Underneath the Silhouette-Chapter 81: A Dangerous Bloom

The bounty hunters laughed. "The weeping bindweed is a rare local specialty, and it fetches a high bounty in the black market. But since it’s also a dangerous item, the academy forbids its unauthorized use."

"Then why did we choose this?" one of the bounty hunters asked, his voice laced with clear apprehension.

"Of course, it can be sold for a very high price."

Eirin continued to chew, but the food felt like sawdust. Her nervousness clung to her, a cold knot in her stomach, and she kept darting quick glances at Shade.

"Oh right—speaking of the academy. There’s this strange man from the black market, going around, telling people he’ll buy students with rare Flairs." The words hit Eirin like a physical blow, and she gagged, almost choking on her mouthful of food.

"Especially that one famous student. What was his name again? Oh—I remember! Shade Cromwell! That’s his name."

Eirin’s gaze shot to Shade, but he remained impassive, as if the very air hadn’t just vibrated with his name. ’God, I wish I could cultivate that kind of composure,’ she thought to herself.

The bounty hunters erupted into raucous laughter, their boisterousness disturbing the other customers. The owner, however, only wrung his hands, clearly too intimidated to intervene. Despite Eirin feeling completely full, Shade remained in his seat, a picture of stillness, as if biding his time for something.

Eirin shifted uneasily, her stomach giving a nervous rumble despite her having just eaten.

"We should go as early as we can. You know what they say, the early bird catches the worm one of the bounty hunters grumbled, finally pushing back his chair. They laughed and sang some vulgar songs as they began to file out of the inn, Shade finally rose. Eirin followed.

"We need two rooms."

Eirin stood close behind Shade as he spoke to the manager, his hoodie still up. The manager gazed from Shade to Eirin. "I apologize, young man, but we only have one room left."

"Fine, we’ll get that." Shade’s immediate acceptance left Eirin dumbfounded. ’I thought he’d make a scene,’ she thought, following him upstairs. It was a small inn, so perhaps there really was no other choice. Still, after what happened in the village of Dalry, the thought of being alone in a strange place was terrifying.

"I’ll take the bed. You take the sofa."

Eirin shook her head, a wry, almost exasperated smile touching her lips. ’Of course.’ What else would she expect from Shade Cromwell? She sighed, sinking onto the sofa. ’Well, this isn’t bad,’ she thought, her gaze sweeping over the surprisingly neat, albeit simple, room. It seemed just enough for a single night’s stay.

"We’ll be leaving early tomorrow, so you’d better wake up."

Eirin rolled her eyes, nodding, though she knew the young man wouldn’t see the gesture. However, sleep wouldn’t come. She tossed, punched her pillow, and finally gave up, staring at the rough wooden ceiling, every creak and groan of the old inn echoing in the stillness.

The absurdity of finding herself alone with Shade Cromwell in a single room almost made Eirin laugh aloud. They’d tried to kill each other during her first weeks at the academy, and again on their first mission together. Yet now... here they were, just the two of them.

’Even when we’re at each other’s throats, I oddly felt relaxed being alone with him,’ Eirin mused, willing herself to get some rest, even for a short while.

Before Shade could even call her name, Eirin woke. Her body felt heavier, more exhausted than rested, as if she’d merely closed her eyes while her mind spun ceaselessly, unable to truly rest.

"Don’t forget to wear your cloak."

Eirin nodded, tidied herself, and followed Shade out. The cold breeze bit at them, and fog surrounded the village as they walked in the pre-dawn darkness. It was still the crack of dawn, but despite her lack of sleep, Eirin’s mind felt wide awake, buzzing with a nervous energy.

The two teenagers trudged towards the Slumbering Slopes, hiking through the tall, steep mountains in search of the cave where the weeping bindweed was said to bloom. As they got higher, the wind grew stronger, biting through Eirin’s clothes and forcing her to rub her palms together for warmth.

The fog swallowed the path ahead, thick and oppressive. Eirin squinted, trying to discern the treacherous ground, but her foot found nothing but slick rock. She gasped as she slipped, her heart leaping into her throat, the momentum threatening to send her tumbling back down the hard-won ascent.

