The next evening, the dark market felt far enough away to become unreal for a few hours. Martin's shoulders and back still ached from the long session, and the memory of the market's impacts made a few harmless movements feel worse than they were. Every time his phone vibrated, he expected Rias to announce another emergency. Alexandra refused to let any of it change the plan. They had promised each other a real-world date before entering the market, and after the way the escape had ended, Martin was determined not to let another emergency swallow that promise.
Martin changed shirts three times. The first made him look like he had come straight from work. The second looked as though he had purchased it specifically to prove he owned something expensive. The third was plain, dark, and fitted well enough that he stopped trying. His studio looked worse.
