บท 38: I'm Not Just Any Child

Ijar had returned from a hunt just outside of town, his cloak billowing behind him as he strode through the streets. The hunt had been successful—he had captured a few Dwellers, their origin cores now brimming with raw magic energy. Their defeat had been easy, a pleasant distraction that helped ease the frustration still simmering beneath his skin.

He grinned, feeling the cores pulse with energy inside the pouch at his waist. Tonight, he was ready to relieve his stress in a different way, the kind that didn't involve magic or bloodshed. He had ordered Maya to prepare his room for his return, expecting her to be waiting for him, ready and obedient, just like always.

But when Ijar stepped into the room, the sight that greeted him was not what he expected. The room was neat—clean, as he had instructed—but it was also empty.

No Maya. No woman at all.