"What are you doing?"

Eirin’s gaze at the young man’s eyes, then to the hand clamping onto her arm. He pulled her up like she weighted nothing, an easy, effortless tug that made Eirin blink, stunned by his strength.

’If this were a romantic film, I would have fallen for him,’ Eirin thought, shaking her head to clear it, taking deep, shaky breaths. ’You can never put Shade and the word romantic in one sentence, ever,’ she thought.

As they continued walking up, the air grew denser, and Eirin’s mouth felt like sandpaper. Shade, frustratingly, seemed immune to the thinning air. He climbed with a relentless, easy pace that left Eirin panting. A grudging admiration stirred within her – he truly was formidable.

Eirin’s thoughts were a blurred mess, her head light. She simply followed the dark shape of Shade, relying on him completely, until he abruptly halted. She crashed into his rigid back, a gasp escaping her. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

"You shall not pass beyond this path."

A little girl with ash-brown hair stood in front of them. She raised both hands, gesturing for them to stop their climb. Her gold eyes glimmered, fixed directly on Eirin, making the teenage girl wary.

"I am called Hebe, and I cannot let you steal the weeping bindweed for your selfish desires," the little girl stated, her voice serious, her brow furrowed. Her cheeks and hands were red from the cold, exposed by the thin, hole-riddled dress she wore. No wonder she looked so chilled. "It is the duty of the villagers to protect the flower from bad people. Within my power, I shall also do everything to keep the flower safe."

Shade raised an eyebrow, a tiny, angry spark of fire flickering on his fingertip. Eirin noticed it. Knowing her companion’s explosive impatience, she stepped forward, taking it upon herself to reason with the little girl.

"We are not here to use it for something bad. We need it to cure a certain plague hounding our place."

A sudden crack of thunder and flash of lightning made the little girl jump, her resolve momentarily forgotten amidst Eirin’s attempts at persuasion. Eirin, on the other hand, felt her heart thumping so loud as her body froze in fear. "I-I shall warn you, if you keep moving forward, I shall do something bad to the both of you."

"Oh, yeah? Let me see you try." Shade charged towards the little girl. Terror flashed in Hebe’s golden eyes. She shrieked, a high, piercing sound, darting sideways to evade Shade’s grasping hands. As he lunged past, she flicked out a tiny finger, tapping his shoulder with surprising force.

Eirin watched, stunned, as Shade froze mid-lunge. His body stiffened, and then, as if an invisible weight pressed down on him, he slowly, continuously, sank to his knees.

"What the—did you get defeated by a little girl?" Eirin gasped in disbelief, but the words died in her throat as thick, acrid smoke began to billow from Shade’s body. "Shade!" Her horrified shout jolted the little girl, who shrieked and fled.

The smoke continued to disperse from Shade’s shrunken form just as the first cold drops began to fall from the sky. The downpour began without warning, a sudden, brutal assault.

Eirin squinted, pushing through the rain to reach Shade. "Hey, are you okay?" Her eyes wide, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, a horrified gasp escaping her. "Shade...?" Eirin whispered, her voice barely audible over the rain.

The formidable young man was gone. In his place knelt a child, no older than five, shrouded entirely by his voluminous black cloak. Only the cloak remained the same.

"I told you people we should have risen early. Now it’s raining."

Eirin’s eyes snapped wide, her mouth falling open. It was them – the bounty hunters from the inn. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drum drowning out the rain. ’What do I do?’ she thought, her gaze darting wildly, a nervous energy making her pace back and forth.

"I think we need to move," Eirin muttered, turning to Shade. She started to ask him if he could walk, but his small face was alarmingly flushed, his breathing ragged, and his dazed eyes completely unfocused. A fresh wave of panic seized Eirin.

Eirin shrieked, snatching her hand back upon touching the young man. "You’re burning up!" she cried, as if his skin might literally ignite. There was no time. Eirin scooped Shade up, tucking him securely under the cloak, and ran, her feet pounding without direction, just away from the approaching voices.

Still in a daze, Shade rested his chin on Eirin’s shoulder, watching the blurry silhouettes of the bounty hunters recede behind them.

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