Morning arrived in a wash of soft orange light that crept through the shutters and pooled across the crowded room. Jason woke feeling heavy—as if sleep had pressed chains over him. Part of that weight came from the limbs of the other refugees draped across him… but most of it came from yesterday. The chaos. The panic. The guilt. It lingered like a shadow that hadn’t decided whether to follow him or fade.

  Tahuuk stirred around the same time. He offered Jason a silent nod before squeezing past snoring bodies toward the hall. Jason followed, stepping carefully over arms and legs.

  They met in the washroom and splashed cold water over their faces. The shock helped Jason breathe a little deeper.

  “Ready to get our reward today?” Tahuuk asked as he wiped himself dry.

  “Yeah,” Jason muttered. “No point waiting. I feel… better.”

  Tahuuk studied him for a second, then nodded. Jason stared at his reflection a moment longer before drying off. His eyes looked older—sharper.

  Descending the stairs, they passed early risers in the inn’s common room: merchants meeting partners, wanderers eating quick breakfasts, labourers heading out for work. Jason and Tahuuk didn’t feel threatened here, not anymore. Their instincts were quiet—for now.

  Stepping outside, Jason suddenly realised how much those instincts had changed. The spaceport had forged them into something harder, keener.

  His senses felt like a blade honed for survival.

  He was becoming more like Tahuuk—more like a hunter than a refugee.

  He was still thinking about it when he walked straight into trouble.

  “Spare some credits for the Church—ah!” a familiar voice chimed. “The ones from before! The Church of the First Sun offers its gratitude and thanks you for your contribution to this fair city.”

  Jason blinked. “Contribution?”

  “Word travels fast,” the priest said with a polished smile. “Not just here—throughout the empire. Our foundations are everywhere, and we keep each other informed. Many lives were saved because of you.”

  Jason’s stomach tightened. Fame in a place like this was double-edged—helpful for mercenary work, dangerous if the Empire ever connected the dots.

  “We were just completing a request,” Jason replied. “It almost went beyond us.”

  “Yet you succeeded. May the Sun shine brightly upon your path.”

  Jason thanked him and continued on. Tahuuk murmured, “So… gratitude.”

  Jason glanced at him, amused. He had learned battle and survival from Tahuuk; now Tahuuk was learning the social rules of civilisation from him. It made Jason smile.

  Inside the mercenary guild, chaos was already in full swing. Voices filled the room—mercenaries arguing over requests, comparing pay, boasting about past jobs. Jason scanned the crowd.

  The Grey Sight Guild wasn’t present.

  Relief loosened the tension in his shoulders.

  “I know you’re wondering how I got this eye-pat—oh. You two.” The man behind the counter broke into a wide grin. “Good timing. The guild master reviewed your case. Since things escalated beyond a normal request, we’re tripling your reward. Acceptable?”

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  “Tripling? Isn’t that too much?” Jason blurted. “We didn’t even retrieve the cart.”

  “Oh, the guards filled in the details. The farmer’s son was collaborating with a rival merchant group. The fertiliser was stolen for a takeover plot. Thanks to you, we’ve already issued a high-rank request to crack down on the culprits. You basically stopped an economic coup—worth every credit.”

  Jason stood there, stunned. Tahuuk folded his arms, smiling proudly—his growing reputation already meant something to him.

  “S-So… how do we get the credits? And better requests?”

  “Better requests come after the exam. As for the credits—they’re already on your datapad. A piece of advice: there’s a mercenary shop down the street. Good gear, fair prices. You’ll need equipment before the exam.”

  Jason nodded. “Thanks. By the way… I didn’t see the Grey Sight Guild today?”

  “Oh, the Greys. They received a high-level job from a noble yesterday. Big money. Why? Looking for them?”

  “No, not exactly…” Jason turned to leave, paused, and glanced back.

  “Wait… wasn’t your eyepatch on your other eye?”

  The man didn’t even blink. “Next in line!”

  Jason sighed as they left. “Let’s go get that gear.”

  Tahuuk rubbed his chin. “I don’t need much…”

  “We’ll browse. Doesn’t hurt to look.”

  They wandered through the marketplace until they found the shop, a larger building bustling with customers. A cheerful chime played as they entered. A sharply dressed shopkeeper stepped forward, his moustache twitching like an excited cat… until he actually saw them.

  “Welcome, dear custo—” His enthusiasm died as his eyes traced Jason’s ragged clothes and Tahuuk’s towering form. “Ah. You… don’t smell as bad as you look. Remarkable, really. Those rags look like you’ve worn them for years… every… single… day.”

  Jason stared at him. “Two years,” he said gently. “Every day.”

  The shopkeeper froze. Then cleared his throat. “…Can you pay?”

  Jason grinned and handed over the datapad. “Quite well, actually.”

  The man’s expression brightened instantly. “In that case! Allow me to assist.”

  He guided them through the displays with renewed energy.

  “For you—reinforced gauntlet with metallic fiber. Not as strong as steel, but far better than leather. It has an integrated datapad holder, perfect for more mobility.”

  He moved to another display.

  “This jacket has climate regulation—perfect for travel. It can even change color to that of its surroundings with the right datapad module, perfect for stealth, but it doesn’t stop much damage. Pants and boots match; I can offer a set discount.”

  He eyed Tahuuk.

  “And for… the big fellow—impact-dampening pants. Absorb kinetic energy and release it on your next strike. On the other hand, doesn’t stop projectiles”

  After the tour, he brought them to the counter.

  “You’ll need to choose between gear or weapons. Your budget can’t cover both.”

  Jason looked at Tahuuk. They nodded—gear first, weapons later.

  “With the discount, we’ll take it.”

  The purchase went through. Half an hour later, they stepped out, looking like brand-new men.

  Jason adjusted his leather jacket, feeling strangely confident. For the first time in years, he wasn’t wearing someone else’s past—he was wearing his own beginning. Tahuuk tested his new pants by lightly punching the air.

  “We should get another request,” Tahuuk said eagerly. “Before Sunday.”

  Jason smirked. “Yeah. Let’s build up some credits.”

  They took a simple herb-collecting job near the city walls. One of the town’s pharmacists was experimenting with cheaper medicine—a remedy the common people could actually afford. Gathering the herbs would help him experiment with new combinations of ingredients and, eventually, maybe even a breakthrough.

  Since that wasn’t the case yet, they received the normal reward, which didn’t amount to much. Since it was evening after completing the request and accepting the reward, they returned to the inn. Having a drink with the reward they got before going to bed.

  Jason was still reminiscing today as he lay down. There was still a shiver of fear in his heart since yesterday, since the attack, but he felt a flicker of hope.

  Maybe—just maybe—this new beginning could become something more. A normal life. The kind Ashar would have wanted for him.