Haruaki's reflection in the Shinjuku Veil market's polished obsidian wall was a stranger's—white hair, deep wrinkles carving his face, eyes sunken with exhaustion. At seventeen, he looked closer to fifty, his body ravaged by the fractures he'd sealed, each one stealing years he couldn't reclaim. The twin Gatekey in his left hand pulsed alongside the original in his pocket, their combined warmth a dual-edged lifeline, both sustaining and draining him. The market's Nexus buzzed around him, its floating platforms and neon glyphs a chaotic tapestry of power and wealth, but the entity's whisper—You are ours—lingered, a cold weight that matched the ache in his bones.
Mira stood before him, her indigo robes shimmering, her silver hair braided with threads of light. Her staff's runes pulsed, a reminder of the power she wielded as the market's overseer. Rina leaned against a stall, her red-streaked hair catching the glow of her staff's flickering flames, her fire-red eyes wary but resolute. Yumi stayed close to Haruaki, her dark eyes searching his face, her hand brushing his in a silent plea for him to hold on. Kuro perched on a nearby crate, his golden eyes glinting, muttering about "costly deals and darker debts."
The alliance with Mira was sealed, but its price hung heavy. She'd promised wards to hide the Gatekeys and artifacts to slow Haruaki's aging, but in return, he'd pledged to aid the market against the elite—Varyn, Seris, and their ilk, whose liquid-gold wealth and rune-etched artifacts defined the Veil's aristocracy. The deal felt like a chain, binding him to a world he barely understood, and the entity's presence—its malice surging through every fracture—made it clear the stakes were higher than any market bargain.
Mira handed Haruaki a small amulet, its surface etched with glowing runes. "This will stabilize your fractures," she said, her voice cool but not unkind. "It won't stop the aging, but it'll slow it. Wear it always." She glanced at the twin Gatekey, her eyes narrowing. "The keys are drawing the entity closer. You'll need more than power to survive."
Haruaki slipped the amulet around his neck, its warmth faint compared to the keys'. "What's the catch?" he asked, his voice rough, strained by the weight of his aging body. "You don't give something for nothing."
Mira's smile was sharp, appraising. "Perceptive. The amulet binds you to the market's wards. If you betray us, it'll turn on you—strip your power, leave you defenseless. The Veil thrives on trust, Fractureborn, but it's built on blood."
Rina's flames flared, her staff sparking. "Nice way to say 'screw us over and we're dead.' You sure know how to pick allies, rookie."
Yumi's hand tightened on Haruaki's, her voice low. "We didn't have a choice, Rina. The elite are coming, and the entity's worse. We need her."
Kuro cawed, his wings ruffling. "Need's a dangerous word, girl. The market's no better than the elite—just a different kind of greedy. And that entity? It's laughing at all of you."
Haruaki's chest ached, the amulet's warmth doing little to ease the pain of his last fracture. "What's next, Mira? You've got your deal. Where do we go?"
Mira gestured to a floating platform, its surface glowing with a map of the Veil's fracture points. "The next Gatekey—space, not time—is rumored to be in Cairo, guarded by a sect of rogue mages. But the fractures are spreading, and the entity's influence grows. Varyn's agents are already moving, and Seris won't be far behind."
Kael Draven, silent until now, stepped forward, his crimson robes shimmering, his silver staff glowing. "Cairo's market is less… civilized than Shinjuku's," he said, his jade eyes glinting. "But I have contacts there. We can secure the key—if you trust me."
Rina snorted, her flames flickering. "Trust you? You're one of them, Kael. An elite playing merchant. What's your angle?"
Kael's smile was thin, predatory. "Survival, fire-witch. The entity threatens us all—elite, merchant, Fractureborn. I want the keys secure, not in Varyn's hands—or worse."
Haruaki's hand tightened around the twin key, its pulse syncing with the original, a rhythm that made his head throb. "And if we get the space key? What then? We can't keep running forever."
Mira's eyes were sharp. "You don't run, Fractureborn. You fight. The keys can stabilize the Veil—or destroy it. The entity wants the latter. The elite want control. You choose what comes next."
Before Haruaki could respond, the Nexus shook, a low rumble that sent stalls trembling, glyphs flickering wildly. The air grew heavy, the Veil's pulse surging, cold and chaotic. A fracture tore open above the platform, its gold-streaked edges pulsing, wraiths and frostwraiths pouring through. The entity's presence surged, a shadow looming larger than before, its whisper a blade in Haruaki's mind. Fractureborn. You belong to us.
Rina's flames roared, incinerating a wraith mid-lunge. "Haruaki, seal it!" she shouted, her staff swinging.
Kael's silver light flared, a shield forming around them, while Mira's indigo runes spiraled, shattering frostwraiths. Yumi drew her runed dagger, her movements precise as she slashed through a wraith, her eyes fixed on Haruaki. "Don't push too hard!" she yelled, her voice desperate.
Haruaki reached for the Veil's pulse, the pain igniting as he touched the current, slowing time. The wraiths froze, their green eyes glowing, the shadow's form flickering in the rift. The fracture was massive, its edges unraveling reality, glimpses of Shinjuku's streets—people trapped, time stuttering—visible through the tear. The amulet burned against his chest, stabilizing the pain, but his body still aged—his skin tightening, his breath shallow, his vision blurring.
The entity's whisper grew louder, its shadow reaching through the rift, its touch like death. Give us the keys. Haruaki screamed, pulling at the current, stitching the fracture closed. Yumi's voice was a lifeline, her hand on his shoulder. "Stay with me, Haruaki!"
Rina's flames and Kael's light drove the wraiths back, Mira's runes shattering the frostwraiths, but the shadow pressed forward, its malice crushing. Haruaki pulled harder, the fracture shrinking, the amulet slowing his aging but not stopping it—his hands grew skeletal, his hair whitening further. The rift snapped shut, the shadow's scream echoing as it vanished.
He collapsed, Yumi catching him, her arms trembling. His face was a map of wrinkles, his body frail, his breath a ragged gasp. "You're killing yourself," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "This has to stop."
Mira knelt beside him, her expression grim. "The amulet helped, but it's not enough. The keys are too powerful, Fractureborn. You need more—training, artifacts, allies."
Kael's voice was calm, but his eyes gleamed. "Cairo's our next move. The space key will change the game, but the cost will be higher."
Rina's flames flickered out, her voice low. "He's right, rookie. But you're running out of time—literally."
Kuro landed nearby, his eyes glinting. "The entity's not playing, kid. Every fracture brings it closer, and the elite are just its pawns. You've got two keys—three more to go. Better hope you've got enough life left."
Haruaki clutched the twin key, its warmth fading against his trembling hand. The elite's wealth—Mira's market, Kael's empire, Varyn's ambition—was a world he couldn't escape, but the entity was a threat beyond their games. Yumi's eyes, fierce with hope, grounded him. "Cairo," he said, his voice weak but resolute. "We go to Cairo."
Mira nodded, her staff glowing. "I'll arrange transport. But be warned, Fractureborn—the Veil's cost is always blood."
As they left the Nexus, the market's neon glowing around them, Haruaki felt the Veil's pulse, a warning of the fractures to come. The war for the keys was a fire he couldn't outrun, and its cost was burning him alive.