Black Market

*Yaaaawwwn*

Rubbing my eyes as sunlight hit me through the window, painting the room in warm hue.

For a moment I just sat there on the edge of my bed. Everything felt… normal, but normal wasn't comforting anymore.

'It's tomorrow.'

Shaking off the lingering thought, I stood up, before heading to the restroom. The cool water jolted against my face as it jolted me awake, I stared at my reflection for a moment. Messy Black hair, faint shadow under my eyes, clearly due to my lack of sleep.

Putting on my black NOVA Academy uniform, "All set," I said.

I headed downstairs, as a familiar aroma of coffee hit me, my mother moved swiftly between tables, while my father worked in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Dad," I greeted as I entered.

"Morning, Zane," my dad replied, glancing up briefly with a smile.

"Good morning, dear," my mom said, pausing long enough to set a plate of breakfast on the table for me.

As I sat down, I heard some faint whispers from the customers present, "Did you hear Miss Marina was hospitalized," a women with pink dress asked.

"Huh? Really, what happened?" Another women replied.

"I heard, she was attacked by some thug yesterday."

"What happened then!? Did the thug got caught? He must be. Right?" The women keeps bombarding her friend with questions.

'Hmm? I wonder what happened?'

"No! Miss Marina says, that the thug died, right in front of her eyes."

"What!? How?"

"I don't know, she said, he just died."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, and she also said, that thug's insides are flowing out from all of his possible areas."

*Cough…cough..* I coughed a mouth full of coffee.

"Stop! stop!, I don't wanna hear it."

'Fuck, It can't be me? Right?'

Ignoring them, I continued my breakfast.

"Did Elise leave early again?" I asked, glancing toward the stairs.

My mom replied, "Yes. She said she'll be busy until tomorrow. You know how she is with the student council."

I nodded, Elise always pushed herself, maintaining her role on the student council and with her studies, it surely is tough.

'So, he'll be arriving tomorrow.'

Once I finished my breakfast, I stood up, thanking my mom and dad before heading out. The morning air was crisp, the streets were alive with it's usual energy of Honeyford's citizen. I made my way to the train station, blending into the crowd.

The train arrived shortly, its doors slid open with a mechanical hiss. I stepped in, finding a seat by the window. The fifteen-minute ride passed in a blur, my thoughts still racing, by what needed to be done. By the time I reached at Frostvile City, I still had an hour left before my classes.

'Perfect.'

I needed time to prepare. Tomorrow wasn't just some ordinary day, with Glory coming to NOVA, everything had to execute smoothly.

I made my way to a public restroom near the market. It's tiled floors gleamed under the lights, and the wide mirror stretched across the wall reflected the empty space behind me. Seven cubicles lined the other side, but the room was empty—just what I needed.

Standing before the mirror, I let out a slow breath. My reflection stared back at me.

'This won't do.'

I needed to be someone else for this task.

*Sigh…*

Closing my eyes, I focused on the [Ice Essence], as it flowed inside me. A cold, familiar energy rippled out through my veins, and slowly, my hair began to lose its dark color, turning into completely white. My eyes followed suit, it's color draining until they mirrored the icy aura that surrounded me. The reflection that stared back to me was cold, distant, almost inhuman.

I studied the transformation for a moment, tilting my head. "This won't do much," I muttered under my breath.

Refocusing, my mind but this time on the [Fire Essence], pulling it forward while suppressing the others. Heat replaced the cold, spreading through me in a rush. My hair turned into vivid red, and my eyes followed, blazing with an intensity that was impossible to overlook.

I stared at my reflection again. It was better, but not enough to erase every trace of my actual appearance. Reaching into my dimension pouch, I pulled out a pair of black glasses. Sliding them on, I studied the result.

"Much better," I murmured, a faint smirk tugged my lips.

'The perfect cover for the perfect plan.'

Satisfied, I stepped out from the restroom and into the busy streets. The market was alive with people, as I approached the location, my eyes roamed around searching the streets for any familiar landmark.

"Let's see... it should be around here somewhere," I murmured under my breath.

After a few minutes of searching, I finally found it—a shop with the sign which says Odd Jobs. It looked utterly ordinary, almost unnoticed. The kind of place you'd pass a dozen times without sparing it a single glance. But I knew better.

