The Mist and The Fox

I dissolved into a gentle mist, slipping unseen into the night as the last of the crowd dispersed—even Elis. The auction had ended for the day, and yet no trace of where Roulette and her team stored their goods could be found.

That woman. That illusionist in heels.

The scent of her perfume still lingered in the velvet-draped room—jasmine and smoke. I could still picture her unnatural golden eyes flashing beneath the chandelier lights, as if daring someone to ask the wrong question. She unsettled even me, and that was saying something. No one really knew where she came from. Was she magical? Was her entire team enchanted, augmented? Or just trained to precision?

She played her role well—charismatic auctioneer, steely commander, untouchable.

But I knew better than to leave things to fate. Que sera, sera is something lazy, unmotivated fools tell themselves to feel less guilty.

Not me.

Tonight, I would search elsewhere. Everywhere.

Drifting through the shadows, I spread myself across Sommerville City and its neighboring town, Ashwood—watching, waiting. I was the mist clinging to rooftops, slipping between alleyways, listening to the whispers stitched into the night. Not just in the shadows.

I was the shadows.

The Baltimorean Emerald. I wasn't about to leave it to chance.

I needed Elis to take an interest in it. He was the wealthiest man in the region. A charming fox with more resources than half of Sommerville combined. And if he wanted it badly enough, he could outbid everyone in that room.

But did he want it? Did he know what it was?

And more importantly… how much should I tell him?

Everything required calculation. Sometimes, intervention matters more than fate.

By the time Elis reached his mansion between Sommerville and Ashwood, I was already waiting.

"Hello, big red fox," I taunted, my voice curling from the mist.

He didn't flinch.

"It's late, Gacanagh. Don't you have work tomorrow?"

I smirked. "There's something I need you to find. And in return, maybe I'll find something for you."

He exhaled and crossed his arms. "Let me guess. The Baltimorean Emerald?"

How the hell did he—?

Of course. Kitsunes always know more than they let on.

"Pierre broke your deal, and now you want someone to replace him," he added. "I already know your quest. I'm not interested."

Of course. Pierre. That's how he knew.

I stepped closer, letting the cold sink into his skin like a whisper. "For something in return, of course."

"No." His response was instant. "We've had enough dealings, Gacanagh. I just want my rest."

"Aren't foxes nocturnal?" I mused.

He rolled his eyes. "In case you missed it, I'm in human form. Humans need sleep, dear creature of the dark."

I let the silence stretch before speaking again, low and deliberate.

"Elis, I have a deal for you—one you won't refuse."

His gaze darkened. "I highly doubt that. Find someone else to bother."

I took another step. He didn't move, but his shoulders tensed.

"Everyone has a price," I said, voice softening into something dangerous. "And I know yours."

His brow lifted slightly—cautious, curious.

"You've been looking for the girl who saved you all those years ago," I continued.

He stiffened. Barely, but enough.

I pressed on. "I can lead you to her. The little girl scout who pulled you from the jaws of death—twice."

His expression stayed blank, but I could feel the storm beneath.

"How do you know about that?" His voice was low, sharp-edged.

"Elis, I am the mist. I hear everything. I've listened to your searching, your dead-end leads, your silent calling." My voice dropped into something conspiratorial. "I was there."

His fingers curled into fists.

"That girl saved you from those abusers when you were just a tiny fox," I said. "I know her. And if you don't deal with me…" I let the words hang, heavy, "…she'll be lost to you for good."

He exhaled slowly—then, to my absolute irritation, he laughed.

"Then so be it," he said mockingly.

Was he insane?

"You're losing your touch, evil one. You are getting desperate," he added, tone sharpening.

Damn it. He saw through me.

His voice dropped lower. "Threats and false promises won't get you the Baltimorean Emerald. What is it to you, anyway?"

I refused to answer. He'd just opened a new door.

"New deal," I said smoothly. "You don't even have to give it to me. Just get it into the hands of the Elimination Company."

Elis studied me with those unreadable golden eyes.

"You? Trusting a magical law enforcement agency with a powerful artifact?" He gave a short, low chuckle. "No… there's something bigger at play. It must be important."

I grinned. "Smart as ever, fox. So close… yet still no answers for free."

A flicker of frustration crossed his face. I seized the moment.

"To think… after all your searching, you still haven't figured out who saved you." My voice dropped to a near-whisper. "The girl who fed you cold spaghetti when you were starving. The one who shielded you from being hunted by sneaking you into her bedroom."

His breath hitched.

Got you.

"Fine," he said at last, voice tight. "I'll find the emerald. I'll make sure the Elimination Company gets it. That's all."

He met my gaze squarely. "And the girl?"

"I'll send her your way," I replied, my smile slow and dangerous.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Do I have to sign a magical contract for this deal?"

I grinned wider. "But you have before, haven't you?"

He chuckled, bitter and tired. "And now we're just supposed to trust each other?"

"We both want something," I said simply. "Surely two gentlemen like us can keep our word. You don't deliver, neither will I. Simple."

A long pause.

Then—finally—

"Fine. Keep your word, and I'll keep mine."

I tilted my head, watching him with amusement. Of course he didn't trust me. No one in their right mind would.

But the Elimination Company? They would be the last people to misuse the Emerald. Not under Andrea's leadership. She's too righteous, too clean. If it all went awry, it might even be easier to snatch it from them.

Right now, the Baltimorean Emerald is missing. That is a huge problem.

And my exchange with Elis wasn't another binding contract.

If Elis couldn't find the emerald… I needed him alive for what came next.

As he turned toward the sliver of moon hanging low in the sky, I melted back into the mist, retreating into the folds of night.

Watching. Waiting.

From the shadows, I lingered.

Elis stood motionless, framed against the stars. He didn't speak, but the air around him shifted—something restless stirring beneath the surface.

He didn't trust me.

He saw the snare.

And yet—he was already caught in it.

The emerald.

The Elimination Company.

The girl who saved him.

All tangled together.

Fate or intervention—it didn't matter anymore.

The board was set.

The fox had moved.

Now I'd watch the pieces fall—

And make sure he paid the price if they didn't.