After the clash with the Wizard Guild, the city had grown quiet—but it was far from peaceful.
Some whispered that it was "just a squabble between magic users."Others claimed, "The Sorcerer finally pushed the Guild too far."But for Damian and his companions, none of that mattered.
What mattered now…was survival.
Léan murmured, "So what now?"
Under normal circumstances, they should leave the city.The Wizard Guild wouldn't back down easily.Worse—something larger was likely already in motion.
But then—
Ian spoke up quietly.
"We stay."
1. Ian's Strategy — Stay when everyone runs
Damian looked over at her.She flashed that mischievous smirk of a seasoned thief.
"People always expect you to run.So the safest place… is right in the middle of it all."
Léan shook his head.
"That's a dangerous call."
Ian shrugged."Which makes it the perfect one."
She had grown up in this city.She knew how the Guild operated.They'd comb the outskirts, the gates, the obvious hideouts—but never imagine their targets would remain in the city's heart.
2. The Hidden Place — Thieves' Sanctuary
Ian led them deep into the city,past crumbling buildings and forgotten alleys,to a place no ordinary person would find.
An old den, tucked between ruins—a haven used by thieves when things got too hot.
"We'll be safe here for a few days," Ian said, tossing her cloak aside.
Léan looked around the dusty room, then sighed.
"A fate-seer hiding in a thieves' den.This isn't how I imagined today."
Damian didn't respond.For him, everything had already gone off-script.
3. A Human Moment — Their First Real Conversation
As night settled, the three of them rested.No more swordplay. No chasing. No spells.Just a moment to breathe.
Ian unpacked some dried food and water.Léan conjured a flickering fire with a flick of his hand.
Damian sat quietly, watching.
He still wasn't sure what bound them together—but here, in this dim hideout, for the first time…
They moved like a party.
4. When They Start Seeing Each Other as a Party
Ian, mouth full, asked:
"Hey… we're kind of a team now, aren't we?"
Léan raised an eyebrow.
"…You ask that now?"
Ian grinned."Just want to make sure.You know how rare trust is in this city."
Damian responded coolly.
"Trust isn't declared. It's proven."
Léan narrowed his eyes—then chuckled.
"Trust is like fate.Hard to change…but sometimes, all it takes is one moment."
Ian winked."Then maybe we're due for that moment."
5. Another Gaze in the Dark
But as the three shared that fragile, forming bond—
They were no longer alone.
Somewhere out in the city…someone was watching.
Not just watching runaways—watching anomalies.
They had realized something others had not.
These three weren't hiding.They were rewriting the rules.
And that realization—was the beginning of something new.
***
Part 2: The Thief's Path, the Wizard's Path
1. The Movement of the Thieves' Guild
While Damian, Ian, and Léan remained in hiding,Ian noticed something troubling—the Wizard Guild hadn't moved their search outward as expected.
Instead, they tightened their net inside the city.Their objective was clear:
Secure Léan.
Label Damian and Ian as conspirators aiding him.
Ian clenched her jaw.She couldn't just sit by anymore.
She turned to the others.
"It's my turn to move."
2. Ian's Standing in the Thieves' Guild
Within the Thieves' Guild, Ian was one of the top operatives—and also one of its most unpredictable.
Some hailed her as a free spirit.Others called her a ticking bomb.
But one thing was certain:they wouldn't give her up easily.
Ian acted decisively.She returned to the guild, spreading word of the Wizard Guild's overreach—warning them that if they remained passive, even their territory would be at risk.
"We don't need flashy spells like the wizards.But in the shadows of this city, we're the true kings.Let's remind them."
The Thieves' Guild took the warning seriously.They wouldn't strike directly,but they began applying pressure in the way only thieves knew how—covert, silent, and suffocating.
3. Standoff — Wizard Guild vs. Thieves' Guild
As the Thieves' Guild stirred,the Wizards grew wary.
They didn't want open conflict—but the more the Thieves moved,the less room the Wizards had to maneuver.
They couldn't risk a street war.But they also couldn't ignore the Thieves tightening their grip.
So the city entered a tense balance:
The Thieves sabotaged the Wizards' operations from the inside,delaying searches, spreading misinformation, blocking routes.
