The short man led me to a large tent whose ceiling hung with rusty chains.
At the entrance stood humanoid beasts with wolf heads and red eyes, watching in and out like hell's guard dogs.
He drew the curtain open before me and said:
"Here your trade begins. Here you'll be tested—whether you deserve to be one of the children of this market or merely its food."
I entered…
The tent was dark except for a small fire in the center.
Behind the fire sat a thin man, his body covered in tattoos that moved as if alive. His eyes were completely white, without pupils.
He smiled and spoke in a deep voice that pierced my chest:
"Welcome… stranger. The scent of death around you is thick… do you know what that means?"
I fell silent.
He leaned closer and whispered:
"It means your soul is no longer yours… but it is still for sale."
I took a step back:
"A soul…? What do you want to give me?"
He laughed:
"Wrong question… here you don't ask what I will give you.
Here you ask: how much will you pay for what you want?"
I placed my hand on my broken sword, my eyes full of fury:
"I want power… I want to crush everyone who destroyed my life."
The merchant leaned forward, and the tattoos on his body began to glow red.
Suddenly three glass bottles appeared before me, suspended in the air:
1. A bottle burning with a black flame — "A power that burns your enemies, but you burn with them each time you use it."
2. A blue bottle containing ash — "A power that summons the dead to fight for you, but they steal your years with every summoning."
3. A clear bottle with a faint white light — "A power that grants speed beyond time, but you will lose one memory of your past with each use."
He approached me with a smile:
"Choose… but remember, every power costs your blood, your life, or your memories.
There is no return path."
My feet froze.
The shadow's voice inside me began to laugh:
> "Choose, Kim… for blood alone is not enough for revenge. Which are you ready to sacrifice… your life? your memories? or your very self?"
I reached out toward the bottles, while my other hand trembled…