The night was grim, the window reflecting the faint glow of moonlight. Jax, a 23-year-old man with dark brown hair, slightly pale skin, a white shirt, and blue trousers, was getting ready to flee his humble wooden house. He wandered around his room, speaking out loud:
"I can't take this anymore… I need to get the hell out of this city," Jax muttered, lost in thought, staring fixedly at the window. Gazing out at the city, he kept talking:
"Or else they're going to find me…"
Before leaving the house, he adjusted his arcane hand-cannon, preparing himself for any trouble he might face, already well aware of the dangers waiting in the city. Channeling his mana into the weapon, he decided to abandon his home, taking only a few important belongings—his bowler hat, a mysterious pendant, and some fruit—just the essentials for a long journey. Giving one last look at the house, he said:
"I want to forget everything about this place…"
Jax walked through the city as the cold wind blew hard and night fell over Brasswick. The smell of smoke, dark magic, and cheap booze could be sensed from miles away. As he walked, he spotted two men—one tall and muscular with a mohawk haircut, and the other slimmer with a side-cut hairstyle. Both wore black blazers and pants, the usual attire of Brasswick's most powerful gang, known as The Smokeveil.
Jax knew them well but tried to slip past unnoticed toward the city gate. The bigger man, known as Buck, recognized him and taunted:
"Well, well, if it isn't the famous Jax. You here to pay what you owe the boss, hmm? Or did you come up with another one of your excuses?"
Jax just stared back coldly, refusing to take the bait.
The slimmer man, Riker, smirked and said,
"Come on, Jax… you either pay up, or we're gonna have to take that fancy hand-cannon of yours as collateral. You know the boss hates waiting."
Suddenly, Buck whipped out a machete and lunged at Jax. He narrowly dodged the failed strike, then fired his hand-cannon at the ground, kicking up a cloud of smoke to obscure their view.
In the background, near a stone tower, a woman watched the commotion nervously, as if she wanted to say something.
Riker, coughing with his eyes watering, glared at Jax with hatred and shouted threateningly,
"You think you're getting away, you bastard? You're dead, you hear me? DEAD!"
Buck and Riker took off to gather reinforcements. As Jax stood there, waiting for the dust to settle, he spoke, already suspecting someone was lurking nearby:
"Who are you?" Jax demanded in a low, intimidating tone.
Ignoring his question, the woman said, "A-are you planning to escape the city too?"
Jax shot back, ignoring hers, "Are you a spy?"
Summoning her courage, she stepped out of hiding and answered confidently,
"My name's Beth. I'm just someone dealing with the same problem you are."
Her blonde hair caught the evening wind, and her green eyes radiated confidence, making Jax remember her.
"You… the woman from the tavern… how'd you get mixed up in this?" Jax asked, slightly surprised.
Beth replied,
"You're not the only one who owes the Smokeveil boss, you know. That bastard's got everyone in this city in the palm of his hand…"
Suddenly, an explosion went off around them.
"The hell?!" Jax exclaimed.
Riker reappeared with Buck and a third man, all three wielding long-range arcane weapons, mocking Jax. Riker sneered,
"You think you're the only one who can play with arcane cannons, Jax? Hahaha!"
"Well, look who we've got here… Guess we're clearing two debts tonight, Riker," Buck said with a grin, referring to Beth.
Riker smirked maliciously at her…
Jax grabbed Beth, and they sprinted toward a nearby barn. Mounting one of the horses inside, they rode together toward the city gate.
"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE, YOU IDIOTS! GET THEM—NOW!" Riker shouted.
As Buck prepared to fire his magic weapon, Beth, still on the horse, gathered her power. Her hands began to glow with a bright magical light, and then—suddenly—a powerful blast of energy shot toward Buck before he could act. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"BUCK!" Riker screamed in despair.
Jax looked at her in awe and smiled as they rode away. Glancing back, he said,
"So, you're a mana user too, huh? Impressive…"
She smiled shyly yet proudly at what she'd done. Using the distraction caused by Buck's injury, the two of them galloped toward the horizon with no clear destination, knowing they had escaped—at least for now—the dangers of that cursed city.