The market noise slowly faded behind us.
Chakshu and I walked through the narrow streets on the edge of town. The stalls and crowds were gone now, replaced by old stone buildings and quiet roads.
The sun was still high, but this part of town felt different.
Quieter.
Less friendly.
Chakshu kept glancing around as we walked.
"Are even suppose to actually go there?," he said.
I spun the arrow in my hand again.
"Someone sent an invitation."
"That's not an invitation," Chakshu replied. "That's a suspicious message shot at your feet."
"Same thing."
Chakshu sighed.
"Normal people would ignore that."
"Normal people are boring."
After a few minutes of walking, the streets became narrower. The buildings were older here, and most of the windows were closed.
Finally, Chakshu slowed down.
"Here," he said.
I looked ahead.
A small alley stretched between two tall stone buildings. The ground was made of dark stone blocks, and the alley was barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
A faded wooden sign hung above the entrance.
Blackstone Alley.
The place was quiet.
Too quiet.
Chakshu crossed his arms.
"Well… this definitely looks like a place where nothing suspicious happens."
I stepped into the alley.
My footsteps echoed softly against the stone walls.
Chakshu followed behind me.
"You know," he said, "this would be a perfect place for an ambush."
I looked around the alley.
Old crates stacked against the wall.
A broken barrel in the corner.
A few loose papers moving in the wind.
But no people.
"No ambush yet," I said.
We walked deeper into the alley.
Halfway through, Chakshu stopped.
"…Wait."
"What?"
He pointed ahead.
Someone was standing at the end of the alley.
A tall figure wearing a dark coat.
The person's face was hidden under a hood.
They had clearly been waiting for us.
Chakshu lowered his voice.
"…Please tell me that's not the person who shot the arrow."
I looked at the figure calmly.
"Well," I said,
"there's one way to find out."
The hooded person slowly lifted their head.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then the figure reached up and pulled the hood back.
Chakshu squinted.
"…Wait."
The face under the hood became clear.
Chakshu blinked.
"…Palash?"
The man standing at the end of the alley gave a small wave.
"Hey."
I stared at him for a second.
"Palash?" I said.
Palash stepped forward casually.
"Yeah. Who else did you expect?"
Chakshu threw his hands up.
"Why would you shoot an arrow at us in the middle of the market?!"
Palash shrugged.
"It got your attention, didn't it?"
Chakshu stared at him.
"You could've just walked up and said hello."
"Where's the fun in that?"
I looked at the arrow still in my hand.
"So you're the one who shot this."
Palash nodded proudly.
"Pretty accurate, right?"
Chakshu pointed at the ground.
"You almost hit his foot."
"Almost," Palash said. "But I didn't."
I sighed.
"Next time try using a normal message."
Palash leaned against the wall of the alley.
"Relax. I needed to talk to you guys somewhere quiet."
Chakshu crossed his arms.
"…About what?"
Palash looked at both of us for a moment.
Then he said,
"You're still walking around the town like nothing's happening, aren't you?"
Chakshu frowned.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Palash pointed at me.
"His face is on wanted posters all over the place."
I shrugged.
"I noticed."
Palash shook his head.
"That's the problem."
Chakshu stepped a little closer.
"Alright," he said. "Stop talking in riddles."
Palash looked serious now.
"Magic," he said, looking directly at me.
"Do you even know who is looking for you?"
The alley became quiet.
I leaned slightly against the stone wall.
"Someone important, I assume."
Palash nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
He paused for a moment.
Then he said,
"…More important than you think."
The alley went quiet.
I leaned against the stone wall and looked at Palash.
"Like bro," I said, "the only thing I did was climb on a government building."
Palash stared at me.
Chakshu slowly turned his head toward me.
"You're still calling it just climbing?" Chakshu said.
I shrugged.
"It had a good view."
Palash rubbed his forehead.
"Magic… that's not the issue."
"Then what is?"
Palash looked around the alley for a moment, making sure no one else was nearby.
Then he leaned a little closer.
"When you climbed that building," he said, "did you go inside?"
