Eswain, the City of Progress — a welcoming home for those who thirst for knowledge and long for advancement.

  A city that rose from nothing but tradition, and yet, thanks to the studies of old scholarly mages and the unification of various people willing to build something new, it eventually became what it is today.

  Technology and magic walk hand in hand toward the future — all for the good of the nation. Haha, all that propaganda about this place just makes me believe it’s the perfect place to be born and live a great life. Well... it’s not exactly as wonderful as it sounds.

  Sure, building a life here is relatively easy — at least for those born into a family. They always have someone to rely on, especially those who live in the upper district of the city. All they have to do is eat, breathe, and exist and — boom! — the next day, they’re already enrolled in the prestigious Academy. Not to mention the perks of being born into wealth and power. In my opinion, they get the easy mode from the start.

  Sigh Social classes are a pain. It wouldn’t be so bad if the division was just between the rich and privileged and the common folk. But there's a third group — those who have no family ties at all and grew up on the streets, forced to survive however they could, living in the lowest and most marginalized part of the city. And, unfortunately, we were the "lucky" ones born into that very same class. They call us "the unsustained." I prefer the term "survivors" — sounds way cooler, if you ask me.

  [...]

  The streets of the city were calm, especially in the upper district. Carriages passed by constantly — a mode of transportation soon to be obsolete with the arrival of the first motorized vehicles. Not surprising, since this was the "City of Progress."

  The local commerce was also booming. Though there were physical stores — accessible only to the wealthy and privileged — most middle-class merchants gathered in the Central Plaza to sell their goods. Unlike the noble areas, here you could haggle prices, making it a popular spot for those outside the bourgeoisie.

  Still, safety wasn’t guaranteed. Petty thefts were common and often treated as routine. However, with the presence of guards, stealing became a serious risk. Amateurs wouldn’t stand a chance — but there are always those who like to challenge the rules their own way.

  While some merchants shouted out their wares, their voices and the murmurs of the crowd masked the sound of footsteps. A hooded young woman walked casually by one of the fruit stands and subtly snatched an apple without being noticed.

  She slowly noticed a sudden increase in guards — uniformed men wearing hats marked with the symbol of a bird. A hawk? An eagle? She couldn’t really tell. Regardless, she made a point to keep a low profile. That’s when something in her pocket began to glow.

  Slipping into what she assumed was a discreet alley, she took a moment to hide. She pulled from her pocket a small cracked mirror with a curious artifact attached to its base — a lilac-colored magical rune. Placing her finger on it and peering through the lens, the image that appeared wasn’t her reflection but that of another young man.

  A thin guy with blue hair stared back at her, aware of the situation she was in.

  — “What do you want? I’m kinda in the middle of something here,” — the girl said, glancing around. Even though she was sure she hadn’t been seen, better safe than sorry.

  — “Sophie, are you done over there? The sun’s setting in a few hours…” — As he spoke, a loud noise echoed from his side.

  — "Sigh I told you to take it easy, Aidan. You just recovered from a cold — you need to rest!” — she scolded, worried.

  — “And whose fault is that?” — he asked.

  — “Yours! You asked me to steal that... thing that shoots ice.” — she shot back about her last theft.

  — “It was a synthetic cryo-rune. That’s the best I could find. If I had access to a real one, that wouldn’t have happened.” — he complained.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  — “You mean the ice explosion? I felt like I was sleeping on a glacier,” — she muttered bitterly.

  — “Whatever. It was a one-time mistake. It won’t happen again. So, did you get what I asked for?”

  — “You mean that stack of books? Look, I know that little device can store stuff, but I’m not your librarian, okay?”

  — “Besides…”

  She reached into her pocket and pulled out another crystal. After focusing on it, a peculiar component embedded with an unknown mineral materialized.

  — “Aha! That’s the piece my refiner needs!” — he exclaimed with excitement.

  — “This better be worth it. They’re on my tail,” — she reminded him.

  — “Then get out of there before they catch you.”

  — “Alright, what’s the location?”

  — “About two kilometers from where you are. Better start running.”

  — “Hey, you!”

  A sharp voice called out, snapping her back to reality. She quickly hid the mirror back in her pocket.

