Ian and Myrra returned to the facility, their hands weighed down with supplies. Kara and Lirian were already there, discussing some final adjustments to the processing units.
Kara glanced at the stack of items Ian was carrying. "Whoa… you two really stocked up."
"Yeah," Ian grinned. "Got a pretty good deal."
Kara raised a brow. "Good deal? This stuff is usually expensive as hell."
Myrra smiled. "The shopkeeper gave us a huge discount."
Kara blinked. "Really? Why?"
"She was just… unusually generous," Myrra admitted. "Said she liked seeing people working on something productive for once."
Lirian looked up, slightly amused. "Huh. That's not something you hear every day from a shopkeeper."
Kara chuckled. "Well, I'm not complaining. If she's giving out discounts like that, we should definitely go back."
"Agreed," Lirian grinned. "Might as well take advantage of it."
They all laughed.
A few days later, the group gathered at a local restaurant after a long day of work. Kara, Lirian, Ian, Myrra, Oryn, Velke, and Holone sat around a large table, the atmosphere light and filled with chatter. Plates of steaming food were placed before them, and the hum of lively conversations surrounded them.
"Honestly," Holone said, slicing into his meat, "I still can't believe how fast that processing unit came together. Thought we'd be at it for few more months."
Oryn grinned. "Yeah, well… Ian's been burning through those calibrations like a machine."
Ian chuckled. "Just making sure it doesn't blow up when you flip the switch."
"Fair enough," Lirian smirked. "But you do work like you've got a gun to your head."
Ian shrugged. "I just like to get things done."
Kara leaned toward Myrra. "And you? How's it been working with him?"
Myrra smiled softly. "Tiring, but it's nice. Keeps my mind busy."
Velke chuckled. "Yeah, well. Better than sitting around with nothing to do, huh?"
They all laughed lightly.
Just then, a familiar voice chimed in from nearby.
"Oh… what a pleasant surprise!"
The group turned toward the voice. It was the shopkeeper from a few days ago, the same woman who had given Ian and Myrra a large discount. She smiled warmly as she approached their table, carrying a small pouch in her hand.
She looked much the same as she did at the shop, tall and delicately built, with fair skin and long black hair still tied into a loose braid that draped over her shoulder. Today, however, her attire had shifted slightly. She wore a deep green ankle-length dress, cinched at the waist with a thin leather belt, giving her a graceful silhouette. The sleeves were long and fitted, with intricate silver embroidery running along the cuffs and neckline, subtle but finely crafted. The silver pendant she wore around her neck, the same one Ian noticed before, now shimmered slightly under the ambient light of the restaurant.
"Oh, hey," Myrra blinked. "You're the shopkeeper"
"Oh yes, yes," the woman smiled wider. "Nice running into you again!"
Kara blinked. "Wait, you're the one who gave them that huge discount?"
Enira laughed, waving it off. "Oh, please, don't mention it. I was just being friendly."
Kara grinned. "Well, that was very generous of you. Seriously, thank you! We saved quite a bit."
"Oh, it's nothing," Enira said brightly. "I love seeing folks working on something good."
Myra nodded. "That's really kind of you."
Enira's gaze briefly lingered on Myrra before she smiled again. "I hope your facility is coming along well?"
"Almost done," Ian replied shortly.
"Ah, that's wonderful," Enira beamed. "Oh! I just realized I never introduced myself properly." She extended her hand. "My name's Enira, by the way. And I own that little shop."
"Oh! I'm Kara." Kara shook her hand. "And this is Lirian, Holone, Velke, Oryn, and you have already met Ian and Myrra."
Enira nodded, her smile never faltering. "Lovely meeting you all. Honestly, if you ever need anything, just stop by my shop. I'll make sure you get the best price in town."
"That's very generous," Lirian said warmly. "We might take you up on that."
Enira smiled. "You're always welcome."
"Well then, I'll leave you to your meal. Enjoy!" Enira waved, then turned and walked off, disappearing into the bustling street.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Kara turned to Ian and Myrra. "Okay, wow. She's really nice."
"Yeah," Myrra agreed.
The group eventually eased back into their usual conversation, laughing and planning their next steps for the facility.
A few streets away, Enira walked calmly, a subtle smirk curling at her lips. The coincidence had played out perfectly.
A few days later, while Ian and Myrra were at Ian's house, Myrra casually brought it up.
"Oh, by the way," she started. "Enira and her husband stopped by our house the other day."
Ian's hand, which was adjusting some mechanical parts, paused briefly. "…Enira?"
"Yeah, the shop owner," Myrra nodded. "Apparently, her husband is discussing some kind of supply partnership with my uncle."
Ian turned slightly. "…Her husband?"
"Yeah. Eryndor, I think his name was." Myrra smiled faintly. "They seemed nice. Lura liked them a lot."
Ian's mind, however, was already spinning. First the discount, then the meeting at restaurant and now suddenly getting involved with Myrra's family? This was starting to feel a bit too deliberate and timely.
"What did they talk about?" Ian asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.
"Mostly business," Myrra shrugged. "My uncle seemed pretty interested in their proposal."
"Did they ask you anything unusual?" Ian pressed, still masking his concern.
Myrra paused for a second, then shook her head. "Not really. Enira was mostly focused on the deal. She just made some casual talk, about Lura, about me. Nothing weird, really."
Ian exhaled slowly. Still, why would they suddenly seek a partnership with her uncle now?