I thought for a second.
"Not really."
Chakshu looked suspicious.
"…What does 'not really' mean?"
I scratched the back of my head.
"Well… the door to the roof was locked."
Palash slowly closed his eyes.
"…And?"
"So I opened it."
Chakshu blinked.
"You broke the lock?"
"No."
Both of them stared at me.
"…Then how did you open it?" Chakshu asked.
I answered casually.
"It was already weak."
Palash sighed loudly.
"Magic…"
"What?"
"You didn't just climb a building."
He pointed at me.
"You broke into a government building."
I thought about that for a moment.
"…When you say it like that, it sounds worse."
Chakshu crossed his arms.
"It is worse."
Palash looked serious again.
"And that's still not the main problem."
Chakshu frowned.
"There's more?"
Palash nodded slowly.
"Yes."
He looked directly at me again.
"Someone important was in that building the night you climbed it."
The alley suddenly felt quieter.
I raised an eyebrow.
"…Okay."
Palash paused.
Then he said,
"And now they think you were spying."
The alley went silent.
I stared at Palash for a moment.
Then I said,
"…Damn."
Chakshu slowly turned toward me.
"That's your reaction?"
I shrugged.
"Well, that explains the posters."
Palash looked at me like he was trying to figure out if I was serious.
"You don't seem worried."
"Should I be?"
"Yes," Palash said immediately.
Chakshu nodded.
"Very."
I leaned back against the wall again.
"But I wasn't spying," I said. "I was just looking at the view."
Palash sighed.
"Yeah, I know that. You know that."
He pointed toward the direction of the town center.
"But the people in that building don't know that."
Chakshu rubbed his forehead.
"So from their point of view…"
Palash finished the sentence.
"You broke into a government building while someone important was there."
I looked at them.
"…When you say it like that, it sounds really bad."
Chakshu stared at me.
"That's because it is really bad."
Palash crossed his arms.
"And now they're looking for you."
I thought about it for a moment.
Then I asked,
"Alright, but how did you find out all this?"
Palash gave a small smile.
"I have connections."
Chakshu raised an eyebrow.
"Since when?"
Palash shrugged.
"I hear things."
The wind passed through the alley again.
After a moment, Chakshu spoke.
"So what happens if they find him?"
Palash looked at me.
"…Let's just say they won't invite you for tea."
I nodded slowly.
"Fair."
Chakshu looked between the two of us.
"So what do we do now?"
Palash thought for a moment.
Then he said,
"First, you stop walking around the town like nothing's wrong."
He looked directly at me.
"Because eventually… someone who recognizes your face is going to report it."
I crossed my arms.
"Too late for that."
Both of them looked at me.
"What do you mean?" Chakshu asked.
I pointed toward the direction of the market.
"The guards almost recognized me earlier."
Palash's eyes widened slightly.
"…You're kidding."
"Nope."
Chakshu sighed.
"And he decided to start a conversation with them."
Palash slowly shook his head.
"…Magic, you are unbelievable."
Before I could reply—
WHOOSH.
Something cut through the air.
A sharp metal knife flew past us and slammed into the wooden crate behind Chakshu.
THUD.
All three of us froze.
Chakshu slowly turned his head to look at the knife.
"…Okay," he said quietly.
"That's new."
Palash immediately stepped away from the wall.
"Down!" he whispered.
We all moved back instinctively.
A shadow dropped from the rooftop above the alley.
THUMP.
A man landed on the stone ground in front of us.
He wore dark clothes from head to toe. His face was covered with a black mask, and a short blade rested in his hand.
The alley suddenly felt much smaller.
Chakshu squinted.
"…Is that a hitman?"
The man didn't answer.
His eyes were locked on me.
Palash slowly muttered,
"…Yeah."
The masked man took a step forward.
"You're Magic," he said coldly.
I tilted my head.
"That depends."
The man lifted his blade slightly.
"You're coming with me."
Chakshu stepped forward a little.
"Or what?"
The hitman didn't even look at him.
