The market was overflowing with life. Voices overlapped—vendors shouting, children laughing, animals bleating as they were tugged through narrow paths. The smell of roasted nuts mixed with the stench of old fish and fresh bread.
Adrian, his hood pulled low and plain clothes dull enough to make him invisible, moved through the crowd with careful steps. His green eyes flicked from stall to stall, memorizing movements, mapping the streets in his mind.
A sudden blur near a jewelry stand caught his eye. A boy, smaller than most guards would bother chasing, darted forward, brushed against a man's pocket, and slipped away with something shining in his hand.
Adrian whispered to himself, almost impressed, "So fast."
The boy froze. He hadn't expected anyone to notice. Slowly, he turned, dark eyes narrowing. His lips curled into a sly smirk.
"You saw that, didn't you?" His voice carried the tone of someone too used to bluffing his way out of trouble.
Adrian tilted his head. "It was hard not to."
The boy—messy hair, quick hands still tucked into his ragged coat—snorted. "Then keep it to yourself. Unless you want to lose more than your words."
Before Adrian could reply, a cheerful voice cut in. "Lio, you're being rude again."
A girl about their age stepped between them, balancing a basket full of bruised apples. Her eyes, sharp and bright, scanned Adrian as if weighing him, reading him. Unlike Lio's sly grin, hers was warm, though cautious.
"He doesn't look like he's here to snitch," she said. "Right?"
Adrian offered a small smile, careful not to give away too much. "I'm just passing through. Not interested in making trouble."
"Good," she said brightly. Then, almost teasing, "But you noticed Lio. Not many people do. That makes you different."
Lio groaned. "Mira, stop giving strangers compliments. He's not special, just nosy."
"I wasn't being nosy," Adrian replied calmly. "You're just not as invisible as you think."
That made Lio bristle. "Oh yeah? Want to test that, pretty boy?"
Before anything could spark, a loud voice interrupted them.
"There you are, Lio! Mira! And—wait, who's this?"
A taller boy with a scraped cheek and fists wrapped in cloth pushed through the crowd. He radiated hot energy, the kind that made people instinctively step aside.
"Tomas," Mira said with a sigh, "don't start."
"I'm not starting anything!" Tomas protested, though his clenched fists said otherwise. He pointed at Adrian. "But I don't like the way he looks at you two. Like he's… sizing us up."
Adrian didn't flinch. "Maybe I am."
That only made Tomas's eyes burn brighter. "You got a problem, then?"
"Enough," Mira said, stepping between them again, her basket tilting. "Don't fight in the middle of the market. People are already staring."
Indeed, a few vendors had paused their shouting to watch. Adrian pulled his hood lower, annoyed by the attention.
Lio chuckled under his breath. "Tomas wants to fight anyone who breathes too loud."
"I do not!" Tomas barked. Then, quieter but still heated, "Just… don't like the way he talks."
Adrian tilted his head again, his voice even. "And how do I talk?"
"Like you're better than us," Tomas snapped.
Mira rolled her eyes. "He didn't even say that. You just think he did." She looked back at Adrian, curiosity winning over suspicion. "What's your name?"
"Aiden," he lied smoothly.
Lio smirked again, circling him like a cat testing prey. "Aiden, huh? Doesn't sound like a market rat. Too clean."
Adrian only shrugged. "Names don't always tell the truth."
Mira's eyes lit up at that. "That's true. I like that answer."
Lio squinted at her. "You like everyone's answers."
Tomas folded his arms. "I still don't trust him. You can't just wander in here and act like you belong."
Adrian met his glare steadily. "I didn't say I belong. You're the ones surrounding me."
That earned a laugh from Mira, light and genuine. "He's got a point."
Lio leaned closer, his sly grin widening. "So, Aiden… you noticed me stealing, but you didn't call the guards. Why? Most strangers would."
Adrian thought carefully. He couldn't reveal too much, couldn't sound like a prince disguised among them. Instead, he said simply, "Because I've seen worse."
Lio's eyes gleamed at that, as if testing him further. "Worse, huh? Maybe you're not as boring as you look."
Tomas muttered, "Still don't like him."
"Of course you don't," Lio teased. "You don't like anyone."
Mira sighed again but smiled at Adrian, her eyes soft. "Don't mind them. They're always like this."
Adrian nodded once, though inside he felt something unusual. These three—so different, so raw—reminded him of something he hadn't expected: potential.
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The alley was narrow and half-lit, the sounds of the bustling market fading behind them. The three kids circled Adrian like alley cats sizing up a stray.
Lio leaned casually against a crate, flipping a copper coin between his fingers. "So, stranger… Aiden, was it? You walk like a noble but talk like you're trying not to. Which is it?"
Adrian smiled faintly, tilting his head. "Maybe I'm just good at pretending. Doesn't everyone pretend in the market?"
Lio smirked, clearly entertained. "Fair. But most folks don't pretend that well. You've got that 'don't mess with me' air… and trust me, I notice those things."
Mira stepped closer, her bright eyes scanning Adrian up and down like she could see right through him. "You're clean. Too clean. Your boots don't even have scuff marks. People from the streets don't look like that." Her voice was calm, but curious rather than hostile. "So why are you here?"
Adrian crossed his arms loosely. "To learn."
"Learn what?" Tomas barked, cracking his knuckles. He looked eager for a fight, his childish grin not matching the dangerous energy in his stance. "Learn how fast you can run before you trip? 'Cause I'm itching to test that."
Adrian's golden eyes flicked to him, calm as still water. "I learn how people move, how they think. Dodging fists could be a lesson too. You volunteering?"
Tomas blinked, then broke into a laugh. "Oh, I like you. You've got guts. Most kids flinch when I crack my knuckles."
Mira gently pulled Tomas back by the sleeve. "Don't scare him off." Then, looking at Adrian again, she asked softly, "So… Aiden, why aren't you with your people? Everyone belongs somewhere."
The question caught Adrian for a beat. He smiled crookedly. "Let's just say where I came from… it was too loud. Too many rules. I wanted to breathe."
Lio gave a slow whistle. "So, a runaway noble kid? Or maybe some rich brat sneaking out to play commoner? Honestly, both sound funny."
Adrian raised an eyebrow, amused. "And what are you three then? A magician, a knight, and a thief?"
Tomas puffed out his chest. "Street champion, thank you very much! No one dodges like me. I'm fast, I'm strong, and I don't lose fights."
Lio flicked the coin again, grinning slyly. "And I'm the one who makes sure the guards never notice when food goes missing. Lightning hands, fastest in the west."
Mira just smiled warmly, clasping her hands. "I'm… me. I notice things before others. Faces, footsteps, shadows. Someone has to keep these two from getting caught, after all."
Adrian's lips curved slightly. "Sounds like a team."
"Team?" Lio tilted his head, amused. "We're not some guild. We just… survive."
"And surviving together makes you a team," Adrian replied smoothly, meeting each of their eyes. "Doesn't it?"
Mira looked thoughtful. Tomas laughed again. Lio studied Adrian, clearly intrigued by his words.
Finally, Lio leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "So what about you, Aiden? If we're a team, what are you?"
Adrian considered for a moment, then said quietly, "The one who sees what you could become. And maybe… the one who can make it happen."
The three kids exchanged glances. Tomas looked confused, Mira curious, and Lio—Lio smirked like a fox. "You talk big, noble boy. But… I'm starting to believe you."