Zay glanced up at the sky as he moved steadily toward Cindra's entrance, the fading light casting long shadows across the dirt ground. He checked the time through the Resonance Lens, the glowing digits radiating it was nearly 7 P.M.
'Only an hour until that library opens for the Sinners Night Market... no, less than that,' he thought. 'He said he'd go over some rules or whatever before the Sinners' Night Market begins. If I want to understand what I'm walking into, I need to get there early.'
As he continued forward, dark clouds gathered overhead, spreading like ink in water. The sky dimmed quickly, casting the kingdom in a heavy, brooding dusk. The streets of the slums began to swell with weary bodies. Men and women returning from long hours of manual labor. Their clothes were stained, their steps slow and tired, but they moved with a quiet rhythm born of survival.
Zay moved past the growing crowd, his hand resting firmly on the hilt of Evershade. He blinked slowly as he walked, each step soft against the dirt road beneath his feet. After several minutes, the towering entrance gate of Cindra came into view.
The gate remained open, flanked by four guards on either side. They stood rigid, their grips tight on long spears, armor gleaming faintly under the waning light. Though the slits of their helmets concealed their eyes, Zay knew they were watching everything that happened.
He kept his pace steady, attempting to pass unnoticed. He had no identification on him, and the last thing he needed was a delay.
"Stop!" one of the guards barked.
Zay froze for a second as he turned slightly, glancing over his shoulder. But the shout wasn't for him. The guards had halted two men in black trench coats, each accompanied by a teenager.
Zay studied them for a second longer, then faced forward again and continued on, unaffected. He had no reason to interfere.
'That's strange... but it doesn't concern me. I don't have time to waste on strangers,' he thought. His lips curled into a subtle smile—he'd made it through without being questioned.
That was when he overheard a conversation nearby. A group of academy students walked past, returning from their evening classes.
"Did you hear what happened to Roy?" one of them muttered.
A girl in the group responded, "Yeah! I heard he didn't even have the right paperwork to live in Cindra. No idea how he got into the academy. But get this—he was supposedly training to be a Mirror Keeper."
'Mirror Keeper... the academy...' Zay thought as he recalled Fiola, the place he had stopped at with Monroe, where they ate at that small restaurant called The Iron Spoon. He remembered a group of academy students talking about passing entrance exams or something similar, though he wasn't entirely sure about the details as he had forgotten most of that stop.
He did remember one student mentioning that they were a Mirror Keeper or in the process of becoming one through the academy.
'Could it be the same person?' the thought passed through his mind.
'It might be.' he continued his walk toward Cindra's Library.
—
Zay arrived at Cindra's Library at 7:43 P.P. and climbed the seven worn stone steps, each one smooth from years of use. He stopped in front of the tall wooden door. He extended his hand to the brass handle, which was shaped like a curled vine and mounted on the right. He wrapped his fingers around it and pressed down until he heard a soft click.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, letting it close gently behind him. His eyes moved from right to left, scanning the space.
"What the hell happened? It's just been a few hours."
The room before him was completely transformed. The shelves filled with books were gone. In their place, the entire floor was now polished red marble, gleaming faintly under the light. Wooden beams stretched upward, supporting a vaulted ceiling that had not been there before. Elegant lanterns rested on tables throughout the room, each one casting a soft yellow glow that warmed the space with a quiet, almost surreal ambiance.
At the far end of the room stood the librarian he had seen earlier, though now he looked even more peculiar. He wore a black trench coat over a neatly pressed white shirt, paired with black trousers. A black top hat sat firmly on his head, tilted at just the right angle to cast a slight shadow over his eyes.
Zay's eyes narrowed slightly as he took it all in.
The librarian looked up and moved his hands to his sides as he walked over. He gave a nod to Zay and stopped four paces away from him.
"Good, you're here. There are multiple rules, but these three are the main ones I want you to understand and remember completely. Got it, Max Vinstone?"
"Yes, sir. I understand. What are they?" Zay looked at the librarian in front of him.
There was a quiet pause before the librarian's lips parted and he began to speak in a soft manner.
"First rule: Do not disrespect the merchants."
He paused for just a second, letting the words echo in Zay's mind so he could absorb them fully.
"Second rule: Bow to anyone wearing a robe embroidered with dripping ink trails that spiral into circles or tears."
This time, the pause lasted a few seconds longer.
Then, the librarian's voice rose slightly. It became louder, his tone shifting with an edge of seriousness. He deliberately deepened his voice.
"Third rule: Do not speak the true name of the market while inside its bounds."
Zay nodded, mentally noting each rule while stretching his fingers outward, then curling them back in. The librarian slipped his left hand into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out two black gloves.
"Wear these, and don't take them off while inside the market," the librarian said, handing them to Zay.
Zay took the gloves, slipping the left one on first. He stretched his fingers as he pulled it snug over his hand, then used his gloved left hand to put on the right glove, repeating the motion. The gloves extended slightly past his wrists, fully covering them.
"There are also clothes you'll need to wear. It is a highly regarded market, after all. Dressing in such... simple attire would be like declaring the market an embarrassment. Worry not, I've already purchased appropriate clothing for you, since it seemed you were unfamiliar with the standards of this wonderful market."
The librarian snapped his fingers, and a glowing purple sphere appeared in the air above his palm. From it, clothing and shoes gently descended into his waiting hands: a long black trench coat, a neatly pressed white shirt, black trousers, polished formal shoes, a black mask, and a black fedora to match.
Zay didn't respond, only accepted the garments and stepped into a nearby room. He closed the door behind him and changed out of his tunic, trousers, and boots. One by one, he put on the new outfit: the crisp white shirt first, followed by the trousers, then the trench coat, which he buttoned up. He sat in a nearby chair to slip on the formal shoes before standing once more.
He turned to face a large mirror that covered half the left wall of the room and smiled at his reflection.
"Arbiter: Vault." The clothes he had previously placed on the chair vanished in a flash of violet light as they were stored in his vault.
A few seconds later, a knock came at the door.
"It's about time," the librarian's voice echoed through from the other side.
Zay emerged a moment later and placed the fedora atop his head. Its brim cast a faint shadow across his dark amethyst eyes as his long black hair swayed back and forth slightly with every step he took.
"If you don't mind me asking, what should I call you?" Zay turned his gaze toward the librarian, who was walking away slowly, his footsteps echoing against the marble floor.
"Everyone in the market goes by a name to prevent information leakage. Librarian. Call me that. When we enter, I'll call you 'Vines.' It was the first thing I thought of after hearing your last name."
Zay nodded as he placed his mask over his face, leaving only room for his eyes and followed behind the librarian. The two of them reached a door at the back of the library, and the librarian reached into his right pocket, pulling out a silver key that glowed with a crimson aura. He inserted the key and twisted it to the left.
He removed the key and placed it back into his pocket before extending his right hand, turning the doorknob to the right, and pulling the door open.