"Or I drag him."
I sighed.
"You know," I said, "people keep saying that today."
The hitman moved suddenly.
In one quick motion, he dashed forward.
Chakshu barely stepped aside as the blade cut through the air where he had been standing.
"Okay," Chakshu said quickly.
"Definitely a hitman."
Palash pulled a small dagger from his belt.
"Magic," he said.
"What?"
"Any chance you're going to take this seriously?"
The hitman attacked again, fast and precise.
I stepped back as the blade sliced past me and hit the stone wall.
CLANG.
I looked at the knife marks on the wall.
Then back at him.
"…Wow," I said.
"That was close."
Chakshu groaned.
"PLEASE stop reviewing the attack like it's a movie."
The hitman adjusted his stance again.
His voice was calm.
"You should stop talking."
I shrugged.
"You should stop missing."
The hitman tightened his grip on the blade.
The alley was quiet except for the wind moving between the stone walls.
Palash stood ready with his dagger.
Chakshu slowly moved to the side.
And I just looked at the hitman.
Then I asked,
"So… where did you learn all these fancy moves?"
The hitman paused.
For a second, even he seemed confused by the question.
"…What?"
I pointed at the knife marks on the wall.
"The jumping from rooftops, throwing knives, dramatic landing… all that."
Chakshu whispered under his breath,
"Magic… now is not the time for an interview."
But I continued looking at the hitman.
"Did someone train you? Or did you just wake up one day and decide to become cool?"
The hitman stared at me.
Palash slowly said,
"…Why are you talking to him like this?"
I shrugged.
"I'm curious."
The hitman straightened up slightly.
"You're not taking this seriously."
"Should I?"
"I was hired to capture you."
I nodded.
"Yeah, Palash mentioned something like that."
Chakshu muttered,
"You're talking to a hitman like he's a guest."
The hitman suddenly rushed forward again.
His blade moved fast.
But I simply stepped to the side as it passed by me.
The knife hit the wall again.
CLANG.
I looked at the wall.
Then back at him.
"…Okay seriously though," I said.
"Where did you learn that move?"
The hitman looked irritated now.
"Why do you care?"
"Because it looks cool."
Chakshu groaned loudly.
"Magic, PLEASE stop complimenting the assassin."
Palash stepped forward a bit.
"Maybe focus on the part where he's trying to capture you?"
The hitman slowly pulled his blade out of the wall.
His voice sounded more annoyed now.
"You're either very brave… or very stupid."
I thought about that.
"Mixed, i guess?"
The hitman rushed forward again—
Faster this time.
His blade flashed through the air.
I leaned back just enough for it to miss my face.
The knife sliced through the air right in front of me.
I stepped to the side.
He spun quickly and tried another strike.
CLANG.
The blade scraped against the stone wall again.
Chakshu jumped back.
"HOW are you still talking during this?!"
I looked back at the hitman.
"Wait, wait."
He stopped for a moment, clearly annoyed.
"What?"
I raised a finger slightly.
"One question."
Palash groaned.
"Magic…"
But I asked anyway.
"So who was that important person in the building that night?"
The hitman didn't answer.
His eyes narrowed behind the mask.
I continued,
"You know… the one everyone thinks I was spying on."
Chakshu whispered,
"You're asking a government hitman for information."
Palash shook his head slowly.
"This is unbelievable."
The hitman finally spoke.
"That information is not for you."
I shrugged.
"Worth asking."
He tightened his grip on the blade again.
"Your curiosity won't help you."
"Maybe," I said.
"But if someone sent a hitman after me, they must be pretty important."
The hitman didn't reply.
For a moment the alley was silent again.
Then he said one short sentence.
"…You shouldn't have climbed that building."
Chakshu looked at me.
"You see? Even the assassin agrees."
I looked back at the hitman.
"So you're not going to tell me?"
"No."
I sighed.
"Alright."
Then I pointed behind him.
"But your friend might."
The hitman instantly turned around.
There was no one there.
Chakshu blinked.
"…Did you just try the oldest trick in history?"