"Strange," Ian muttered under his breath.
"Hm?"
"Nothing," Ian quickly brushed it off
The next day at the gym, Ian was once again sparring with Kieran.
The air was thick with tension as they circled each other. Kieran's right arm was blazing, the veins along his skin glowing a molten orange, radiating intense heat. Every time he swung, the air around his fist shimmered like a desert mirage.
Kieran lunged, his fist trailing heat as he aimed a powerful blow at Ian's chest. Ian twisted his wrist slightly, and the bandages around his forearm disassembled instantly into thin strips. With a flick of his hand, he willed them to reassemble mid-air into a stretchy plane, absorbing the blow. The impact still sent him sliding back a few steps.
"Not bad," Ian grunted, his arm still tingling from the heat transfer.
"You're getting faster," Kieran grinned, his veins still glowing. "But you're still too defensive." He went for a punch.
The clang of flesh meeting flesh reverberated through the gym as Ian sidestepped Kieran's punch, his movements sharp and precise. Kieran's arm, veins glowing faintly with a fiery hue, snapped back and surged forward again, heat rippling through his skin.
Ian moved fluidly, his bandages shifting with his will, wrapping around his forearm just as Kieran's punch connected. The impact sizzled against the cloth, but Ian barely flinched. His Eldritch-enhanced body absorbed the shock without much strain.
Another punch came, and Ian responded instantly, his bandages tightened and latched onto Kieran's arm, pulling him off balance. Ian twisted his body and slammed Kieran down, pinning his arm.
Kieran exhaled sharply, his skin still radiating heat. "Damn it—!"
Ian didn't let up. He lunged forward, his strength monstrous, forcing Kieran to grit his teeth and retaliate. Heat surged around Kieran's free hand as he swung, aiming for Ian's side. Ian responded by pulling his bandages across his abdomen like a shield, the heat barely registering against his enhanced resilience.
Ian stepped back, giving him space. "You good?"
Kieran coughed. "Yeah… barely."
Kieran exhaled, his veins slowly cooling as the glow faded. "You know… you're getting scary, I have not seen or heard of any Architect like you."
"You still hold back too much," Ian said, unwinding his bandages. "Just stop worrying about burning me."
"Yeah, yeah…" Kieran waved him off. "Next time I'll just melt your stuff faster."
They both relaxed, catching their breath.
"…Anyway," Ian started, rolling his shoulder. "You get a lot of unusual folks passing through town, right?"
Kieran exhaled, still catching his breath. "Yeah… all sorts."
"Ever come across a woman and a man running an old shop near the market, selling alchemical supplies and arcane components ?" Ian asked casually, brushing dust off his arm.
Kieran squinted. "Plenty of them around. Got something more specific?"
Ian shrugged. "The woman's name's Enira. Her husband, or at least the guy with her, is Eryndor."
Kieran paused, frowning slightly. "…Why? Something happen?"
Ian shook his head, trying to sound indifferent. "Nah, just ran into them a couple of times. They gave us a big discount once. Seemed… unusually generous."
Kieran gave a short chuckle. "Ah, one of those, huh? Yeah, you'll find a few folks like that around here. Especially near the market. They either want connections, favors, or just trying to make a name for themselves."
Ian hummed. "You know anything else about them?"
Kieran leaned back, thinking. "Enira and Eryndor, huh… Hold on." He pushed himself up and walked toward the far side of the training grounds where a small terminal was mounted on the wall, a database system for security personnel. Ian watched as Kieran tapped a few commands, searching through records.
A few moments later, Kieran spoke. "Yeah, here we go. They came to Lylva… about five, maybe six months ago. Right after the ruins discovery."
Ian's gaze sharpened. "Right after?"
"Yeah." Kieran scrolled down the record. "A lot of groups showed up back then: scavengers, prospectors, private research parties. Enira and Eryndor were one of them. They were particularly interested in the ruins, though."
"What do you mean?" Ian asked carefully.
Kieran scratched his chin. "Kept visiting the administration office, asking for excavation permits or if there was anything left to uncover. The officials didn't budge, ruins were already cleaned out by the time they got here. After that, the two of them just sort of… stuck around."
Ian's brow furrowed. "That doesn't sound odd to you?"
Kieran shrugged. "Not really. Happens a lot, especially when there's money involved. If you're lucky enough to find ruins no one's touched, you make a fortune. Hell, if it's on your land, you basically own it. Excavation rights can make you filthy rich."
He continues "You see the owner of the land where the ruins were discovered, he cashed out big time. Tried to do the excavation himself at first, we both were there right, but it was not feasible so he sold the rights to the administration and walked away with enough money"
Ian took a mental note of that. "And the groups like Enira and Eryndor?"
"They usually stick around for a few months. See if there's anything left unclaimed, smaller ruins, artifacts, black-market stuff. Then they move on."
Ian nodded but didn't say anything.
Back at home, Ian couldn't shake the feeling.
Kieran's explanation made perfect sense, logically, there was nothing suspicious about Enira and Eryndor's presence in Lylva. People came here all the time hoping to profit from the ruins, and many stuck around longer than expected. But the timing… the sudden interaction with Myrra, the easy familiarity, and now a business partnership with her uncle, it felt too deliberate. Too perfect.
Ian sat in his workshop, staring blankly at a few components scattered across the table. He couldn't ignore it anymore. If something was off about them, he needed to know. Quietly.