
Then a group of men walked into the market.
There were five of them.
They didn't look like normal customers.
Their clothes were rough, their faces serious, and the way they walked made people slowly move out of their path.
One of them stopped in front of a fruit stall nearby.
The shopkeeper, an older man, looked up at them.
"Can I help you?" he asked carefully.
The man in front placed both hands on the wooden stall.
"We're here to collect," he said.
The shopkeeper's face fell slightly.
"…Collect what?"
The man leaned closer.
"You know exactly what."
The other four men stood behind him, watching the street.
The shopkeeper looked nervous now.
"This week has been slow," he said quietly. "I don't have that much money right now."
The man knocked on the wooden stall twice.
"Not my problem."
People nearby had started noticing, but nobody said anything.
Most of them just quietly walked away.
Chakshu watched the scene while finishing his bread.
"…Let me guess," he said quietly to me.
"Yeah," I replied.
"More criminals."
The man at the stall spoke again.
"Give us what you have," he said to the shopkeeper. "Or next week we come back and take the stall too."
The shopkeeper hesitated.
His hands shook slightly as he reached under the counter.
Chakshu looked at me.
"You're thinking about it, aren't you?"
"Thinking about what?"
"Getting involved."
I crossed my arms and watched the scene.
The shopkeeper slowly placed a small pouch of coins on the counter.
The man grabbed it and weighed it in his hand.
Then he frowned.
"This is it?"
The shopkeeper nodded nervously.
"It's all I could make this week."
The man looked annoyed.
Behind me, Chakshu sighed.
"…Magic."
"What?"
"You're definitely going to say something."
I looked back at him.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
I glanced at the group again.
The leader was still staring at the small pouch of coins like it had personally offended him.
I let out a quiet sigh.
Then I spoke.
"Wow," I said loud enough for them to hear.
"That's a lot of confidence for someone stealing fruit money."
The five men slowly turned around.
And just like that…
Their attention moved from the shopkeeper to me.
The five men slowly turned around.
Their attention moved from the shopkeeper to me.
The leader stepped forward.
"Did you say something?" he asked.
I looked at him for a moment.
Then I sighed.
"Yeah," I said. "But honestly, I'm a little busy right now."
The man frowned.
"Busy doing what?"
I looked down at the empty piece of paper that had once held my bread.
"…Being hungry."
Chakshu slowly turned his head toward me.
"Magic…"
I ignored him.
Then I lightly tapped his shoulder.
"Actually," I said, "you handle this."
Chakshu blinked.
"Me?"
"Yeah."
I pointed toward a nearby food stall where someone was cooking something that smelled amazing.
"I'm going to get more food."
Chakshu stared at me like I had just betrayed him.
"You're serious?"
"Very."
Behind us, the criminals were getting impatient.
"HEY!" one of them shouted. "Are you two listening?!"
I stepped away casually.
"Good luck," I told Chakshu.
Then I started walking toward the food stall.
Chakshu looked back at the group of criminals.
Then back at me.
"…You're unbelievable."
I waved without turning around.
"You've got this."
The leader of the group cracked his knuckles.
"Oh, he's leaving?" he said.
Chakshu sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"No," he said. "He's just hungry."
The criminals looked confused.
One of them pointed at me walking away.
"Should we stop him?"
The leader shrugged.
"Nah."
He looked back at Chakshu.
"You'll do."
Chakshu looked at the five men standing in front of him.
Then he took a deep breath.
"…This was supposed to be a normal day."
Meanwhile, I reached the food stall and leaned on the counter.
"What do you have?" I asked the vendor.
Behind me, I could already hear someone shouting.
"HEY! GET BACK HERE!"
I glanced over my shoulder for half a second.
Chakshu was already surrounded.
I looked back at the vendor.
"I'll take two," I said calmly.
The vendor nodded and began preparing the food.
Behind me, the group of men watched me for a moment.
Then the leader scoffed.
"Forget him," he said. "He's not even involved."
The others nodded.
"Yeah," one of them said. "Let him eat."
Their attention turned back to Chakshu.
Chakshu stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking completely done with the situation.
The leader stepped closer.
"Alright," he said. "Your turn."
Chakshu raised an eyebrow.
