They darted away from the square.
weaving through the crowd as the armored figures barked orders and people scattered. The elf girl's grip on Izuma's sleeve was surprisingly strong for someone who looked like she might faint from embarrassment a minute ago.
She half-dragged, half-guided him down a narrow side street, her braid bouncing behind her. Izuma's heart hammered in his chest, his mind racing with a hundred questions and half-formed plans. He tried to keep track of where they were going, but the city was a maze of twisting alleys and bustling lanes.
Only when they were several blocks away did she finally slow down, breathing hard but still determined. She glanced at him, her cheeks flushed, and managed a tiny, apologetic smile.
"Sorry. I… I was going to take you to the stalls. To meet my friend. She's… um, waiting."
Izuma nodded, still catching his breath. "It's fine. I—uh—thanks for getting us out of there.", he said this even though he didn't understand why they ran away.
She nodded back, then immediately looked away, the awkwardness settling over them like a heavy blanket. They walked in silence for a moment, the sounds of the market fading behind them and replaced by the quieter hum of a residential street.
After a few more turns, they emerged into a smaller, quieter square. Colorful banners hung between the stalls, and the air was thick with the scent of roasting meat and sweet pastries. Izuma's stomach rumbled, and he realized he hadn't eaten since… well, since before he died.
The elf girl stopped at the edge of the square, scanning the crowd. Then she spotted someone and raised her hand in a hesitant wave. "There. That's her."
Izuma followed her gaze—and nearly recoiled. Her friend was everything she wasn't. She was taller, with sun-browned skin and wild, curly hair streaked with gold. Her ears were even longer, and she wore a tunic splashed with bright colors and a pair of boots that looked like they'd kicked down a dozen doors. She was leaning against a food cart, chatting animatedly with the vendor and laughing loud enough to turn heads.
As they approached, the outgoing elf spotted them and grinned.
"Well, look what the wind blew in! you finally found yourself a man, huh?" She winked at Izuma, her accent rolling off her tongue with a lazy drawl. "Or did he find you? Either way, darlin', you're lookin' mighty red. You two been makin' out behind the stables or just gettin' lost together?"
Izuma's face burned so hot he thought he might actually combust. "N-no! We just—uh, I just—"
The elf girl looked like she wanted to melt into the cobblestones. "Lira, please—he's new. I just… I thought you could help."
Izuma watched Lira closely, picking up on the way her eyes flicked to the guards, the careful distance she kept from him at first, the way her teasing never quite let her guard down. He noticed how her accent was exaggerated, almost theatrical—like she was playing a part. Even her posture was a little too loose, a little too performative. He'd seen people do this before, back home, when they wanted to test someone or keep them off-balance.
Izuma's mind worked overtime. He noticed the way people in the crowd looked at him—some with open curiosity, others with a kind of cold calculation. He caught snippets of conversation:
"Is that—?"
"No way, not in daylight—"
"That's a human, right? Haven't seen one in years…"
The words prickled at him, and he felt the shy elf step closer, almost protectively.
Lira grinned, unbothered, and leaned in close to Izuma, lowering her voice conspiratorially.
"You know, sugar, you're lucky she found ya first. If one of them guards had spotted you, you'd be chained up faster than a rabbit in spring."
Izuma blinked, the words sticking in his mind.
"Chained up"
He glanced at the guards, at the way people gave them a side eye, and at the way Lira's eyes never quite left them even as she kept teasing him. He filed it away, a puzzle piece he didn't like the shape of.
The shy elf girl, nodded, her voice barely more than a whisper. "She's right. It's… dangerous. I'm Adia, by the way."
Izuma managed a shaky nod. "I'm Izuma."
Lira's grin returned, wicked as ever. "Izuma, huh? Cute name. Hope you're not shy, sugar, 'cause you're about to get real popular. Maybe not for the reasons you'd like, but hey, a little attention never hurt nobody—unless you're into that sort of thing."
She winked, then nudged adia.
