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A glass landed in front of her.

“A round for the bar, courtesy of the Savior,” the bartender announced.

A ripple of approval rolled through the room. Half cheers, half clapping—a few drunken whistles cut through the noise.

Damn it.Taly flicked a glance to the Sanctifiers. Yup. They were looking at her now. Shadows tilted toward her, curiosity piqued.

Her jaw tightened. She cut her gaze to the bartender, but he wasn’t looking at her. Just kept pouring as patrons crowded the bar for a refill, nudging his chin at the folded slip of paper beneath the glass.

Taly hesitated. Then pulled it free.

Two words:

good “Luck”

It took her a moment. But when it hit—

Her fingers clenched around the paper.Oh, that little bitch.She scanned the bar.

Luck was already at the door. Taly twisted just in time to catch the flick of her coat as her smirking profile vanished into the street.

“To the Savior!” a younger salvager, barely past twenty, called out as he raised a mug to Taly—drawingeven moreattention her way.

Someone else chuckled, low and knowing. “Still remember when you nearly lost a hand trying to strip a live core. Never thought you’d live long enough to be the one doing the saving. Guess even the clumsy ones get lucky.”

Taly smiled—tight, distant—as others raised their glasses and mugs.

As they hailed her with her new title, a sharp, manic giggle broke free.

Somehow, she’d convinced a town full of desperate people that she was a hero. ASavior. If only they fucking knew…

Twice now, Bill had made her an offer.Twice, she’d walked away.

And sure, maybe he’d been lying… but if he wasn’t?

If he wasn’t, she could have finally lived up to the name. Saved her family, her island—everyone in this damn bar, now slurring their praise. All it would have cost was a world full of strangers.

Taly tossed back the rest of her drink before the bitterness could settle. It barely even burned now.

Then she turned, sliding off the stool, intent on getting the hell out of here—and walked straight into a wall of black armor.

A hand clamped around her arm. “Easy now. Where you off to, little bird?”

Great. This wasexactlywhat her day needed.

Taly blinked slow, letting her gaze drag upward. His face wavered beneath the glamour—not quite solid, not quite there. An impression of a smirk rather than something real.

She swayed. Just a little. His grip didn’t budge.

“Just stretching my wings,” she murmured with only a little bit of a slur. “I hear the air is niceroutside.”

His thumb brushed lazy circles against her wrist. “Stay a while. It’s not every day I get to drink with a legend. Savior of Ebondrift. Hero of Vale… and damn, even prettier up close.”

Ahh, so it was bang-your-local-Savior night at the bar. That was… unfortunate.

But, also… how would that work?

Seriously, did the shadows come off? Was there a moment where his face just—flickered back into existence? Did he have to shake them off like a dog in the rain? Or was it worse? Did they stay? Did they just… hover there the whole time, looming ominously.