Shortcut to hell? [II]

My parents' faces flashed in my mind, unbidden and vivid. I could almost hear their voices, warm and soft, urging me to keep moving forward, to stand tall.

The inn's small balcony groaned under my weight as I stepped out, the morning air biting at my skin.

The sky was painted in shades of orange and pink, a beauty that felt cruel, mocking even.

I pressed a hand to my chest, forcing myself to look up at the heavens. "I'm sorry," I murmured. "For last night. For being weak. I'll do better. I swear it."

My voice cracked, but my resolve didn't. I gritted my teeth and tightened my fists. "Even if the end goal feels hollow... even if it means losing myself... I'll avenge you. For everything they took from us."

Back in the room, I buried myself in work. The table was cluttered with vials, powders, and herbs I'd gathered in the black market. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

My hands moved automatically, measuring, mixing, refining.

The acrid scent of chemicals filled the small space as I poured a glowing liquid into a reinforced flask and sealed it tightly.

"This batch will do," I muttered, setting the finished potion alongside a row of others.

Each vial was a weapon, a promise to myself. Every drop of liquid held the power to disrupt the carefully crafted world that had betrayed me.

I paused, staring at the collection of explosives lined up like soldiers on the table. My lips twitched into a bitter smile. "Walk the talk, Venzel. No more running."

The sound of footsteps in the hallway shattered my focus. I froze, my ears straining as a soft knock followed.

I frowned, my hand instinctively reaching for a flash powder vial. Nobody was supposed to know I was here. I wasn't in the mood for company.

"Who is it?" I called out, my voice sharp.

The door creaked open, and I immediately tensed. It was her. The woman from last night.

She stepped inside like she owned the place, calm and composed, her eyes scanning the room. There was something in her gaze, something unsettling.

"You," I said, my grip tightening around the vial.

Her lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile. "So it's true," she said, her voice smooth and unreadable. "You're an alchemist."

I didn't respond. I didn't trust her, didn't trust whatever game she was playing.

"I need explosives," she continued, stepping closer, her gaze flicking to the potions on the table. "And I hear you're the best."

The weight of her words hung in the air, unspoken questions swirling in my mind.

Who was she? What did she want with explosives? How much did she know about me?

"Well?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you going to sell me what I need, or should I take my business elsewhere?"

Her tone was calm, almost teasing, and the corner of her mouth twitched like she already knew my answer.

I took a breath, my jaw tightening before I responded. "Nine gold a vial," I said, my voice steady. Then, after a pause, I added, "A discount for last night. Thanks for stopping me from making a mistake."

Her smile widened ever so slightly. "Fair enough," she said, but her eyes told me she had more to say.

She studied me for a long moment, as if trying to piece together the truth hidden beneath my words.

Then, she finally spoke, her tone cool but tinged with curiosity. "What's your name?"

I hesitated for just a second, then gave a name that felt right for the moment. "Vendel."

It wasn't my real name, but it was close enough. If anyone ever looked deeper, they'd find that "Vendel" was derived from "vengeance"—a fitting name, considering everything I'd become and the path I was now walking.

She nodded, as if she accepted the name without question. "Vendel, huh? I'll remember it."

I glanced at her, the weight of her words still hanging in the air.

Then, before I could say anything else, she introduced herself. "My name is Chang Li."

Chang Li. The name rang a bell, not just in my ears, but in the back of my mind, stirring something deep within me.

I thought about it for a moment, and then the pieces fell into place.

In the novel, Chang Li had been a leader of a mercenary group. They were tasked with escorting a caravan through treacherous lands, but the mission went awry when a band of ruthless bandits ambushed them.

The bandits didn't come alone, though. They brought monsters—creatures that made the fight harder, and in the end, the mercenaries found themselves trapped in a narrow pass between two towering mountain cliffs.

The only way out was a one-way road carved into the mountain—a single, precarious path that led them straight into the jaws of danger.

They fought valiantly, but the bandits pushed them into that choke point—a long, narrow stretch of land flanked by steep cliffs.

They tried to block the path with explosions, hoping to stop the bandits' advance by dropping massive rocks and debris.

But they had underestimated how many explosives it would take. The rocks came down, but not enough.

The bandits forced their way through, and in the end, only Chang Li survived—her team wiped out, and the story cast her into the shadow of the hero's journey, where she would eventually join Aron and his band of heroes.

I found the missing link in that moment—her survival was tied to this raid, to her decisions, to this narrow pass.

If she used my explosives in time, if she had enough firepower to hold off the bandits, she might change the fate that awaited her.

"How about this?" I said, stepping toward the table where the vials of explosives sat, their glow faint in the dim light of the room.

"I'll lend you all my potions. Use however many you need, but you'll pay me depending on how many you use."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze piercing, but she didn't ask about the deal yet.

I could tell she was thinking, calculating. She didn't trust me, and why would she? Neither did I.

"How do you know I'll need lots?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "And why do you think I'll pay?"

I leaned back, folding my arms across my chest, studying her. I could tell she wasn't just a stranger who stumbled into my life.

No, she was someone with her own purpose, her own reason for being here. But for now, I couldn't afford to ask too many questions. Not yet.

"You saved me," I said, my words slow, deliberate. "Even if you don't repay me, all I can say is—I won't owe you any favors for saving me."

She stared at me, her expression unreadable for a moment, before a small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I see," she said, the words carrying more weight than they should have. "I suppose we both have our debts to settle then."

And with that, the deal was struck.

Chang Li gathered the explosives, her movements deliberate as she sorted through the vials.

She glanced over her shoulder, meeting my gaze briefly before she turned and left without another word. The door creaked shut behind her, and I was left alone, the faint scent of chemicals still hanging in the air.