Chapter 3: The Price of Dust

"Get your ass moving, Kai!" Lena barked, shoving me through the crowd as the checkpoint loomed ahead.

I stumbled, my boots scraping the cracked pavement, the air thick with smoke and shouts. Syndicate enforcers were everywhere—hulking figures in black coats, relics ticking at their belts, eyes scanning the Fades like we were rats in a trap. My hand burned where the paradox mark glowed, and I yanked my sleeve down, praying they wouldn't spot it. The slums were still crumbling behind us, echoes of that Gambler den collapse ringing in my ears—Mara's face flashing every time I blinked. I didn't know who I was anymore, but I sure as hell wasn't stopping now.

Markus limped beside me, his cane tapping a frantic beat. "Keep your head down, kid," he rasped, breath ragged. "They smell trouble, we're done."

The checkpoint was a chokehold—two towers of steel and glass, Eternals perched up high, watching us shuffle through like livestock. A line of Fades stretched ahead, some trading scraps of time just to pass, others begging for mercy. I caught a glimpse of one guy—skinny, trembling—handing over a relic. His hair grayed right there, knees buckling as he aged a decade in seconds. The enforcer smirked, waved him through, and I felt sick.

Lena pulled us into the shadows behind a busted cart. "We can't go through," she whispered, her scar catching the dim light. "Your mark's a damn beacon."

"Then what?" I snapped, voice sharper than I meant. "Run forever? I don't even know what I did!"

She glared at me, her jaw tight. "You traded something you shouldn't have—or someone did it for you. That's what Markus thinks, right?"

He nodded, leaning hard on his cane. "Ten years back, I was Syndicate—low-level, moving stolen time. Big heist went south, stash vanished. Word was, some Fade traded it all to save her kid brother. Sound familiar?"

My chest tightened, that vision of Mara clawing at me again—her reaching, fading, gone. "You saying that was me?" I asked, barely getting the words out. "My sister?"

"Could be," he said, eyes dark. "Someone wiped your debt clean, but time don't let go that easy. It's catching up."

Before I could process it, a voice cut through the noise. "Hey, you—stop skulking!" An enforcer stomped toward us, relic gleaming, flanked by two more. Lena cursed, shoving me behind her, but my mark flared—bright, hot—and their eyes locked on it.

"Paradox scum," the leader growled, grabbing my arm. "You're coming with us."

I yanked back, panic surging, and swung a fist. It caught his jaw, but he barely flinched—built like a damn wall. Lena tackled him, dagger flashing, while Markus swung his cane at another. I bolted, weaving through the crowd, heart slamming in my throat. Shouts erupted—"Stop him!"—and boots pounded after me.

The street twisted, time snapping like a frayed rope. A woman ahead aged mid-step, crumpling to dust; a kid's scream stretched into nothing as he froze, then vanished. My mark pulsed, slowing it all—enforcers lunging in half-time, Lena's yell dragging out. I didn't know how I was doing it, just that it was tearing everything apart.

I ducked into an alley, chest heaving, and slammed into someone—a girl, scrawny, maybe sixteen, with jittery hands and sunken eyes. She yelped, dropping a chipped relic. "Watch it!" she snapped, then froze, staring at my mark. "You're… you're him."

"Who're you?" I demanded, grabbing her arm as the enforcers' shouts grew closer.

"Tali," she said, voice shaking. "I—I knew Mara. She traded everything—her whole damn life—to save you. Said you were worth it."

Her words hit like a punch. Mara. My sister. The girl from the flashes, fading away. "When?" I croaked. "Why don't I remember?"

"Ten years back," Tali said, eyes darting. "Syndicate took her after. You were just a kid—didn't know what she'd done." She hesitated, then added, "She begged me to find you if it ever came back."

The alley shook, bricks cracking, and Lena burst in, blood on her cheek. "Kai, move—now!" Markus hobbled behind, panting. The enforcers were close—too close—and my mark flared again, time stuttering. I grabbed Tali's hand, pulling her with us as we ran.

Streets blurred, reality bending. Lena led us through a maze of slums, enforcers on our heels, relics ticking like bombs. "Why'd you trade your future?" I yelled at her over the noise, desperate for something solid.

"My brother," she shouted back, voice cracking. "Traded it all to save him, but he faded anyway. Syndicate lied—said I'd get him back." Her eyes burned, and I saw it—same pain I felt for Mara.

We hit a dead end—a wall of crumbled stone, nowhere to go. The enforcers closed in, five of 'em, relics glowing. "End of the line," one sneered, raising his fist. My mark burned hotter, and I felt it—time snapping loose, a flood I couldn't hold.

It broke. The air warped, enforcers slowing, then aging—skin wrinkling, hair falling out. One screamed, collapsing into dust; another froze mid-step, a statue of ash. Lena grabbed me, yelling, "What the hell are you doing?" but I couldn't stop it. The wall ahead cracked, then blew apart, and we stumbled through, Tali clinging to my arm.

I hit the ground on the other side, vision swimming. That ticking was everywhere—my head, my hand, the air itself. Mara's voice echoed, faint but clear: "Kai, you can't pay it back." I saw her again—reaching, fading, gone—and my knees buckled. Whatever she'd done, whatever I'd started, it was bigger than me, and it wasn't stopping.

📢 Author's Note:

Hey everyone! Thanks for diving into The Man Who Sold His Future with me—it's my first crack at a novel, and I'm pumped to have you along for this wild ride. Kai's world of time-trading, danger, and heartbreak is just getting started, and I'm pouring everything into making it epic!

Here's where I need your help: I want to know what you think! How's the story hitting you so far? Is Kai's struggle pulling you in? Are the twists—like that paradox mark and Mara's sacrifice—keeping you hooked? I'd love to hear what's working for you and what could use a tweak to grab even more readers. Maybe more action? Deeper dives into the Syndicate's secrets? A new character to shake things up? Your thoughts could shape where this journey goes next and help pull in new folks to join us.

If you're up for it, drop a quick note—tell me what you love, what's meh, or what you'd change to make this a must-read for someone new. And hey, if you're sticking around, I've got one ask: read at least 10 chapters before you rate it. This story's got layers, and I want you to see the full picture before you weigh in.

Thanks for being part of this—your input's gold, and I can't wait to keep building this world with you in mind. Let's make it unforgettable! 🚀

[Kirito_kazuha]