The girl didn't stop. Her eyes lifted past my face, scanning the crowd with a predator's focus, as if her prey was trying to slip through her fingers.
"Get out of the way!" she commanded, her voice ringing out.
And then I felt it... the air was growing hot. The atmosphere around her began to shift. Her breathing was heavy, and her eyes held a strange, burning glow. Suddenly, a shadow darted through the crowd with terrifying speed. Its feet were on the ground, but its movement wasn't human. I caught a glimpse of its eyes—red, restless, and hungry.
A Demon.
"There it is," she whispered, and in the next heartbeat, she lunged forward.
The people in the market began to scramble back. Some screamed, while others turned to run. As she ran, she clenched her fist.
Fsshhh...
With her every breath, a red flicker spread through the air, as if the fire itself was breathing. For a moment, her shadow on the ground seemed to transform. My heart hammered against my ribs. The demon shrieked and vanished into the crowd, but the girl scaled a rooftop in a single bound. She looked down from above, straight at me. For the first time, our gazes locked.
"Move aside!" she said urgently.
Her voice was cold, yet a hidden restlessness simmered within it. Suddenly, I noticed the moisture in the air increasing. Despite the heat of the market, a sudden chill swept through. A shadow streaked through the center of the crowd, looking almost like a man.
"Found you," she said.
She began to pursue it. Beneath her feet, a thin trail of moisture was left on the ground, as if water itself was following her every step. She reached out her hand.
Shhhhhh...
Droplets of water began to manifest from the thin air. Water from nearby pots, fountains, and even the humidity of the atmosphere was drawn toward her. Within moments, a swirling vortex of water circled her hand like a living blade.
The crowd retreated in terror. The demon tried to flee, but she snapped her fist shut. The water surged forward like a high-pressure jet, cutting off the demon's path. A wall of water rose from the earth. The demon stood trapped, flickering like a shadow, its eyes burning with rage and hunger.
From her waist, the girl pulled a small silver vial. It wasn't an ordinary bottle; it was etched with ancient runes that glowed with a faint blue light. Without a hint of fear, she uncapped it.
Whish!
The wind swirled violently. The demon tried to break free, but the thin streams of water began to revolve around it like a cyclone. The demon let out a final piercing shriek as its body began to thin out like smoke. With a powerful tug of energy, the demon was sucked into the silver vial as a streak of light.
She calmly replaced the cap.
The Lost Token
A dead silence fell over the market. Slowly, people began to emerge from their hiding spots, their faces shifting from terror to relief.
"She saved us..."
"Thank you..."
Voices rose from all sides, but she remained distant. There was no pride on her face, no smile—as if this was merely a daily chore. She went to tuck the vial away, but as she moved, a small Jade (Yashab) pendant snapped from her belt and fell to the ground. She didn't even notice.
"Wait, your—" I started to say.
But before I could finish, she had already turned away. In the dense crowd of the market, she was hard to track. I leaned down and picked up the jade. It was no ordinary stone; a faint green light pulsed within it, and it bore a delicate, royal crest—the kind of mark commoners never possess.
This girl isn't just a hunter; she belongs to a powerful lineage.
I tried to follow her immediately, running in the direction she had gone, but within moments, she had vanished. There was no trace of moisture, no footprint. Just a glimpse that had turned into a mystery.
I looked down at the jade in my hand. Its soft green glow was still alive. My heart was restless, filled with questions: Who was she? Will I ever see her again?
Lost in these thoughts, I stumbled upon a large crowd. People were gathered in a circle, talking excitedly.
"Did you hear?" one man asked enthusiastically. "Before the coming apocalypse, a grand competition is being held in the Element District of the Northeast!"
Another added, "Yes! Students from every district are coming for the trials. They say this time, it won't just be about strength... but destiny."
My heart skipped a beat. The Element District. The center of the five elemental powers. A competition where people from the entire kingdom would gather. Perhaps... she would be there too.
My hand tightened around the jade pendant. Its cool surface seemed to nudge me in a single direction.
"Maybe... she'll be there," I whispered to myself.
A new resolve took root in my heart. The voices of the crowd faded behind me as I changed my course—heading straight for the Element District.