The Wizards, caught off guard, couldn't escalate without backlash,and had to rethink how to capture Léan.
Eventually, a Wizard emissary issued a veiled threat:
"Back off… or the Thieves' Guild won't walk away unscathed."
The Thieves responded with a laugh.
"We are the kings of the night.Think you can reach into our shadows?"
4. Ian's Role — And Her Decision
Ian orchestrated it all.
She guided the Guild into action,turning their attention against the Wizard Guildand buying time for her small crew in the shadows.
When it was done,she returned to Damian and Léan, and spoke plainly.
"We've got breathing room now."
Thanks to the Thieves' involvement,Damian and Léan didn't need to run anymore.
They had time.Not much—but enough to plan their next move.
But Damian, watching the flickering shadows, thought to himself:
How long will this balance last?
**
Part 2: Lords of the Night1. The Wizard Guild's Indirect Strike — Weaponizing Authority
The Wizard Guild didn't lay a finger directly on the Thieves' Guild.Instead, they leaned on the city's guards and bureaucrats.
"The Thieves' Guild has been behaving recklessly.""For the sake of public order, all inspections must be reinforced."
That whisper was all it took.
Checkpoints appeared around Thieves' Guild strongholds.
Guard patrols doubled.
Every known thief was questioned at every turn.
The message was clear:
We won't strike first, but we'll choke your every move.
2. The Thieves' Response — "The Night Belongs to Us"
That night, the Thieves' Guild gathered.As always, the meeting took place cloaked in darkness.
Ian was among them—not just another member,but one of their most skilled and sharp-tongued operators.
The meeting had barely begun when voices of discontent broke out:
"This all started the moment you moved, Ian.""The Wizards won't let us go now!"
But Ian shut them up with a single sentence:
"You really thought the Wizards were just going to sit still?"
Silence. Cold and immediate.
She spoke slowly, deliberately:
"The Wizard Guild already saw us as a threat.If not now, they would've tightened their grip soon enough."
Someone tried to argue, but Ian raised her hand—calm, commanding.
"Think. Who do the Wizards serve?"
A thief muttered from the shadows:
"…The nobles."
Ian nodded.
"Exactly. The Wizards get their power from the elite.And the elite keep their power through the Wizards.""Those magic towers? They don't fund themselves."
Another voice, this time even quieter:
"…The ruling class."
Ian smiled, just faintly.
"Right. The Wizards protect the throne.Which means someone else has to stand on the opposite side."
Everyone knew the answer now.
"Us.""Us."
The Thieves' Guild was never just a criminal network.They were survivors of the undercity.Rulers of the shadows.
"If the Wizards rule the day—then the night belongs to us."
Ian's voice was steady, but fierce.
"We don't have to throw the first punch.But if they try to crush us—we'll remind them who truly owns these alleys."
Heads nodded. Quiet. Absolute.
If the Wizards had information networks, so did the thieves.
If nobles backed the Wizards, then the back-alley rich funded the Thieves.
If Wizards used spells to control the streets, the thieves used stealth and ambush.
Finally, the Guildmaster spoke:
"Fine.""They haven't crossed the line—yet. So we wait.But if they push again, they'll learn who they're dealing with."
Ian's smirk was one of satisfaction.
3. Ian's Rising Influence — Untouchable Now
Not everyone in the Guild liked what she'd done.But more and more were forced to admit:
"Without Ian, we wouldn't have seen this coming.""Wizards would've pressed us either way.""At least now we're ready."
Ian wasn't just a loose cannon anymore.She'd become a strategic pillar of the Guild.
No one could afford to cast her aside now.The Guild would have to protect her—even if they didn't want to.
4. Damian and Léan — Watching the Shift
From the shadows, Léan watched her.
"Fate's changing again."
Damian's arms were crossed, eyes narrowed.
"This isn't how it was supposed to go, right?"
Léan gave a bitter smile.
"No. Ian was supposed to lose her place in the Guild around this time.But your interference shifted everything.She's not a rogue element anymore.She's becoming a center of power."
Damian gave a quiet nod.
"Then she's no longer a variable—she's a constant."
Léan murmured, almost to himself:
"And you're the one who made that possible."