The market was louder than Aarav expected. Voices overlapped, footsteps echoed, and the air carried the scent of spices, metal, and something unfamiliar.
"…Okay," Aarav muttered, looking around. "This place officially has too many things I don't understand."
Rian grinned. "It's normal!"
"Normal for you," Aarav replied. "I just saw someone sell glowing fruit."
"That's because it is glowing fruit."
"…That doesn't help."
Meera sighed softly. "Stay focused."
"I am focused," Aarav said.
"On not getting lost."
Behind them, Kael and Lyra walked quietly, observing everything. They didn't speak much—but they missed nothing.
Aarav could feel it. That same subtle awareness.
*Yeah… still not used to that.*
They moved deeper into the market. More people, more noise, more unfamiliar things. Aarav's eyes kept moving, trying to take everything in without looking completely out of place.
*Too late for that.*
Then something changed.
Not loudly. Not suddenly. But clearly.
Voices lowered. Movements slowed. People began stepping aside, forming a path.
Aarav frowned. "…Why does it feel like something important is about to happen?"
Daren's expression hardened. "…Stay close."
That tone was different.
Then came the sound—wheels rolling slowly across stone. Controlled. Deliberate.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"Make way…"
"It's him…"
"…Aris Valen…"
"…the future ruler…"
Aarav blinked.
*Future ruler? That escalated quickly.*
A carriage appeared—dark, elegant, surrounded by Royal Knights. Every step they took was perfectly synchronized, every movement precise.
Aarav watched carefully.
This pressure wasn't like before.
It was heavier. Deeper.
Not just strength—authority.
The kind that didn't need to prove itself.
The carriage passed.
For a moment, everything felt distant. Muted. Like the world itself had stepped back.
Then—
It stopped.
Aarav frowned slightly, confused.
Then the door opened.
A man stepped out.
Calm. Composed. No wasted movement.
His presence alone made the air feel still.
Aris Valen.
He didn't look around. Didn't acknowledge the crowd.
His gaze moved once—
And stopped.
On Aarav.
Aarav felt it instantly.
This wasn't like Kael.
Not like the trainees.
This was different.
It felt like being seen through—not physically, but completely.
*…Yeah. That's not normal.*
For a brief moment, something inside him reacted—a strange tension, like something that shouldn't exist had just been noticed.
Aris didn't speak.
He simply raised his hand slightly.
That was enough.
The knights moved instantly—fast, precise—surrounding Aarav and the others from all sides.
Rian froze. "M-Meera…"
Meera stepped forward immediately. "What are you doing?!"
Daren moved beside her, voice firm. "Explain yourselves."
A knight responded coldly, "Stay where you are."
Kael shifted his stance slightly—subtle, but ready. "…This isn't routine," he muttered.
Lyra's gaze moved between Aarav and Aris. "…No," she said softly. "It's not."
Aarav stayed still.
Not by choice—but instinct.
Something told him moving would make things worse.
The crowd had gone silent.
Watching. Whispering.
"…Why them?"
"…What did they do?"
"…Is that the boy?"
The voices blurred together—but the meaning didn't.
Meera stepped closer to Aarav. "He's injured," she said firmly. "You have no reason to do this."
No response.
Because none was needed.
Aris was already walking toward them.
Step by step.
Calm.
Unavoidable.
Aarav's mind raced.
*Think.*
*What did I do?*
*Do I run?*
*…No. That's stupid.*
He forced himself to stay still.
To meet his gaze.
Not show fear.
Not show confusion.
Even if both were there.
Aris stopped in front of him.
Silence settled.
Heavy. Controlled.
A few seconds passed.
Felt longer.
Aarav held his ground.
Barely.
Aris studied him.
Not like a ruler.
Not like a warrior.
Like someone trying to understand something that didn't fit.
Then he spoke—calm, even, almost polite.
"…Tell me."
A small pause.
"…what are you doing here?"
The question was simple.
Too simple.
But it didn't feel like one.
It felt like a test.
Or worse—
Like he already knew the answer.