The black market of Planet Asenus was a dangerous place, but it held rare treasures that couldn’t be found anywhere else in the system.
Elara moved swiftly through the winding alleyways, her dark hood pulled low over her face.
She had co alone, against her better judgnt, but she needed to purchase sothing vital, high-grade cloaking chips for her safe house’s security system.
After the recent attack on Athena, she couldn’t afford to be careless.
The air was thick with the scent of smoke and oil, and neon lights flickered erratically above makeshift stalls.
The voices of traders bartering, shouting, and laughing created a chaotic symphony. The deeper she walked into the market, the fewer people surrounded her.
Elara’s instincts prickled. Sothing felt wrong.
She passed a stall selling modified plasma weapons, her eyes scanning the crowd.
She had deliberately chosen a less conspicuous route, but now she realized that the silence wasn’t normal. The usual rowdy rchants were either gone or eerily subdued.
Then she heard it, the soft click of a safety being disengaged.
Her body moved before her mind registered the danger. She twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp whizz of a bullet ant for her head.
The stall behind her shattered, sending tal shards flying.
"Move!" she commanded herself, darting into the nearest alleyway.
Masked figures in tactical suits erged from the shadows, moving like ghosts. They were professionals, their weapons aid with deadly precision.
A second gunshot rang out. Elara rolled behind a stack of crates, drawing the modified plasma dagger hidden in her sleeve.
Who the hell sent them?
The first attacker lunged, a knife flashing under the dim lights. Elara parried, twisting her wrist to send the enemy’s blade skidding to the ground.
She ducked, using the montum to slice through his leg, sending him crashing to his knees. Another ca from behind. She spun, but she wasn’t fast enough.
A hand clamped over her mouth. She struggled violently, her heart hamring as an arm locked around her torso, pinning her. The scent of guntal and leather filled her nose.
"Stay still," a low voice ordered.
For a split second, she was about to fight back harder, until she recognized the voice.
Lawrence.
She went rigid, her breathing uneven.
The grip around her waist loosened just as gunfire exploded around them. The masked assailants fell one by one, red laser sights finding their marks. Lawrence’s n had arrived.
Elara turned to face him, but Lawrence had already moved, his back to her as he fired a precise shot into the head of another attacker. The body collapsed instantly.
"You’re reckless," he snapped, shooting another enemy with practiced ease. "Coming here alone? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Elara didn’t answer. Her pulse was still racing, and her adrenaline was high. She had never seen him fight like this before, calm, efficient, ruthless.
Suddenly, a blast grenade was hurled toward them.
"Cover!" Lawrence shouted, grabbing Elara and pulling her behind a thick tal crate just before the explosion rocked the alley. Debris flew, flas licking at the edges of their cover.
Elara coughed, the smoke making her eyes sting. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving your stubborn ass," Lawrence growled, checking his weapon’s charge level.
She scowled, about to retort when another wave of attackers erged from the surrounding buildings. They had been waiting.
Damn it.
Lawrence’s soldiers engaged imdiately, but the enemy was better prepared this ti. Plasma blasts lit up the market, reflecting off tal surfaces.
A bullet grazed Lawrence’s shoulder, but he didn’t even flinch. Instead, he grabbed Elara by the wrist.
"We’re leaving," he ordered.
She yanked her hand away. "I’m not running."
Lawrence let out an impatient sigh, eyes flickering toward the enemies closing in. "Fine. Then keep up."
He surged forward, a lethal force in motion. Elara followed, her blade in one hand, a stolen pistol in the other.
She wasn’t sure how long the battle lasted, minutes, maybe hours. It felt like an eternity. But finally, the last enemy fell, his weapon clattering onto the ground.
Elara was panting, her arms aching. She wiped a sar of blood from her cheek, whether it was hers or soone else’s, she wasn’t sure.
Lawrence’s gaze locked onto hers. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head. "No. But..."
Before she could finish, he reached out, gripping her chin firmly. His fingers brushed against her skin as he tilted her face from side to side, inspecting her for injuries.
His touch was unexpectedly gentle.
"I’m fine," she muttered, feeling heat creep up her neck.
Lawrence exhaled sharply before stepping back. He turned to one of his soldiers. "Secure the periter. I want a full report on who sent them."
Elara crossed her arms. "I already know."
He glanced at her sharply. "Who?"
"The crown prince’s n," she said bitterly. "They’re not even trying to hide their attacks anymore."
Lawrence clenched his jaw. "Then we’ll deal with them accordingly."
Elara narrowed her eyes. "We?"
"Yes. You’re coming with ."
She stiffened. "Excuse ?"
"You’re not safe in the city anymore," Lawrence stated, his tone leaving no room for argunt. "From now on, you’ll be staying at the Derin estate."
She scoffed. "I don’t recall asking for your protection."
Lawrence stepped closer, his eyes dark. "And I don’t recall giving you a choice."
Elara opened her mouth to argue, but the intensity of his gaze made her pause. He wasn’t going to back down.
She let out an exasperated sigh. "You’re impossible."
"Then you’d better get used to it," he replied smoothly.
The next thing she knew, she was being ushered into one of Lawrence’s armored warships, leaving the black market, and whatever fragile sense of independence she had, behind.
As the warship lifted off, Elara sat stiffly in her seat, arms crossed as she glared at Lawrence. He remained unfazed, issuing quiet orders to his n.
The hum of the ship’s engines filled the tense silence between them. She finally exhaled, frustration evident in her voice. "You didn’t have to drag like a prisoner."
Lawrence glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "You’re not a prisoner. But you are under my protection now."
Elara scoffed, looking out the window as the city lights disappeared below. She had a feeling her life was about to change in ways she hadn’t expected.
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