The remnants of daylight painted the sky a warm orange as the sun began to set. The winding streams and the ke's gssy surface glittered with the soft light. As routine, the monsters once roaming the streets started to trickle into artificial habitats or dive into the river to migrate back into the ke.

  One by one, street mps flickered to life, covering the cobblestone streets and streams in an amber glow. The air hummed with activity as townsfolk began closing up shops and retiring to their homes.

  Walking past a port, Kiyoshi could see docking boats and vessels, some of the crew members taking the time to admire the fleeting beauty of dusk hours. Kiyoshi slowed his pace, appreciating the clear view of the sun dipping below the horizon, the distant ndscape a canvas as the rays brushed against it.

  For a moment, he'd forgotten why he was there as the breathtaking sight had an enchanting element to it. Then, his mood dropped when he snapped his thoughts back to the task at hand.

  It was times like these that he was reminded how peaceful his home was which only made his core sizzle with anger. The fact that shady figures were willing to risk disrupting this peace and tainting the town's positive reputation filled him with disdain.

  "You coming?" The short-haired ranger said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

  He looked back to see them gaining distance. Had it been daylight hours, he'd have probably lost them through the bustling crowd of townsfolk and beasts.

  "Yeah. Sorry." He jogged awkwardly to catch up to them.

  They led him through a more secluded corner of town. The buildings were less vibrant, their coloration dulled over time. A yer of algae sat atop pools of stagnant water while mud and grime coated the streets.

  Passing through the neglected section of the western district, they reached an abandoned building. Shattered windows were spread along the deteriorating walls and a weathered tarp swayed ominously in the entryway.

  "This is it," the short-haired ranger confirmed. "We're a little early so hopefully he still has those elixirs in stock."

  Kiyoshi followed them inside. The floorboards groaned in protest as they made their way through the debris that once belonged to the ceiling. Moonlight began streaming through the broken windows and gaps in the walls, illuminating the worn down furniture and forgotten belongings collecting dust and cobwebs.

  The moaning walls and howling winds grew distant as they descended to the basement. The air was noticeably cooler and puddles of murky water spshed beneath their boots as they carefully maneuvered around more debris.

  The scrawny conjurer lit his wand to ward off the inky bckness that threatened to consume them whole the further they ventured. After minutes of cautious navigation, a speck of dancing light appeared around a corner, seemingly beckoning those who'd made it this far. The light grew brighter as they followed it into an abandoned storage room.

  The light, what they now knew was a lighting artifact, shone throughout the room, revealing walls lined with vacant shelves. A dark, cloaked figure stood at the end of the room, the shadow of his hood concealing his face.

  "Welcome," a husky voice croaked from under the hood. "I assume you're here for the...merchandise."

  The man's voice sent a chill through the putrid air, crawling up the rangers' spines. Kiyoshi tried shuffling to the side of the room to better identify the man but the poor lighting failed to reveal his features.

  The short-haired ranger cleared his throat, mostly to mask his nervousness. "That's right. I take it you still have a few left over if you're still here."

  "Ah, yes," the hooded figure unraveled his cloak to reveal three red elixirs hooked to the inside of the fabric. The dozens of empty slots made it clear he'd already sold the majority of his elixirs. "I'm afraid these are the st of them."

  His hand, the only part of him that was exposed to reveal his inventory, was thin and frail. The jagged, bckened nails jutting from his pale, bony fingers made Kiyoshi wonder if this dealer was actually human.

  The scrawny conjurer greedily reached out for one of the vials but stopped when the man snapped his cloak shut.

  "I must warn you, it is best to consume in a secluded area. You wouldn't want prying eyes to see the...side effects."

  "What is this elixir truly capable of?" Kiyoshi questioned.

  The figure slowly turned his head toward him. Although he couldn't see his eyes, he could feel his gaze raking up and down his body, studying him intently. As the seconds crawled, he couldn't help but feel like his cover had been blown but he kept up the act. After what felt like forever of silent scrutiny, the same husky voice emitted from underneath the hood.

  "Power. Beyond what was thought possible. Mankind is still far too weak. That is why he has taken it upon himself to ensure we don't fall into destruction." The hooded figure responded ominously before lifting five spindly fingers. "For this reason, I will be offering these for five ptinum coins."

  The rangers' jaws nearly fell to the floor.

  "Are you crazy?" The short-haired ranger excimed.

  "Most elixirs on the market sell for only a couple gold!" The conjurer reasoned, subconsciously gripping his pockets as if afraid to lose his money.

  "It is not mine to keep. I am merely doing his will. In turn, he promises security. Think of it as a...charity." The pale man assured yet it seemed to do little to calm them down.

  The rangers looked at one another, hesitance in their eyes. On the one hand, they'd generate more money in the long term, but on the other hand, paying up front would make their pockets hollow for quite some time.

  "I'll take all three," Kiyoshi said casually, his reasoning simple. By ciming the rest of what was in stock, he could ensure no one else could get their hands on them.

