MIREYA POV
We were walking through the busy market, the smells of roasted meat and sweet pastries mixing with the noise of vendors shouting and people bargaining. My stomach ached in a good way.. I hadn't eaten properly in days and I was actually starting to enjoy myself.
Then it happened.
A heavy fog rolled in, thick and choking, curling through the streets like a living thing. Smoke filled the air, stinging my eyes and making it hard to breathe. The crowd screamed and scattered.
"Oh no… oh no, miss! We have to hide!" Greta shouted, her voice panicked.
"What… what… what is it?" I coughed, trying to wave the smoke from my face.
"It's… it's the Veilers," she said, shaking. Her grip on my hand tightened so hard it hurt. "Low-level Gifted. Fog masters. We need to get you out of here… unless my lord would be so angry if anything happened to you."
Veilers… That name hit me like a punch to the gut.
Edda had spoken about them once. Thieves… like us, but not like us. They had powers. We didn't.
I could feel Greta's hand dragging me through the chaos, her steps fast and urgent. My heart was hammering. People were screaming and running past us, bumping into me. The fog burned my lungs and made my head spin.
And then… suddenly, I was pushed. Hard.
I stumbled and fell against the edge of a stall. My hand shot out but Greta wasn't there.
"Greta! Greta!" I called, panic rising in my throat. My voice sounded small, weak, swallowed by the fog and the screaming crowd.
I turned in a circle, my eyes straining to see anything. Shadows moved in the smoke. Shapes appeared and disappeared. My chest tightened, and I gasped for air.
"Greta!" I shouted again, my voice cracking. "Where are you?!"
The market had become a nightmare. Smoke and fog swirled around me. People screamed. The crowd pressed in from every side. It felt like the walls were closing in.
And I was alone.
I kept calling out for Greta, my voice raw from shouting, but all I got back were screams I didn't recognize. Panic clawed at my chest.
Then I saw him.
A Veiler, moving through the fog, a knife in his hand. He was aiming for someone... someone I couldn't see clearly. The smoke made everything blurry. My stomach twisted, my heart pounding.
I ripped at my gown and wrapped the fabric around my nose and mouth, trying to breathe better through the choking fog.
He moved closer to the stranger, raising his knife. My legs moved before I could think. All I knew was I couldn't stand there and watch someone die.
I ran, faster than I thought possible, my heart hammering in my chest. With a push, I shoved the stranger out of the way just in time.
Then I noticed something else.
His stash. Gone. And mine… it had been stolen too.
Anger flared through me, hot and sharp. I wasn't going to let some fog-thief get away with my money.
I ran after him, pushing through the smoke and screaming at people.
Edda would kill me if she knew I let a competitor get away with stealing from me.
Fear and adrenaline tangled together, making my legs feel lighter and my senses sharper. I had to catch him. I couldn't let him win.
Not today.
Not ever.
I finally caught up to him near an empty store. The fog still clung to the streets, making everything feel unreal. My chest heaved, my legs aching from running, but I forced myself to slow down.
The thief wasn't alone. A few others were with him, laughing and celebrating, tossing stolen goods between them. My stomach twisted. Anger and fear fought for control.
I pressed my back against the wall, trying to calm my racing heart. Edda's words, I reminded myself. Watch… catch them when they're unguarded… grab and run.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. The smoke and the chaos around us made it disappear a bit I could barely see, but I knew I had to wait for the perfect moment.
The Veilers were careless, caught up in their own little victory. Their laughter echoed in the empty street, and I counted in my head, steadying my hands.
One wrong move and they'd notice me. One wrong move, and I'd end up like the stranger I'd saved… or worse.
I tightened my grip on the edge of my torn gown, ready to move.
Now…
I stepped out of the shadows, quiet as a cat, and waited for the moment they were distracted enough to make my move.
I waited, heart hammering, until the thieves were distracted enough.
Then I lunged. My hands grabbed the bag the one that held the stolen goods.. and I ran, feet pounding the cobblestones.
"Hey! You bloody thief! That's ours!" someone shouted behind me.
I didn't look back. I couldn't. My legs carried me through the bustling streets, dodging carts and panicked pedestrians. The market was chaotic, but the air was clear now. No fog, no smoke.. just the bright sun overhead and the sound of life all around me.
Then—bam!
I crashed into something solid. My head slammed against it, and the bag slipped from my hands for a moment. I stumbled back, gasping.
I looked up and froze.
Those eyes.
sharp, piercing… alive.
I didn't move. My heart skipped a beat.
And then everything seemed to pause, as if the noise of the market had vanished around us.
I found myself lost in those… hazel eyes…