The name was a code. It was the infamous black market—disguised as a harmless shop dealing in odd items. I had stumbled across it during one of my very basic missions, in which I was hunting down a gang leader.

I pushed open the door, the faint creak of its hinges broke the silence inside. The shop's interior was dimly lit, and the musty scent of wood and old artifacts filled the air. Shelves lined the walls, crammed with peculiar objects—old artifacts, strange sculptures, and a few items that looked more like junk than anything valuable. It was like walking into an antique shop.

Behind the counter stood a man with jet-black hair and a dense, messy beard. His sharp eyes followed me as I entered.

"Welcome. What can I do for ya?" His voice was deep and husky.

I adjusted my voice, lowering it slightly to mask any familiarity. "Take me there," I said bluntly, skipping any form of pretend.

The man raised an eyebrow, he was clearly caught off guard. Maybe he wasn't expecting someone of my age to know about the black market, let alone demand and entry with such confidence. His eyes swept over me, scanning me from head to toe, likely searching for any sign of hesitation.

After a moment, he let out a low chuckle. "Heh. Alright, kid," he muttered. "Follow me."

He stepped out from behind the counter and led me toward a large shelf displaying ancient-looking statues. With a quick tap on his wristwatch, the shelf slid aside with a mechanical hiss, revealing a narrow staircase descending into deep underground.

The man gestured toward the stairs. "Go on. And since it doesn't seem like this is your first time, I already presume you know all the rules. Don't cause trouble, don't ask unnecessary questions, and mind your damn business. Understood?"

I gave him a small nod, not bothered to respond. As I descended the stairs, the air grew much colder, the sound of the bustling market below gradually reached my ears.

The scene that unfolded before my eyes was something straight out of a crime movie. The underground market was alive with activity, stalls lining one side of the road, their keepers shouting out to attract attention. Strange and illegal items were on full display—enchanted weapons, exotic materials, potions with questionable origins.

'Damn, Not much has changed.'

I ignored all the calls and stares, I kept my focus sharp as I walked straight towards a small building tucked away at the very corner. The sign above read Mercenary Department.

Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. The atmosphere here was quieter. Behind the counter stood a woman with silver hair a feature that marked her as a citizen of [Stormshade].

Then her eyes met mine, "Welcome," she said, her voice smooth and refine. "What can we do for you?"

"I have a task," I said, pulling an envelope from my pocket. "Some rumor I needed to spread."

She tilted her head, intrigued. "Surely," she replied, reaching for the envelope. Her delicate fingers traced its edges as she opened it. After a quick glance at the contents, she looked back at me, her expression was a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

"How far do you want this... rumor... to spread?"

"All five kingdoms," I replied without hesitation.

Her eyes widened slightly, though she quickly masked her surprise with a smirk. "How aggressive," she remarked. "That kind of coverage will cost you. A million."

"A million?" I raised my eyebrow, pretending to be slightly shocked.

She chuckled softly, leaning forward. "If you can't afford it, don't waste my time, boy. This isn't some petty neighborhood for gossip—you want a message like this to travel across five kingdoms. That comes at a price."

'Good. Let her underestimate me. It would only make things easier in the future.'

Without any word, I pulled out my pay-card—a thing from my past as a former Rank-1 hero. It carried more than enough to cover the cost, though I rarely used it these days.

"Here, use this."

Sliding it across the counter, I met her gaze evenly.

Her smirk faltered briefly as she took the card, clearly not expecting me to have the means to pay. She scanned it, and the faint beep of confirmation from the device echoed between us. Her lips curled back into a smirk, this time tinged with genuine amusement.

"Well, well," she said, handing the card over to me.

"Looks like you're full of surprises. The name's Mia, and I will be the over looker of this task. Consider the job done." She offered a hand shake, as I politely took it.

"Good." I put the card back into my pocket and turned to leave.

As I reached the door, her voice called out to me from behind. "We don't have to be strangers next time. We always appreciate a customer with... full pockets."

"Pftt–" a light chuckle left my mouth, as I stepped back into the chaotic energy of the black market.

The rumor needed to spread far and faster. If it worked which it definitely will, then tomorrow's events would unfold exactly as I had planned. If not...well failure wasn't an option.

The final part was over. Now, all that remained for me, was to wait for the storm I had just unleashed.

End of Chapter.