"My turn for what?"
"For paying."
One of the other men pointed at him.
"Give us everything you have."
Chakshu sighed.
"You know… I was having a good morning."
The leader crossed his arms.
"Well now you're having a bad one."
Chakshu glanced over at me.
I was still at the food stall, waiting for my order.
He stared at me for a few seconds.
I gave him a small thumbs-up.
Chakshu slowly looked back at the criminals.
"…Of course," he muttered.
The leader knocked on the wooden stall beside him.
"Stop looking around and hand it over."
Another criminal stepped closer.
"Money, phone, anything valuable."
Chakshu rubbed the back of his neck.
"You guys really chose the wrong person today."
The leader smirked.
"Oh yeah?"
Chakshu nodded.
"Yeah."
He pointed toward me at the food stall.
"Because I'm in a bad mood."
One of the criminals laughed.
"And why's that?"
Chakshu looked straight at them.
"Because my friend left me to deal with you while he went to get food."
The men looked confused.
"…That sounds like your problem," one of them said.
Chakshu sighed again.
"Yeah."
Then he slowly rolled up his sleeves.
"It really is."
The criminals smirked.
One of them cracked his knuckles.
"Good," he said. "Looks like you're finally ready."
Another one stepped forward.
"Let's make this quick."
They surrounded Chakshu slowly.
From the food stall, I turned slightly to watch.
The vendor handed me my food.
"Here you go," he said.
"Thanks."
I leaned against the stall and took a bite, watching the scene like it was a street performance.
Back near the fruit stall, the leader lifted his hand.
"Alright," he said. "Let's—"
"GUARDS!!"
Chakshu suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.
The entire market froze for a moment.
The criminals blinked.
"…What?"
Chakshu pointed down the street dramatically.
"GUARDS! OVER HERE!"
For half a second, nothing happened.
Then—
"WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?"
Two armored town guards suddenly appeared from the far end of the market street and started moving toward the crowd.
The criminals turned around.
"…You've got to be kidding me," one of them muttered.
The leader glared at Chakshu.
"You little—"
"Too late," Chakshu said calmly.
The guards were already pushing through the crowd.
"HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
The criminals looked at each other.
Then the leader snapped his fingers.
"RUN!"
All five of them immediately scattered into the market, shoving past people and running down different streets.
The guards rushed after them.
"AFTER THEM!"
Within seconds, the noisy chase disappeared into the busy streets.
The market slowly returned to normal.
Chakshu brushed his hands together like he had just finished a job.
From the food stall, I walked over while eating.
"…You didn't even fight them," I said.
Chakshu looked at me.
"Why would I?"
I shrugged.
"You rolled up your sleeves."
"That was for dramatic effect."
I nodded slowly.
"Fair."
Chakshu looked at the food in my hand.
"…You got two?"
"Yeah."
"And you didn't bring one for me?"
I took another bite.
"You looked busy."
Chakshu stared at me.
"You're unbelievable."
I took another bite of the food and shrugged.
The market had mostly returned to normal. People were talking again, vendors were shouting prices, and the small crowd that had gathered was slowly going back to their business.
But a few seconds later, the two guards returned.
They had lost the criminals somewhere in the streets.
One of them looked annoyed.
"Slipped away," he muttered.
The other guard scanned the area.
His eyes slowly moved across the market…
Then they stopped.
On me.
I was still standing there eating.
The guard narrowed his eyes.
"…Hey."
Chakshu noticed immediately.
"Don't move," he whispered.
"Why?"
"Because they're looking at you."
I glanced over casually.
The two guards were walking toward us now.
Chakshu sighed quietly.
"…Of course."
The first guard stopped a few steps in front of us.
"You two," he said. "Were you the ones who shouted?"
Chakshu raised a hand.
"Yeah, that was me."
The guard nodded.
"You saw the criminals?"
Chakshu pointed down the street where they had run.
"Five of them. They were trying to take money from the fruit stall."
The second guard nodded and wrote something down on a small notebook.
Then his eyes slowly moved to me again.
He stared at my face for a moment.
Then a little longer.
I kept eating.
Chakshu noticed the stare and immediately looked a little nervous.
The guard squinted slightly.
