The masochists

The pendant pulsed in Elara's grip, its cold surface burning against her skin like liquid fire. Power crackled through her veins, ancient and unyielding. The world around her slowed, as if the Bazaar itself was holding its breath.

Darius Vale's grip on her wrist tightened. His golden eyes flickered with something between amusement and warning. "You have no idea what you've just taken."

Elara yanked her arm free, twisting her body to gain distance. The crowd around them had erupted into chaos—some scrambling away, others watching with keen interest. The Bazaar was no stranger to violence, but this was different. This was a battle over something far more dangerous than gold or relics.

Rael's voice cut through the confusion. "Elara, we need to move. Now."

Elara barely had time to react before the first attack came. A figure emerged from the shadows—a masked enforcer of the Eclipse Syndicate. Their presence was a storm of dark energy, their hands wreathed in violet flame. They didn't speak. They simply lunged.

Elara dodged, barely avoiding the strike as the force of it shattered a nearby stone pillar. She retaliated, letting her shadows lash out in a whip-like arc. The enforcer deflected the blow with ease, their movements too precise, too trained.

Darius stepped back, arms crossed, watching. He wasn't interfering. Not yet. Why?

Rael was already moving. He intercepted a second enforcer, his blade flashing in the dim light. Steel met shadow, sending a shockwave rippling through the Bazaar.

Elara focused on her own fight, tightening her grip on the pendant. She could feel its pull, the power inside it whispering to her. Use me.

For a brief second, she hesitated. Then she let go.

Darkness exploded from her form. The enforcer staggered as the shadows around her twisted into jagged spikes, slamming into their chest. They were thrown backward, crashing into a stall of shimmering artifacts.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. The onlookers who had once been intrigued now radiated something else.

Fear.

Elara steadied her breathing, her tattoos still pulsing from the energy surge. The pendant hadn't just amplified her power—it had unleashed something deeper, something she wasn't sure she could fully control.

Darius finally moved, stepping forward with measured grace. "You felt it, didn't you?"

Elara's eyes snapped to him. "What is this?"

He tilted his head. "A piece of something much older than you or I. And now that you've touched it, they will come for you."

She frowned. "Who?"

Before he could answer, a deep rumbling echoed through the Bazaar. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the candlelit lanterns flickered violently. A low, guttural sound filled the chamber—a sound that didn't belong to anything human.

Rael cursed under his breath. "We need to leave. Now."

Elara turned, but the exit was no longer safe. More figures in dark robes had begun to appear, their faces obscured, their energy heavy with something unnatural.

Darius sighed. "You should've just let me win the auction."

With a flick of his wrist, a sigil on the floor erupted in golden light. A wave of force slammed outward, sending the masked figures stumbling. For the first time, Elara saw something beneath Darius's calm demeanor—power. Controlled, precise, ancient.

She wasn't sure if he was a threat or an ally.

Rael grabbed her arm, pulling her toward a side passage. "Decide later. Move."

Elara ran.

The Bazaar blurred past them as they sprinted through the labyrinthine corridors. The pendant pulsed in her hand, the whispers growing louder. She could feel something reaching for her, unseen but undeniable. A presence.

Ahead, the passage split in two.

Rael didn't slow. "Left."

Elara hesitated, glancing at Darius. He smirked, taking the right path without looking back.

Rael tugged her forward. "Don't trust him."

Elara wasn't sure she trusted anyone anymore.

But she knew one thing: she wasn't leaving without answers.

And she wasn't letting go of the pendant.

Even if it cost her everything.