Smokey incense burned poorly in the underground cavern of the Sunfall black market, failing to hide the sll of sweat and fear.
Kai walked beside Yena through the winding rows of vendor stalls, pulling his hood low over his eyes to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
Patrons bartered fiercely over stolen celestial artifacts laid out on cloths, and the dim lantern light caught the nervous shifting of chained n waiting to be sold.
Whispers followed Kai as they moved past a group of noblewon inspecting a rack of curved swords.
"That is the boy from the Crimson Sands," a woman in a green silk dress murmured behind a painted fan.
"I heard he froze three n solid without even breaking a sweat. Veyra tried to buy him, and he actually turned her down."
"He looks far too dangerous for a simple guard," her companion whispered back, her eyes raking over Kai’s shoulders.
"I wonder if he is planning to enter the trials."
Kai ignored the gossiping won and kept his face entirely neutral. He stopped near a weapon rchant displaying a very strange collection of blades.
One specific weapon imdiately caught his eye. It was a long, jagged dagger carved from a single piece of purple voidglass, radiating a faint, chilling energy that resonated perfectly with his own mana.
"GAHHHHHHH."
A sudden scream ripped through the cavern before Kai could negotiate a price.
He turned his head and watched two female Sandguards drag a thrashing male slave into the center of the market square. The man wore an iron collar and wept openly, begging for rcy.
"He refused to carry the stones for the high priestess," one of the guards announced loudly to the watching crowd.
"The punishnt for disobedience is removal of the offending pride."
Kai watched with detached eyes as the second guard drew a curved knife and pulled the man’s trousers down.
The crowd cheered and laughed while the guard swiftly castrated the screaming slave right on the stone floor.
Blood pooled around the man’s knees as he collapsed into a sobbing, broken heap.
’This city’s built entirely on suffering and humiliation,’ Kai thought, feeling no pity for the bleeding man.
’They want to break everyone down until they are nothing but obedient cattle. But they have no idea what is actually coming for them.’
Turning his attention back to the rchant, Kai tossed a small pouch of gold coins onto the wooden table.
He earned the money from his arena victories, and it was more than enough to cover the price.
"I will take the voidglass blade," Kai said smoothly, grabbing the purple dagger and sliding it into his leather sheath.
The rchant counted the gold quickly and offered a crooked, knowing smile. "A fine choice for a skilled fighter. You’ll need a sharp blade if you plan to survive the Matriarch’s new selection process. She’s hunting for strong n to join her personal collection, and the trials begin tomorrow at noon."
Kai raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to the table.
"What kind of trials?"
"Only the gods know," the rchant chuckled, putting the gold away.
"But nobody ever cos back out of the royal palace once they go in."
Yena pulled Kai away from the stall before he could ask any more questions.
She led him out of the crowded cavern and into a quiet, empty alleyway near the edge of the market district and checked both ends of the street to make sure nobody followed them.
"You need to stay far away from those trials, Kai," Yena warned him, her eyes wide with genuine concern.
"The Scarlet Matriarch is not just cruel. She is slowly going mad from overusing the celestial artifacts hidden beneath the palace. The power is burning her brain from the inside out. She executes any man who fails to satisfy her demands, and she always demands the impossible."
"That sounds like exactly where I need to be," Kai replied calmly.
He pulled back the sleeve of his shirt, exposing his left forearm to the cool evening breeze.
The skin there was raised and scarred.
"I’m going to enter her selection process willingly," Kai stated, looking up from his arm to et Yena’s worried gaze.
"I’ll let her take into the palace so I can get close to her."
Yena looked at the burn scar and sighed softly.
She understood the dangerous hunger driving his decisions, and she knew arguing with him was completely useless.
The arrogant city boy she t in the dunes was transforming into a ruthless predator right before her eyes.
"You’re walking straight into a slaughterhouse," Yena told him softly, reaching out to gently touch his sleeve.
"And you cannot freeze your way out of a madwoman’s bedroom if she decides she wants to cut your throat while you sleep."
"I’m very good at surviving," Kai promised her, pulling his sleeve back down to hide the scar.
"And I am not planning to be the prey in this scenario. She wants a strong man for her collection, so I will give her exactly what she is asking for. But I am going to break her from the inside out."
[System Alert: Quest Parater Updated]
[Devour the Desert Rose: Infiltration Phase Initiated]
[Warning: Target entity possesses a highly unstable ntal state]
Returning to The Scarlet Lotus felt like stepping into a pressurized room. Kai closed the wooden door of room twelve and engaged the brass lock with a quiet click.
He set his new purple dagger on the bedside table and turned around. Yena was already watching him, her eyes reflecting the flickering lamplight and a storm of unspoken desires.
The tense restraint they carried through the black market completely evaporated.
Yena crossed the small space in two quick strides, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled him down into a fierce kiss.
Kai responded instantly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and walked her backward until her knees hit the edge of the large bed.
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