"Don't worry, hon, I'll keep your new boyfriend safe. Long as he don't mind a little rough play."
Izuma nearly choked on air. "I—what—no, I—"
Lira just laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Aw, relax. I'm just teasin'. Unless you want me to be serious, in which case, we can find a nice dark alley—"
Adia's face went bright pink. "Lira!"
Lira just winked.
"Alright, alright. Let's get you both fed before Izuma here passes out. Or before someone else decides to snatch him up. You got any money, darlin'? Or you gonna have to pay me back another way?"
Izuma fumbled for his wallet, still blushing furiously. "I—I have some yen, but—", with that he froze, realizing instantly the mistake made.
That stopped both girls. Lira's accent slipped a little, her brows furrowing. "Yen? What the hell is that?"
Adia echoed, "Yen…?"
One word ran through his mind,
"FUCK!"
Izuma felt the world tilt. A cold chill ran up and down his spine, realizing his mistake and just how alien he was here. He could see the suspicion flicker in Lira's eyes as her arms cross eachother, the way Adia's hand tensed on her satchel as her eyes twisted in a curious way, head leaning to the side.
"Uh, it's… it's just a word for money. From where I'm from. Not important," he lied, trying to play it off with a weak, nervous laugh. "Guess it's not worth much here, huh?"
Lira eyed him side to side, then shrugged, her accent vanished completely. Her voice was suddenly clear, direct, and much more normal.
"Guess not. Don't worry, I'll cover you." Her eyes lingered on him, curious and a little wary now that her act had dropped. "But seriously, you're not from around here at all, are you?"
Izuma shook his head, feeling more exposed than ever. He could tell Lira was still wary, but now her curiosity was genuine.
As they moved through the crowd, Izuma listened harder. He caught a merchant mutter,
"Hope the guards don't notice that one. Humans fetch a good price at the block."
Another, more sympathetic, whispered,
"Poor kid. Hope he's got friends."
The puzzle pieces clicked together, cold dread settling in his stomach. Humans were rare—and not in a good way. He understood now, with a chill, that Adia had pulled him away for his own safety. She'd seen the danger before he had.
Adia's actions suddenly clicked into place for him. The way she'd grabbed his sleeve, the urgency in her voice, the path she'd chosen through the crowd—always away from the guards, always toward the narrowest, busiest streets. She'd been protecting him, not just from chaos, but from being seen.
He remembered the way her eyes had darted to the armored figures, the way she'd stiffened when they got too close. She hadn't just been nervous—she'd been scared for him. For a moment, Izuma felt a strange gratitude, but it was quickly drowned out by a cold, persistent fear. Even knowing what she'd done, even understanding the danger, didn't make it any less real.
Lira grinned, but there was a new note of understanding in her eyes.
"Alright, city boy. If you want to survive, you'll need to blend in. Here—"
She reached into her bag and pulled out a full-face mask: sleek, midnight black, with silver and blue patterns swirling over the surface like smoke and stars. The eyeholes were narrow and angular, with a faint mirrored sheen that would hide his gaze. When he slipped it on, it hugged his face perfectly, transforming him from a lost, vulnerable human into something mysterious—almost dangerous.
Adia smiled, relieved. "You look… really cool. No one will know."
Izuma blushed then glanced at his reflection in a polished stall sign, barely recognizing himself behind the mask. It was beautiful, but also intimidating—like something a hero or a villain would wear in an anime. He felt a strange comfort in it, like armor.
Lira nodded, her tone now all business. "Alright, let's get moving. We'll take you somewhere safe and figure out what to do next."
Izuma kept his senses sharp as they melted into the crowd, piecing together the truth bit by bit. He was an alien here, a target, and the mask was more than a disguise—it was his best hope of survival. But even with the mask, the fear didn't leave him. It just hid behind the mirrored eyes, waiting for the next close call.
As they set off together, disappearing into the city's shadows, Izuma watched, listened, and tried to understand this strange world that had become his own...