By the time he made it back into town, the lamps were being lit and the haze of smoke was starting to settle into stillness. He turned down a crooked street and stepped into one of his favorite places to end a long day—Merrin's Menagerie, a tiny merchant shop tucked behind the glassworks. It was more cage than store, really, with rows of wooden pens and glowing jars lining every shelf.

Inside, the air buzzed with faint magical hums, chirps, and the occasional squeak.

Audree moved through the cramped aisles, eyeing the creatures within. Mana-beasts, most of them small—barely the size of a loaf of bread. A few resembled beetles with crystalline shells that pulsed softly. Others looked like sugar-coated bats, wings twitching as they dozed upside-down.

They were rare, weird, and supposedly sweet-tasting. Most of the town only came here for the occasional roast or festival treat.

But not Audree.

He crouched near a cage with a swirling snail-like creature whose slime glowed faintly purple. A low-level mana leech. Practically useless in combat or ritual work, but it had potential for mild spell stabilization—especially in potion suspensions.

He tapped the side of the cage gently. "Still alive, huh?"

"Barely," came Merrin's voice from behind the counter. "You're the only one who doesn't want to eat the poor things."

Audree stood, brushing dust off his knees. "Guess I'm not big on candy."

Merrin chuckled. "You buying or browsing?"

"Browsing," Audree said, then paused. "Maybe both."

He moved toward the wall of jars, scanning the rows of labeled tags: light affinity, mana residual: weak, shadow clingers—do not tap glass.

So much of it was junk. But every now and then, something useful turns up. The mana crystal being one, even though it was pretty much dead now.

And even if it didn't... this place made him feel like magic wasn't so far away.

After some time poking through jars of flickering beetles and overpriced half-melted mana cubes, something tucked near the corner caught Audree's eye.

A jar—dusty and half-forgotten—sat tucked behind a bundle of lesser wisp moths, its glass fogged slightly from within.

Inside was a small, sluggish blob of blue.

At first glance, it looked like any other mana-sick slime: listless, pulsing faintly, pressed against the side of the jar with barely enough energy to ripple. But then Audree saw the shimmer. The way its edges refracted light like dew in the morning sun.

Recognition struck like a spark catching dry powder.

He schooled his face immediately.

Casual. Don't react.

He stepped back, flipping open his notebook as if reviewing something unrelated. Fingers flipped quickly past rune sketches and incomplete formulas until he found the page.

Vaponea Slimes.

A hand-scrawled diagram stared up at him—alongside a note he'd copied from a dusty alchemy reference:

"Born of accumulated dew mana. Rare. Intelligent. Variable in size based on emotional state. Can divide temporarily and demonstrate understanding of force and water spells. Often bonded to high-elemental environments. Unstable when neglected."

Audree's heart picked up. He stared at the little slime again, watching as it pressed against the glass, eyes (if you could call them that) blinking slowly.

He glanced back toward Merrin at the counter, who hadn't noticed his sudden interest.

Good.

He closed the book with a snap and approached the jar, schooling his voice into something bored and vaguely annoyed.

"So," he said, leaning in slightly. "What's up with this little guy?"

Merrin glanced over. "Oh—that thing? Been here for weeks now. Weird little blob. Doesn't eat right. Sleeps most of the time. Real high maintenance."

Audree shrugged, masking the grin trying to sneak its way onto his face.

"Looks half-dead."

"Feels like it," Merrin muttered, wiping down a jar. "Tried selling it at a discount, but no one wants it. I'm thinking of just—y'know—recycling it."

Audree's stomach twisted at the thought.

He gave a dismissive grunt. "Huh. I guess I could take it off your hands."

Merrin raised a brow. "Seriously?"

"Not like I'm expecting miracles," Audree said, inspecting the jar with just the right amount of fake disinterest. "But it might be fun to see if I can keep it alive. You know. For practice."

The merchant scratched his head. "Well, if you want it, take it. You'd be doing me a favor."

Audree barely nodded, already reaching for the jar, careful not to show just how much this meant.

As he tucked it into the side of his satchel—secured tightly between a cloth roll of chalk sticks and his notebook—the slime pulsed faintly, its blue body glowing just a bit brighter.

He turned toward the door, already running possibilities in his mind.

Water-channeling. Spell focus. A reaction amplifier?

He might've just found something with a purpose.

Something real.

Something that could get him closer to the power he seeked.

Outside the shop, the streets had gone quiet, the smoky haze of evening settling like a blanket over Embershade. Lamps flickered with a dull orange glow, and the last of the forge workers made their way home, their footsteps heavy with the weight of the day.

Audree stepped into the nearest alley, away from the few wandering eyes, and fidgeted with his bracelet. The silver beads clicked softly as excitement buzzed beneath his skin. He couldn't help himself.

He slipped the jar from his satchel and crouched near the edge of a broken fence, holding it up to the dim light.

Inside, the Vaponea slime quivered.

Its form was still sluggish, a soft blue glow barely pulsing from its core. The moment it caught sight of him, it recoiled, flattening itself to the bottom of the jar in a shiver of fear.

"Still scared, huh?" Audree murmured. "Guess I'm not exactly the most comforting face."

He considered the slime for a moment, then reached into his satchel again.

From one of the deeper pouches, he retrieved the nearly depleted mana crystal—a dull shard that flickered faintly with residual magic. Not much, but maybe enough to show he wasn't a threat.

He held it up near the jar.

For a moment, the slime perked up—its glow brightening slightly—but then it looked past the crystal, directly at him.

And instantly backed away again.

Audree blinked. "Right. Big scary human. Got it."

He chuckled softly, placing the jar gently on the cobbled ground and backing away a few steps. Just far enough.

With a practiced hand, he tilted the jar slightly, allowing the slime a clear view of the open mouth and the crystal set carefully just outside its reach.

The slime hesitated.

Its body pulsed, stretching slightly toward the edge. Its "eyes" blinked once, slowly, then locked onto the crystal.

Then—without warning—it shot a tiny piece of itself outward.

The shard of slime launched from its main body, hit the crystal, and absorbed it instantly. The shard then wobbled back like a living liquid tether and rejoined its core with a faint squelch.

The whole slime quivered once, glowing softly.

Its eyes closed in what could only be described as contentment.

Audree smiled.

"That's it," he said quietly. "Not so scary now, huh?"

The slime didn't react, but it didn't shrink back either.

Progress.

He sat beside it for a moment longer, just watching. Then, with careful hands, he guided the little creature back into the jar and into the safe pocket of his satchel.

The library was his next stop, though it was more out of habit than hope. The door was locked, the windows dark.

"Of course," he muttered. "Guess I'll return these in the morning."

Still... he found himself lingering for a moment, gazing at the locked door.

The day had been long. A little chaotic. And maybe, just maybe, kind of amazing.

A new creature. A rare one. One that responded to him—not because of a keyword or innate power, but because of what he knew. What he'd learned. What he did.

He looked up at the stars barely visible behind the forge smoke, then turned toward home.

The jar nestled safely in his bag. The glow from the slime pulsed gently—steady, warm.

Maybe tomorrow, he'd give it a name.