I shrugged.
"Sometimes simple things work."
The hitman slowly turned back toward us.
His patience was clearly gone now.
"Enough talking."
The hitman lifted his blade again.
"This ends now."
I looked at him calmly and stretched my shoulders a little.
"Yeah, sure," I said.
"Just do it fast."
Chakshu turned his head toward me.
"…What?"
I continued casually,
"I've got more work to do today. Can't spend the whole day busy on one thing."
Palash stared at me like I had just lost my mind.
"You're scheduling your day during a fight?"
The hitman's eyes narrowed behind the mask.
"You're mocking me."
I shrugged.
"I'm being efficient."
Chakshu muttered,
"I cannot believe I'm friends with this guy."
The hitman rushed forward again, clearly annoyed now.
His blade came straight toward me.
Fast.
Precise.
But right before it reached me, I stepped slightly to the side.
The blade missed again and hit the stone wall.
CLANG.
The hitman pulled it out quickly and swung again.
I leaned back just enough to avoid it.
Then stepped around him casually.
Almost like we were just walking around each other.
Chakshu watched with wide eyes.
"…Is he even trying?"
Palash looked just as confused.
"No… Magic is just not standing still."
The hitman turned quickly and attacked again.
Another fast swing.
I ducked slightly.
The blade cut through the air above my head.
I looked back at him.
"You're really committed to this job, huh?"
The hitman sounded angry now.
"Stop moving!"
"I would," I said, "but that knife thing you keep doing makes it difficult."
Chakshu whispered to Palash,
"He's trolling the assassin."
Palash whispered back,
"I noticed."
The hitman attacked again—
But this time he moved too fast.
His foot slipped slightly on the loose stone of the alley.
His blade swung wide—
And almost hit the wall again.
I stepped back and looked at him.
Then I said calmly,
"You might want to slow down."
For the first time since the fight started…
The hitman looked a little frustrated.
For the first time since the fight started, the hitman looked a little frustrated.
His grip on the blade tightened.
The alley was quiet again except for the wind brushing against the stone walls.
I looked at him for a moment.
Then I said,
"…By the way."
He stared at me.
"What."
I tilted my head slightly.
"How are you even a hitman if you can't even hit?"
Chakshu immediately covered his face.
"Oh no."
Palash slowly shook his head.
"You did not just say that."
The hitman froze for a second.
It looked like he was processing what I had just said.
Then his voice came out colder than before.
"…You talk too much."
I shrugged.
"Well, you miss too much."
Chakshu whispered to Palash,
"He's going to make him explode."
Palash whispered back,
"I think that already happened."
The hitman suddenly rushed forward again, faster than before.
This time he swung the blade in a wide arc.
I stepped back quickly.
The blade passed right in front of my chest.
Then he attacked again.
And again.
Fast.
Sharp.
But every time the blade came close, I simply moved a little to the side, ducked, or leaned back.
Almost like we were dancing around the alley.
The hitman's attacks started getting messier.
More aggressive.
Less careful.
"Stand still!" he shouted.
I looked at him.
"Why would I do that?"
He swung again.
The blade slipped from his grip slightly—
And flew out of his hand.
CLANG.
The knife bounced across the stone ground and slid toward the wall.
The alley went completely silent.
Chakshu blinked.
"…Did he just disarm himself?"
Palash looked at the knife on the ground.
"…I think he did."
The hitman looked at his empty hand.
Then slowly looked back at me.
I crossed my arms.
"…So," I said.
I looked at the knife on the ground.
Then back at the hitman.
He was clearly not happy.
But instead of attacking again, he just stood there for a moment.
So I spoke.
"Hey," I said casually.
"No worries bro."
The hitman stared at me.
"At least you have better clothes than me."
Chakshu turned slowly toward me.
"…What?"
I pointed at the hitman's outfit.
The dark coat, the mask, the boots.
"Look at that," I said. "Professional fit."
I looked down at my own clothes.
Then shrugged.
"I just woke up and walked outside."
Palash rubbed his forehead.
