"Let's head to an inn," the man said. Felix followed without question.
The place was clean, the air thick with the sweet scent of spices and roasting meat. Felix's stomach growled the moment they stepped inside.
"Half-full," Felix noted. Just enough people to keep the place lively, but not noisy.
They settled into a corner table. His stomach rumbled again, and the man smirked.
"Hungry, are we?"
"Haven't eaten a proper meal since morning ," Felix said with a half-laugh.
"What a hassle." The man waved a maid over and ordered before Felix could even say no.
"So you weren't lying…"
"Why would I lie about treating a meal?" the guy replied.
"Think of it as sparing my pride," he added with a grin. "I'm Darian, the guild leader of this town. And you are?"
Darian. The name poked at Felix's memory, but he couldn't place it.
"Felix. The one who bets against odds."
The food came quick—steaming bread, glazed meat, herbs Felix hadn't tasted in weeks. He barely heard the maid's polite "Enjoy your meal" before digging in. The flavor hit hard. For a moment, he forgot the world.
Darian watched with amusement. "We'll talk after."
Halfway through the meal, Felix looked up. "So… what's the catch?"
"No catch."
"Come on. Nobody feeds strangers for free."
Darian laughed loud enough to turn a few heads. "You're sharp. But I can sense power in you—and that silver glow in your pocket caught my eye."
Felix sighed. "Alright. But we'll let fate decide."
He flipped his coin.
"Heads, I accept. Tails, I reject."
The coin spun mid-air, humming faintly with a strange energy—then landed on heads.
"Looks like I reject," Felix said casually.
Darian raised an eyebrow. "Cheating already?"
"Heads means I refuse. Tails meant I'd agree."
"Then pay for the meal," Darian joked.
Felix smirked. "I'll honor my word—but only because I feel like it. And yeah, I was just messing with you before."
After the meal, Darian leaned in. "Let's head to the guild. Too many ears in here."
Felix nodded. "Sure."
They stepped back into the bustling streets. It was busier than usual.
"Crowd's thick today," Felix said.
Darian shrugged. "Dragon's head on display. Big duel earlier. And we are the herb capital—traffic like this is normal."
Felix looked around. "What's your guild's deal?"
"We protect the villages, fight off beasts. Harvest rare herbs so the common folk don't have to risk it."
"Beasts, here?"
"Yeah. The herbs attract them. Lately there's been more than usual," Darian's grin faded. "We're lucky, though. Other towns have it worse. We've got strong fighters. And our biggest problem—the Blackmaw—was taken care of."
"Taken care of… by who? Is that the Blackmaw's the dragon that head is on the display ?"
Darian's eyes gleamed. "The Hollow Blade." yes the head of the dragon you saw earlier was Blackmaw's.
Felix's body tensed. "Hollow Blade?"
"The one who killed the dragon. No sound, no warning. The corpse just… appeared. Heart shattered. Head sliced so clean, it looked like it never even bled. No tracks. No trace. Just a legend. More ghost than man."
Felix's pulse jumped. It felt… familiar.
They arrived at the guild.
A guard greeted Darian, then eyed Felix. "Who's this?"
"A friend. Call him a brother."
"Guild feels empty," Felix said, glancing around.
"Everyone's at the duel," the guard replied.
"Who's fighting?" asked Darian.
Felix looked confused.
"Sylra and Nox," the guard said.
Darian blinked. "Those two again? Don't they usually destroy half the place?" He sighed. "I have to stop them this time before they break everything."
"I'm intrigued now," Felix said.
"Then let's go," Darian replied.
As they neared the training arena, the clash of steel rang through the halls. Inside, Sylra and Nox were already locked in a brutal match—magic bursts flaring, blades crashing.
"They're two of the kingdom's best," Darian said.
Felix watched, fascinated by their hybrid style—mixing swordplay and magic.
Blessed as second-rank combatants, he thought.
Then, without warning—a stray blast veered off course, heading straight toward Felix.
No time to dodge.
The world flashed silver.
Note : hmmm I think i should just stop writing it's a hassle men/women (I don't discriminate ) should i though what's your thought on it ?