"…Hold on."
The other guard looked up.
"What?"
"This guy looks familiar."
Chakshu froze.
I took another calm bite.
The first guard rubbed his chin.
"I swear I've seen that face somewhere."
The second guard stepped closer and looked at me more carefully.
"…Yeah," he said slowly.
"I think I've seen it too."
Chakshu slowly turned his head toward me.
"…Magic."
"What?" I said while chewing.
"Stop chewing like nothing's happening."
The first guard suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Wait."
He pointed at me.
"Aren't you the guy from the—"
Chakshu suddenly clapped loudly.
"WOW!" he said.
Both guards looked at him, confused.
Chakshu pointed down the street.
"LOOK!"
"What?" one guard asked.
"I think those criminals ran that way!"
Both guards instinctively turned their heads to look.
Chakshu leaned toward me quickly and whispered,
"…Start walking."
I looked at him.
Then I whispered back, "Why walk when we can talk?"
Chakshu slowly turned his head toward me.
"…What?"
But before he could stop me, I spoke up.
"Of course you've seen me," I said to the guard.
Both guards turned back to look at me.
I pointed around the market.
"I'm a regular customer here."
The first guard frowned slightly.
"Regular customer?"
"Yeah," I said casually. "I come here all the time."
The second guard looked uncertain.
He glanced at the stalls around us.
"Well… it is a market," he admitted.
Chakshu slowly put a hand on his face.
The first guard still looked suspicious.
"Still," he said, "I feel like I've seen your face somewhere else."
I took another bite of my food and shrugged.
"Maybe you saw me buying bread yesterday."
Chakshu whispered under his breath, "Please stop talking."
The guard rubbed his chin again.
"Hm."
He looked at my face carefully for another moment.
Then he finally shook his head.
"…Maybe I'm just mixing it up with someone else."
Chakshu quietly exhaled in relief.
The second guard nodded.
"Probably."
The first guard turned to Chakshu.
"Thanks for reporting those criminals," he said. "If you see them again, tell the guards immediately."
Chakshu nodded quickly.
"Of course."
The two guards then turned and walked away, continuing down the market street.
We watched them go.
A few seconds passed.
Then Chakshu slowly turned to me.
"…You almost got us arrested while eating breakfast."
I shrugged.
"But we didn't get arrested."
Chakshu stared at me.
"That's not the point."
"Well," I said, "at least the food was good."
Chakshu shook his head.
"I swear one day your luck is going to run out."
I stretched my arms a little.
"Maybe."
Then I looked around the busy market again.
"So," I said, "what now?"
Chakshu sighed.
"I don't know."
I finished the last bite of my food and brushed the crumbs off my hands.
Then suddenly—
THUNK.
Something shot into the ground right beside my feet.
The arrow stuck into the wooden road with a sharp sound.
I looked down.
"…Heh?"
Chakshu jumped back a step.
"WHAT—"
People nearby turned their heads for a second, confused, but the market was so noisy that most of them just ignored it.
I bent down and pulled the arrow out of the ground.
There was a small piece of paper tied near the end.
Chakshu leaned closer.
"An arrow… in the middle of a market?"
I untied the paper and opened it.
Inside, there were only a few words written.
"Come to Blackstone Alley."
Chakshu frowned.
"Blackstone Alley?"
I looked around the market street.
Whoever shot the arrow was already gone.
There was no archer in sight.
No one watching us.
Just normal people moving around the stalls like nothing had happened.
Chakshu crossed his arms.
"Okay… that's weird."
I read the message again.
"Come to Blackstone Alley."
Chakshu looked at me.
"You think it's a trap?"
I shrugged.
"Maybe."
"And you're still thinking about going, aren't you?"
I casually twirled the arrow in my hand.
"Well," I said, "someone went through the trouble of sending a message."
Chakshu sighed.
"Of course you're curious."
I looked down the street where the alley roads connected to the market.
"So," I said calmly, "do you know where Blackstone Alley is?"
Chakshu nodded slowly.
"…Yeah."
He pointed toward the older part of the town.
"It's on the other side of the market. Small place. Not many people go there."
I tossed the arrow lightly and caught it again.
"Well then," I said.
"Let's see who's inviting us."