"Magic…"
The hitman looked more confused than angry now.
"You're insulting me… and complimenting me at the same time."
"Balance," I said.
Chakshu sighed.
"I cannot believe this is happening."
The hitman slowly stepped toward the knife on the ground.
But before he could reach it—
I lightly kicked it away.
The knife slid farther across the alley.
CLINK.
The hitman stopped walking.
I shrugged again.
"Sorry."
Chakshu whispered to Palash,
"He's bullying the assassin."
Palash whispered back,
"At this point I think the assassin regrets taking this job."
The hitman slowly clenched his fists.
His voice came out low.
"…You think this is funny."
I thought about it.
"A little."
The wind passed through the alley again.
For a moment nobody moved.
Then the hitman suddenly rushed forward again—
This time without the knife.
His fists clenched, clearly angry now.
But instead of reacting…
I simply looked at him for a second.
Then I turned around.
Just like that.
I put my hands behind my head and started walking toward Chakshu and Palash.
"Alright," I said casually.
"Let's go somewhere else."
Both of them stared at me.
Chakshu blinked.
"…What?"
I kept walking.
"This is getting boring."
Palash looked behind me.
"Magic… he's literally running at you."
"Yeah," I said. "I noticed."
The hitman was only a few steps away now.
Chakshu whispered quickly,
"He's going to punch you!"
I shrugged.
"Then move."
Both Chakshu and Palash instinctively stepped to the side.
Right at that moment, the hitman threw a punch toward my back—
But since I had already walked forward and they moved out of the way…
He completely missed.
His punch swung through empty air.
And because he was rushing too fast—
He lost his balance.
THUD.
The hitman stumbled forward and crashed into a pile of wooden crates.
The crates broke apart with a loud crack.
Dust filled the alley.
Chakshu stared at the scene.
"…Did he just defeat himself?"
Palash looked just as surprised.
"…I think he did."
I didn't even turn around.
I kept walking toward the exit of the alley.
"Come on," I said.
"We're wasting daylight."
Chakshu quickly followed me.
"I can't believe you just walked away from a hitman."
Palash walked beside us, still looking back at the alley.
"…You didn't even fight him."
I shrugged.
"Why would I?"
Behind us, the hitman slowly pushed the broken crate pieces off himself.
But by the time he stood up…
We were already leaving the alley.
Chakshu stretched his arms.
"Well," he said, "that might be the strangest fight I've ever seen."
Palash nodded.
"He didn't even fight back."
I shrugged.
"Fights take effort."
Behind us, the hitman slowly stood up from the broken crates.
Dust fell from his coat as he brushed himself off.
For a moment he just stood there.
Then he looked toward the alley exit where we were walking away.
It was clear he didn't want this to end like that.
Not after everything that just happened.
He slowly reached into his coat.
Chakshu noticed and turned around.
"…Wait."
The hitman pulled out a small metal horn.
Palash frowned.
"Is that a signal horn?"
Before anyone could say anything—
BWOOOOOOO.
The loud sound echoed through the narrow streets.
Birds flew off nearby rooftops.
The sound traveled across the town blocks.
Chakshu stared at the hitman.
"…Oh no."
Palash sighed.
"He called backup."
I stopped walking and slowly turned around.
The hitman lowered the horn.
Even though his mask covered his face, it was clear he felt a little better now.
Like he had regained some dignity.
Chakshu rubbed his forehead.
"Great."
Palash looked down both ends of the street.
"If that horn means what I think it means…"
He paused.
"…we're about to have company."
For a moment the streets around the alley were quiet again.
Then—
Footsteps.
Multiple footsteps.
From the rooftops.
From the nearby streets.
Shadows began appearing around the alley entrance.
More men in dark clothes.
Not one.
Not two.
Several.
Chakshu counted quickly.
"…One, two, three…"
He stopped.
"…That's a lot."
Palash crossed his arms.
"Backup arrived."
I looked at the growing group calmly.
Then I sighed a little.
"…Alright."
Chakshu looked at me.