  Crap...

  — “Yes, officers?” — she asked, trying to play it cool.

  — “We have a warrant for the arrest of a young thief who stole a recovered item from an illegal potion vendor. A witness saw her run into this alley.”

  — “You must have the wrong person. I’m just a student from the Academy. I can show my documents — or you can search me if needed.” — she offered, raising her arms.

  Since the officer was a man, he signaled to his partner — a female guard — to conduct the search. After a brief pat-down, the guard felt something in her pocket.

  — “What do you have here?” — she asked.

  — “A few coins…?” — Sophie answered vaguely.

  — “Empty your pockets, please,” — the guard demanded.

  Guess there’s no way around this...

  — “Yeah... you’re really after the wrong girl,” — Sophie warned.

  Seeing no other option, she quickly grabbed the female guard’s wrists. A jolt of electricity surged from her left arm, stunning the woman.

  — “You little—”

  — “Uh oh. Time to run.”

  Realizing things were about to escalate, Sophie pressed her back against the wall. A gray magic circle appeared beneath her, releasing a cloud of smoke that gave her the opening she needed to flee.

  Just as she ran, she noticed another guard approaching from the right. Instead of avoiding him, she sprinted toward his direction.

  — Cough Cough “Don’t just stand there, idiot! That’s the thief! Call reinforcements before she gets away!” — the stunned guard shouted.

  — “Requesting reinforcements — all units near the eastern district, converge on this location and continue the patrol!” — the other guard said into a rune communicator.

  [...]

  Sophie ran in circles through the alleys, trying to lose her pursuers and reach the spot Aidan had mentioned. But with the guards on her heels, it was no easy feat.

  I’ve been running for ages! Don’t these guys ever quit? The teleporter’s getting brighter — I must be close. If I cut through here—

  — “There she is!” — a guard shouted upon spotting her.

  — “Crap…”

  She switched up her escape route.

  This isn’t working. Why are there so many guards around?! I need to turn down this street and I’ll be— in a dead end?! Doesn’t matter — either way, I’m—

  — “We’ve got her!” — another guard called out.

  Damn it, they followed me! Please let this thing have enough juice left!

  — “Sorry, guys, but I can’t stick around. Great workout though! Now, goodbye!”

  Smirking, she pressed the button on a small device.

  Click

  — “I said goodbye…”

  Click… Click… Click

  — “Uh oh…”

  She realized the device — her only means of escape — was out of power.

  ARE YOU SERIOUS, AIDAN?! YOUR STUPID GADGET DIES NOW?!

  — “Enough games, girl. Return what you stole and come with us before this gets worse,” — a guard ordered as they surrounded her.

  She looked around.

  — “Well, looks like you really got me. I surrender…” — she said, raising her hands again.

  That guy who ambushed me brought backup — three more guards. I didn’t want to resort to this, but it looks like I have no choice.

  As the guard approached with cuffs in hand, she snapped her fingers. A magic circle formed beneath her feet. The moment the guard stepped in, a shockwave hit him. Unlike the female guard earlier, he managed to resist it for a second.

  — “You little— Don’t just stand there, do something!”

  Realizing the girl had magical knowledge, the guards responded with aggression. Wanting to avoid injuring her, they cast containment spells — lightning, vines, even freezing magic flew toward her.

  Idiots...

  As the spells hit her, a magic circle activated on her body. All the damage was absorbed and sent back at full force to the casters, knocking them down and leaving them restrained.

  Panting Dealing with one spell is fine... but several at once is exhausting…

  While catching her breath, two more guards showed up to investigate.

  — “Don’t use magic! She can reflect it. Use the stun pistols!”

  — “Are you serious? More guards?!” — she groaned at the clear disadvantage.

  If I’m going down… I’m going down fighting!

  With no options left, she assumed a more offensive stance, promising herself she’d give it her all.

  — “Fire!” — the man ordered.

  I’m only in this mess because of you, Aidan! Your dumb device didn’t even work, you useless son of a—

  Electric projectiles were fired at her. Worn out from her counterattack, she braced for impact — but just then, she vanished from the alley. The bullets hit the wall behind her and dissolved.