  The rangers spun their heads at him with a mix of emotions: anger for hogging all the elixirs to himself, confusion from why he needed all three, and nervousness from the possibility that their ticket to fame and fortune would be stripped from them. Kiyoshi regarded them with a raised brow, feigning innocent confusion.

  "What? It seemed like you boys weren't too keen on the idea of spending your sary on just one elixir."

  "We aren't but that's just pin greedy." The short-haired ranger accused.

  "Plus, you still owe us for bringing you here." The brute reminded, looming over him and expanding his chest to intimidate Kiyoshi into rethinking his decision.

  Kiyoshi didn't so much as flinch, looking back at him with an indifferent gaze. "That won't be an issue."

  He reached into his pouch and pulled out the ptinum coins he promised. However, this only seemed to make the conjurer more wary as he held out his arm to stop his hulking friend from taking the coin.

  "You're so confident in paying us and buying up all the elixirs." The conjurer started, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

  Kiyoshi returned his gaze. "Yes? What's your point?"

  "Earlier, you said you were too weak to join the Arachnids." The nasally conjurer looked him up and down. "Your armor is typical which suggests you aren't high-ranking yet you can comfortably give away ptinum coins like it's nothing. You don't present yourself as royalty either, or even nobility. The only other reason you'd have so much to spend is if you were actually high-ranking."

  Kiyoshi narrowed his eyes, his miscalcution becoming apparent. The rangers and even the hooded man shifted their attention to him, their intense gazes demanding answers.

  "Who are you really?" The conjurer interrogated.

  They sat in suspenseful silence, the buzzing of the worn down lighting artifact the only thing filling the room. After what seemed like minutes, Kiyoshi let his eyelids fall and relented with a sigh as he dropped his facade.

  "You're sharper than I gave you credit for." Kiyoshi opened his eyes again, his now sharp gaze a complete contrast to his rexed and easy going demeanor he dispyed seconds earlier. "Take that elixir and there'll be consequences so let's not make this any more difficult than it needs to be."

  The distributor took slow steps back, his expression unreadable beneath the mask of darkness as the tension in the air thickened. Kiyoshi's hand hovered over his sword's handle while the short-haired ranger mimicked the same motion.

  Kiyoshi's cool gaze added weight to his presence but their confidence in their numbers kept them holding firm. The standoff sted for several seconds, both sides patiently waiting until the other caved under the growing pressure. Then finally, the short-haired ranger's fingers flexed, the slightest of movements indicating he was preparing to draw his weapon.

  His fingers whipped around the handle to call upon his bde but abruptly stopped when a silver arc fshed through his wrist. He suddenly had no control over his hand as a thin band of red appeared on his wrist. Looking down, his face twisted into horror as his hand separated from him, a fountain of blood spraying from the stump.

  The conjurer and brute stepped back in surprise, Kiyoshi's outstretched bde dripping with crimson. Using the brute's size to conceal his movements as to not suffer the same injury as his friend, the conjurer drew his wand and ignited the tip, a blinding fsh of light filling the room.

  Kiyoshi gnashed his teeth as he shielded his burning retinas. The conjurer frantically used this opportunity to tackle the hooded man to the cold, damp floor. Blinded and frail, the man y helpless as the conjurer reached into his cloak and yanked two elixirs from him.

  "Here!" He tossed one over to the brute. "Let's get out of here!"

  The brilliant white that engulfed Kiyoshi's sight subsided, reduced to multicolored splotches wriggling through his vision. However, by the time reality phased back into view, it was already too te. The conjurer and brute were already wiping the red substance from their mouths and threw away the empty vials.

  "What have you done?" He said, dashing to the hooded man.

  He drew his shield and held it out front with his sword at the ready as the rangers convulsed. Their veins bulged, crawling down their arms and up their necks to the top of their heads. Blood trickled from the brute's mouth and fell from the conjurer's eyes. Amber spilled from their pores as their skin swelled.

  The brute, having somewhat recovered, gazed at the undercover Sentinel with rage burning in his eyes. He drew his dual axes and held them overhead, radiance coursing through his body and whipping chaotically around his body. Kiyoshi pnted himself and braced for the inevitable collision as the double axes came crashing down with enough force to obliterate the entire room.

  The conjurer, although he formed a dome around himself in time, was catapulted back through the deteriorating wall and smashed through multiple buildings.

  The abandoned building erupted into a deafening explosion that carried across the western district, alerting town guards on patrol. Wasting little time, they swiftly reported what they'd seen and heard as they darted towards the commotion.

  Across the western district atop a roof, Haruka's ear twitched at the sudden roar of the explosion. Looking over, she realized it came from where her partner was scouting.

  "Sentinel Kiyoshi, do you copy?! Was that you?" Haruka spoke into her communication artifact after witnessing the explosion but got no reply. "Sentinel Kiyoshi, come in?...Kiyoshi?"

  The thought of something terrible happening to him crossed her mind, her fingers twitching in worry for just a moment. Reminding herself that he was Sentinel, she steeled her nerves before panic had the chance to seize control. Slinging her conduit across her shoulder, she dashed toward the smoke billowing into the starry night sky.