I woke before dawn to shouts outside my window The city usually slept quietly in early hours but today the noise carried tension I rushed outside still pulling on my robe When I reached the street I saw a group of guards running toward the eastern gate Something bad happened and I had a terrible guess what it might be

When I arrived at the warehouse I found the front doors wide open The workers stood in a circle whispering in panic I pushed through them and froze The interior was a mess Runes were scratched off in several places Wooden beams were toppled as if someone tried to collapse the structure Crystals used for airflow channels were smashed into tiny pieces The reaction chamber still glowed but its surface was cracked with red lines like veins of unstable energy

Leron ran up to me breathless He said he arrived minutes earlier and found the mess already there The guards believed multiple people broke in not just one The footprints near the back door suggested quick and organized movement I examined the damages carefully Then I found the worst part One of the sacks filled with red category dust was missing

If someone used unstable red dust in a crowded district it could create fog explosions or mutate creatures The black market clearly wanted to send a message The damage inside the warehouse was not enough They wanted fear chaos and political pressure to stop the project

The guards asked if the station was ruined I told them no It was damaged but salvageable I calmed the workers and ordered everyone to clean debris and check the structure for cracks I walked around with my notes marking every broken point The workers followed silently

We started repairs immediately Stone cutters fixed the carved runes and apprentices collected the scattered chalk Carpenters replaced broken beams and I personally cleaned the reaction chamber Someone had shoved a metal shard into its core runes The shard pulsed with faint residual energy It was meant to force the chamber to overload If the sabotage had gone unnoticed it might have exploded the moment we turned it on

While examining the shard I noticed a mark etched into it A spiral shaped symbol Leron said it belonged to a secret group known as the Ash Guild A rogue organization specializing in illegal spell disposal and forbidden waste trade They were known for extracting valuable energy from dangerous trash without safety measures They saw the new recycling station as a direct threat to their profits

The day carried on with nonstop repairs By noon the station looked stable again but tension hung in the air we all sensed the black market would not stop The workers grew quiet and even the bravest guards kept glancing at shadows

In the afternoon Master Solen arrived He inspected the damage and listened to the guards' reports He then turned to me and said calmly that sabotage was expected He reminded me that every major reform in the kingdom’s history faced resistance from those who benefited from disorder But he added something else He said he believed the black market was not working alone Nobles who opposed my project might be helping them

His words struck me more than I expected If nobles were involved this was not only a battle against criminals but against political powers

As the sun set we finally completed the main repairs I gathered the workers and thanked them for their dedication even under threat Some workers smiled weakly others kept silent but all stayed We lit small lanterns to illuminate the station and gathered for the first full scale test

I stood before the reaction chamber feeling the weight of the moment I asked Leron to activate the airflow runes He touched them with his staff The channels hummed softly and the air flowed smoothly I then opened a bag of mixed recyclable magic scraps The metal fragments floated into the chamber The cloth patches released their glow in a controlled ripple The chamber pulsed but stabilized

A warm breath of relief spread across the room The test succeeded despite the sabotage Workers cheered softly yet fear lingered in their eyes They knew we won a battle not the war

Just as we celebrated a guard rushed inside carrying a frightened look He said unstable red dust appeared in the Old Market district glowing inside some abandoned crates I froze It was the stolen dust Someone planted it intentionally

Without hesitation I grabbed my tools and ran toward the district The night air felt heavy and sharp as if the entire city held its breath I would stop the red dust no matter the danger

Because tonight was proof that saving this kingdom meant confronting not only magic but the people who used it for power