Kyle

Leora ran through the narrow alleys, holding the boy's hand tightly, the wind whipping through her black-blue hair. Right behind her, Riven ran with the lightness of a panther, his face tense.

"Where are we going?!" Riven shouted.

The boy, panting, replied, "There's a passage behind the market… it'll lead us out of the city!"

Without turning, Leora said, "I hope that's true, or I'll throw you to the soldiers myself!"

The boy laughed despite the tension, "You look scarier than they do."

Eliora shouted from behind, jumping over a wooden crate, "Don't bother her now, she's focused!"

The sound of soldiers' footsteps grew louder, pounding like war drums behind them. Suddenly, the boy yelled, "Here! To the left!"

They entered a narrow alley, almost getting stuck in its tightness, then a worn wooden door opened before them.

"Go in!" the boy urged, pushing the door open.

The three rushed inside, and Eliora shut the door firmly behind them, quickly casting a spell on it.

"Virahel!" he whispered, extending his hand.

A faint glow appeared on the door, then faded, as if the place had become invisible.

The four caught their breath, pressed against the damp wall inside the passage.

Eliora turned to the boy and said, "Time for answers now, chatterbox. Who are you? And why are they chasing you?"

The boy looked at them, then grinned slyly and said:

"Me? My name's Kyle… and I'm the cause of a lot of trouble."

Leora suddenly stopped, narrowing her eyes, suspicion and surprise mixing on her face.

She said,

"Wait… you saved yourself just now easily, so why drag us into this from the start?"

Kyle turned to her with a wide, cunning smile:

"Honestly? I just wanted to distract the soldiers… but you believed me and started running. That shocked me! Never happened before."

Riven turned his face away with boredom and said sarcastically,

"Looks like we got stuck with a troublemaker."

Kyle stepped forward, smiling defiantly:

"Ha! And who's the troublemaker?"

Riven took a step back as sparks flew from his body:

"Want me to grill you?"

Kyle stood firm, dust swirling around him like a storm:

"No, I'm the one who'll crush you!"

Leora glared and threatened,

"Both of you, stop or—"

The two quickly stepped back, speaking in unison,

"Sorry!"

Eliora sat on one of the wooden crates, resting his elbow on his knee, speaking calmly but with curiosity,

"So… what exactly did you do to get famous in this city?"

Kyle chuckled briefly, kicking a small stone, then sat facing Eliora, boasting,

"Hehe, I beat up some guards."

Riven raised an eyebrow and asked sarcastically,

"And then? Let me guess, you screamed at them and ran?"

Kyle laughed,

"No, no, I danced first, then screamed… then ran."

Leora looked at him in disbelief:

"You're not just a troublemaker… you're a walking disaster."

Eliora looked Kyle over thoughtfully,

"And what made you hit them? You don't seem like the kind of kid to hit someone without reason."

Kyle lowered his gaze for a moment, then muttered quietly, with some anger beneath:

"They were hitting a woman."

Leora raised an eyebrow with interest, while Eliora asked,

"A woman? Why?"

Kyle replied sharply,

"Because she asked for a piece of bread for herself and her little boy… just that."

A brief silence followed before he added bitterly,

"They said she was a beggar, disturbing the market… one slapped her while the others laughed."

He clenched his fist and looked at the ground,

"I couldn't stand it. Didn't even think… I just acted."

Eliora and Raven exchanged silent looks before Raven whispered,

"Epic stupidity…"

Leora's tone softened this time, warmer and calmer:

"That's not a reason to run away… it's a reason to stand up."

Kyle smiled faintly, raising his eyes,

"That's why I'm here now, running with you instead of rotting in a dungeon."

Eliora stood confidently and asked,

"So, do you have something important to do in this city?"

Kyle opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by Eliora's firm voice,

"Doesn't matter, I'm taking you with us anyway."

Kyle grumbled, trying to catch his breath,

"Let me finish my story first."

Eliora, while cleaning his ear, said,

"Oh right, finish what you were saying."

Leora laughed,

"That's what you get for being my teacher, Eliora."

Kyle replied sarcastically,

"You call this guy a teacher?"

Kyle said seriously,

"I'm here looking for anything that leads me to an evil group."

Riven joked with a sly smile,

"I don't see any evil here except you."

Eliora stopped and looked at them curiously,

"What kind of evil are they?"

Kyle seriously,

"I saw them once. They were terrifying. Five members destroyed a village in the blink of an eye. They call themselves 'The Azarim.'"

Leora smiled,

"What? Then we're here for the same reason!"

Kyle stepped forward eagerly,

"Have you learned anything about them? Tell me!"

Riven answered confidently,

"Not much yet, but I'm sure we'll find them soon."

Eliora smiled playfully,

"Hmmm, that means you'll be joining us then."

Kyle rubbed his hair, hesitant,

"I guess there's no escape from you, huh?"

Eliora waved his hand firmly,

"Alright, friends, let's go!"

Leora raised her hand, pointing at the wall,

"First, you have to open this door."

Kyle stepped up, excitement showing on his face,

"Leave it to me."

He waved his hands in the air, and the wall moved, opening a path.

Eliora admired,

"Looks like you're an earth mage."

The four of them stepped out from the narrow alleys, their footsteps light on the wet gravel, while the city sounds whispered distantly behind them. The air was thick with the scent of mud, sweat, and fear. Suddenly, Liora stopped, her blue eyes staring ahead. She slowly raised her hand, pointing toward the alley's end where a guard stood in his usual spot.

She whispered cautiously,

"Looks like we have to get past these first…"

Eliora watched the guard from afar, not showing any worry,

"That's fine… wear your cloak hoods."

He pulled the black cloak's hood over his head lightly, then gave the others a quick glance as if saying, "Do the same, quietly."

They began moving stealthily through the dark alleys, their cloaks swaying with the night breeze, hiding their features and adding mystery. The guard stood near the market entrance, scanning the area with watchful eyes.

He glanced at them hesitantly… froze briefly, as if a faint doubt crept into his mind, then frowned and muttered to himself,

"What are these?… just more poor folks, I guess."

He sighed and kept watching, unaware that those "poor folks" carried secrets in their cloaks that could change the city's fate.

They moved away from the guards' area, quickening their pace as the street lamps' lights faded behind them.

Eliora pulled back his hood; his messy brown hair fell a bit over his forehead. He smiled with a light sigh,

"I didn't think this would work…"

Everyone stopped abruptly, staring at him in astonishment.

Kyle raised an eyebrow, surprised,

"Wait… you weren't sure? You were risking us?"

Leora laughed, shaking her head,

"Typical… he never misses a chance to experiment at our expense."

Riven just sighed, putting his hands in his pockets, whispering,

"At least we survived this time…"

Eliora smiled with annoying confidence and said,

"Life is an adventure, friends… and those who don't take risks don't change anything."

Kyle gave Eliora a light kick on the backside, making him stumble slightly forward,

"But don't risk us again, Professor of Human Experiments!"

Eliora laughed, trying to regain his balance,

"Ouch! Alright, alright, I get it… but admit it, I'm a genius!"