"What now?"
I looked at the hitman who had blown the horn.
Then at the group forming around the alley.
And said,
"Okay… this might be slightly less boring."
The hitman crossed his arms, clearly feeling more confident now.
Like he had recovered the dignity he lost earlier.
I looked around at all the new arrivals.
Then I stepped forward a little.
Chakshu whispered,
"…Magic?"
But instead of reacting seriously, I looked at the group carefully.
Then I raised my hand slightly.
And started pointing at them one by one.
"Okay…"
The men looked confused.
I pointed at the first one.
"One."
Then the next.
"Two."
Then another.
"Three."
Chakshu stared at me.
"…What are you doing?"
I kept pointing.
"Four… five… six…"
Palash slowly rubbed his face.
"He's counting them."
I pointed toward a guy standing on the roof.
"Seven."
Then another one near the alley wall.
"Eight."
The men looked at each other, unsure what was happening.
One of them whispered,
"…Is he counting us?"
The hitman frowned.
"What are you doing?"
I continued calmly.
"Nine… ten… eleven…"
Chakshu looked like he was losing patience.
"Magic, why are you taking attendance like a teacher?"
I shrugged.
"Just checking how many showed up."
I pointed toward the last one standing near the entrance.
"Twelve."
Then I looked back at the group.
"…Okay."
The alley went silent again.
One of the men asked,
"…Okay what?"
I crossed my arms.
"That's a decent class size."
Chakshu covered his face again.
"I cannot survive another day like this."
Palash sighed.
"…You just counted the assassins like students."
The original hitman clenched his fists.
"You think this is a joke."
I looked at the group again.
Then nodded slightly.
"Well…"
"At least now the fight might last longer than two minutes."
All of them staring at us.
Chakshu looked around nervously.
"…This is not good."
Palash nodded.
"We should probably think of a plan."
I looked at the group again.
Then casually turned to Chakshu and Palash.
"So," I said.
They both looked at me.
"What?" Chakshu asked.
I thought for a second.
"Should I use a mace… or a sword?"
Both of them froze.
Chakshu blinked slowly.
"…You're asking that now?"
Palash looked confused.
"Wait… you actually have weapons?"
I shrugged.
"Yeah."
Chakshu stared at me.
"Since when??"
I scratched the back of my head.
"I mean… I didn't need them earlier."
Palash sighed.
"Of course you didn't mention that before."
One of the men from the group shouted,
"Stop talking and fight!"
Another one stepped forward with a blade.
The first hitman pointed at me.
"Enough games. Capture him!"
Chakshu quickly whispered,
"Magic, I vote sword."
Palash shook his head.
"No. Mace. If there are many people, mace is better."
Chakshu looked at him.
"You're seriously discussing weapon choices during an ambush?"
Palash shrugged.
"He asked."
I looked between them.
"So… mace?"
Chakshu sighed.
"…Just pick something before they attack."
I thought for a second.
Then nodded.
"Alright."
I reached behind my back.
The group of hitmen tightened their grip on their weapons.
Everyone watched carefully.
Waiting to see what I would pull out.
Then I pulled something out.
It was not a mace.
Not a sword.
It was a small glass bottle.
Chakshu blinked.
"…That's not a weapon."
Palash squinted.
"…Is that a potion?"
The hitman frowned.
"What is that supposed to—"
Before he finished the sentence, I opened the bottle.
"Plan C," I said.
Then I quickly splashed the liquid on myself, Chakshu, and Palash.
For a split second nothing happened.
Then—
We vanished.
Completely.
The alley suddenly looked empty.
The hitmen froze.
One of them looked around.
"…Where did they go?"
Another one stepped forward and waved his hand through the air.
"…They were literally standing here."
The original hitman looked around sharply.
"Invisibility."
His voice sounded annoyed.
"Spread out!"
The group immediately started searching the alley.
Some checked behind crates.
Others looked on rooftops.
But they couldn't see us.
Meanwhile, our footsteps quietly moved past them.
Chakshu whispered very softly,
"…You had an invisibility potion this whole time?"
