"Hollow Thread Atelier," the sign shimmered silver as Rin pushed through the door, the bell above it chiming.
"I hope I'm not imposing," he said. "While you're closing up."
A tall, red-haired middle-aged woman, dark-skinned, kept putting away stock without looking up right away. "Oh, no. We're open all twenty-four-ten over here. Sun up to Heart Moon, we need all the Tola we can make. Hehe."
"The women of Janoah sure are some hard workers," Rin said, smirking.
She looked up, eyes steady. "The hardest workers in Margerina. Hehe."
"I can see."
He browsed the racks — threads, cloths, fabrics, colors of every kind. She took a glance at his outfit.
"Ah — I remember you. From two days ago." She studied him. "I can tell you were a fighter that doesn't want to be seen. What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Rin," he said, smiling.
"Ah, nice to meet ya again. Moisha Brown, at your service. Hehe."
"Good to be back."
"What can I get started for you, honey?"
Rin, quiet, nonchalant: "I need something darker than black."
Moisha's eyebrow went up. "Something darker than black? I think I got something like that. But it's gonna cost you."
"How much?"
That made her smile. "Oh — there's no *price* for this masterpiece. It's priceless, honey. But if you were able to get me something, I don't mind giving it to you."
Rin's look went serious. "Get you what?"
She reached over, grabbed a pack of Mason's Gum, popped two pieces in her mouth, and chewed. "A box."
"A box?"
"Yes."
"What's in the box?"
"Now you're asking too much, honey. You want the clothes or not? Pretty sure no other tailor's open this late — and willing to help you with your shady plans."
Rin, a little nervous now. "What do you mean, my shady plans?"
Moisha laughed, then got serious, looking him over. "Somebody walks into my store past midnight on Nightweave Row, I know one of two things. Either they're a regular who knows my hours by heart — or they're looking to get into something dangerous and need to be discreet about it." She smiled. "And I can safely say I don't know you like *that*, honey."
Rin smirked. "You got me. I wanted to pick up something special before the Trial, in a couple hours, without anyone knowing. My captain wouldn't approve of me being out this late."
Moisha laughed out loud. "Oh, man — you almost had me going, honey. Smart. But I'll play along. I still need that box."
"Where's it located?"
"*Now* we're talking, honey. Ring Two. The Seeker's Quarters — home to the Seeker Association and the Soulwright Authority." She smirked. "I'm assuming that's where you're heading anyway, especially needing what you're asking for. For the Trial, of course."
She laughed to herself.
"What's the catch?" Rin asked.
Her smile died instantly. She got dead serious. "No catch. Just — you're heading into one of the most secure places on the planet, second only to Ring One. The Government Core. If you get caught, you're fucked. And we definitely don't know each other, honey. And of course — I'll deny it." She laughed again, short.
*I could try the other clothing stores that might still be open,* Rin thought. *Or take her deal and get this done tonight.*
"You're not gonna find another person like me," Moisha said, cutting into the thought like she'd heard it. "Not now. Not ever. This stealth outfit is one of a kind — made with the deepest black on Margerina, Jet Black, mixed with the darkest known substance in known space, a color darker than Jet Black itself. I call it Vanta Black. Both together make a dark the human mind can barely comprehend. Not even mine. That's what made it priceless. I wouldn't part with it. Til now."
"Whatever's in that box must be pretty important."
"You have no idea, honey."
Rin took a breath, let it out. "Fine. I'll do it. But I need the outfit now, as part of our deal. And give me three days — if I haven't done it by then, I'll return it. You have my word."
"Words are meaningless nowadays." Moisha's smile was tight. "But I'll take the risk this once, 'cause I'm not missing this shot. Hold on." She pulled her rolling ladder over, climbed it, and pulled a garment down from a glass display case. Climbed back down, brought it over.
"I emphasize *again* — this is a super rare outfit. Only one of its kind."
She set it on the counter. Rin looked over the void-black fabric.
"In my few trips to Chun," Moisha said, "I really liked their stealth gear — the kind their shinobi use, head to boot. Inspired me to make my own. This is my shinobi shōzoku. I call it Shinobi Black. Hooded gi, absorbs ninety point nine percent of light — deletes all texture, all depth, all shadow. Basically feels like looking into a void when you look at it. A hole in reality. Form-fitting, tapered layers, kills rustle entirely, aura resonance threading woven through it. Aura dampening built in, to hide your signature. Tight hooded cloth to cover the face and neck. Long cloth-metal headband. Weighted sash for gear — weapons, tools, scrolls, whatever you need for the job."
She looked at him. "What you want the headband to say? Need a title. A nickname."
"It doesn't need to be that serious. I'll just take the outfit without the headband."
"No." Firm. "The headband stays with the outfit. Now hurry up and pick, before I put it away."
Rin, reluctant. "Fine. Ahh... um... Kokuryū. (黒龍)"
Moisha's eyes lit up. "Owww — what's that mean?"
"The Black Dragon."
Her smile widened as she etched the name into the headband, repeating it under her breath. "Kokuryū." She finished, blew on it, wiped it clean with a cloth, folded the whole outfit, and handed it over.
"Thank you," Rin said.
"You're welcome, honey." She smiled. "But Rin — don't make me come find you in three days if you don't have my box."
"The Black Clan are known for getting jobs done. I don't plan to disappoint."
That stopped her cold. She hadn't known.
"*Good.*" Her excitement came back fast, though she was clearly trying not to sweat about it. "That's what I like to hear, honey." She thought for a second. "I'll let you use my shortcut to Ring Two."
"Shortcut?"
"Yeah. Whenever I need to move around this city, I try to avoid the crowds, the long carriage rides, the Aura Train. Fifty years living here, I've gone through every ring and marked an Alchemic Seal in each one."
"An Alchemic Seal?"
"Basically writing a literal linguistic equation into the physical world. I bound a patch of space-time coordinates to a seal and an activator." She pulled out a sheet of alchemy-marked paper. "All you do is push your aura into the paper and say *switch,* and you're at whatever location's marked, connected straight to the paper. Here's the thing, though — once you use one, it's gone. Can't reuse it. That's why I've made so many, one for every spot, so I can go back as many times as I want." She held one out. "This one'll take you to Ring Two. One of my favorite spots. Great view."
"Thank you again."
"No problem, honey." She smiled. "Happy hunting."
Rin pushed his aura into the paper.
"Switch."
The world folded, and he was standing on a tall Ring Two rooftop, the paper already burning to ash in the wind.
"Ah," he said, watching it go. "Well. There goes the one use."
He pulled on Shinobi Black, and for a moment he looked less like a person and more like the dark itself. Mounted Tetsuba and Chi no Ryōken across his back, crossed into an aggressive X behind his shoulders. Loaded the sash with everything he'd bought from the Wonder Family Potion's Apothecary. Pulled the hood over his head. Pulled the mask up over his nose.
*I'm coming for you,* he thought, low and menacing, looking out over Ring Two, the headband's cloth trailing in the wind.