I whispered back,
"Yep."
Palash whispered,
"And you were asking us about mace or sword?"
"Distraction."
Chakshu shook his head even though no one could see it.
"I'm starting to understand why you're a wanted criminal."
We slowly walked past the confused hitmen and toward the street outside the alley.
Behind us, the men were still searching everywhere.
But they were looking for people who were no longer visible.
And by the time they realized what had happened…
We were already gone.
We quietly moved through the narrow streets until the noise from the alley faded behind us.
After a few turns, we stopped near an old stone fountain not far from Blackstone Alley. The place was quiet. No crowds, no guards, no hitmen running around.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
poof.
Our invisibility faded.
Chakshu suddenly appeared beside the fountain.
Palash appeared leaning against a wall.
And I appeared right in the middle of the street.
Chakshu immediately looked at me.
"…It ran out."
I stretched my arms a little.
"Yeah. Potion doesn't last forever."
Palash peeked around the corner carefully, checking the direction of the alley.
"Looks clear."
Chakshu exhaled.
"That was way too close."
I leaned against the fountain.
"You worry too much."
Chakshu stared at me.
"We just escaped twelve hitmen."
Palash crossed his arms.
"And that's not even counting the first one."
Chakshu shook his head.
"And you were taking attendance."
I shrugged.
"It helped me count them."
Palash looked back toward the alley again.
"They'll probably still be searching for us."
Chakshu looked at me.
"So what now?"
I thought for a moment.
"Well…"
Palash interrupted.
"No more walking casually through the market."
Chakshu nodded quickly.
"Agreed."
I sighed.
"You guys are overreacting."
Both of them looked at me at the same time.
"Overreacting?" Chakshu said.
Palash pointed toward the town center.
"Someone important thinks you're a spy."
"Hitmen are after you."
"Your face is on posters."
"And you think we're overreacting?"
I thought about it for a moment.
"…When you list it like that, it sounds dramatic."
Chakshu rubbed his forehead.
"Magic… you need a plan."
Palash nodded.
"Yeah. We can't keep escaping like this forever."
The wind moved through the quiet street.
For the first time that day, things slowed down again.
I looked toward the direction of the town.
Then back at them.
"…Alright," I said.
"So what's the plan?"
Chakshu leaned against the fountain.
"Okay," he said. "Let's actually think this through for once."
Palash walked around the area, looking at the old stone walls and ground.
"This place is older than the rest of the town," he said. "Look at these stones."
I sat on the edge of the fountain.
"So? Old stones are normal."
Palash crouched down near the ground.
There were strange patterns carved into some of the stone tiles.
"Hm."
Chakshu looked over his shoulder.
"What are you looking at?"
Palash brushed some dust away.
"There's something weird about this—"
His finger pressed against a small stone circle in the ground.
CLICK.
For a split second nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
The stone beneath Palash's feet dropped.
"WAIT—"
CLACK.
The ground opened like a trapdoor.
Palash disappeared straight down.
"AHHH—"
His voice echoed as he fell deep into the darkness below.
THUD… THUD… THUD…
Then silence.
Chakshu and I froze.
We both slowly looked at the hole in the ground.
Dust drifted upward from the opening.
Chakshu blinked.
"…Did… did he just fall underground?"
I leaned over the edge of the hole and looked down.
It was deep.
Very deep.
I called out,
"Palash?"
From far below, his voice echoed faintly.
"I'M ALIVE!"
Chakshu sighed in relief.
"Okay good."
Then he looked at me.
"…Why do these things only happen when we're around you?"
I shrugged.
"I didn't press the button."
Chakshu walked closer to the hole and looked down.
"Can you see anything?"
"Nope."
The hole looked like a vertical stone shaft going far below the town.
Almost like an old hidden tunnel.
From the darkness below, Palash shouted again.
"…GUYS?"
"Yeah?" Chakshu replied.
"…I think you should come down here."
Chakshu and I looked at each other.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Well."
Chakshu sighed.
"Alright..."