The Goblin Market was unlike anything Eva had ever imagined. Lanterns of bone and crystal dangled from crooked poles, casting eerie colors across stalls that overflowed with strange wares-bottled laughter, cages of fluttering shadows, apples that whispered secrets when bitten. Goblins of every size and shape pushed through the crowded square, their voices rising in a chaotic chorus of bargains, arguments, and laughter.

Eva clutched Thorn a little closer on her shoulder, wary of every sharp-toothed grin turned her way.

"This place is a trap," Thorn muttered. "Nothing here is given freely. Everything has a price. Especially for you."

Eva nodded, but her eyes couldn't help darting toward the stalls. Curiosity burned in her despite her fear. A goblin barked at her to buy a vial of "bottled courage," another waved what looked like her mother's locket-though she had left it at home. She gasped, realizing the illusions were tailored for her.

"Keep walking," Thorn urged, tugging at her hair with his tiny claws.

She pressed forward through the crowd until she spotted a goblin unlike the rest.

Small, wiry, and sharply dressed in a patched waistcoat two sizes too big, he leaned against a stall with his arms crossed. His ears were long and pointed, and his grin looked more sly than cruel. He watched her with bright, knowing eyes that seemed almost... human.

"Lost, are you?" he called, straightening. His voice carried the rhythm of a trickster, smooth and quick. "Not often the Labyrinth gets a girl wandering its market without a purse or a plan."

Eva froze. "Who are you?"

The goblin swept into an exaggerated bow. "Pip. Connoisseur of bargains, finder of shortcuts, dealer in riddles. Some call me a cheat, others a friend. I like to think I'm both."

Thorn hissed softly. "Don't trust him."

Pip smirked at the dragon. "Ah, Thorn, still playing watchdog? I thought you'd sworn off humans ages ago."

"Perhaps I still should," Thorn shot back.

Eva frowned. "You know each other?"

"Old... acquaintances," Thorn grumbled.

Pip waved the question away and stepped closer, studying her curiously. "You must be the girl. The Shadow King's new prize." He tilted his head. "Brave enough to step into his Labyrinth, foolish enough to believe you can win."

Eva stiffened. "I can."

The goblin's grin widened. "Confidence. I like that. It'll make the failure more entertaining." He circled her slowly, then stopped with a flick of his fingers. "Still, you intrigue me. Tell you what-I'll help you find a path past the mountain of landslides. That is, if you're willing to make a little trade."

Eva narrowed her eyes. "What kind of trade?"

Pip leaned in close, voice dropping to a whisper. "Nothing so terrible. Just a memory. A single moment from your past-happy or sad, your choice. You won't even notice it's gone."

Eva hesitated. Her heart twisted. A memory?

Thorn growled, sparks puffing from his nose. "Don't do it. That's how he gets you. One memory becomes two, then three, until you don't even remember why you're here."

Pip rolled his eyes dramatically. "You wound me, Thorn. I would never cheat such a lovely girl." Then, more softly, his grin faltered. "But perhaps, this once, no trade. You seem... different."

Eva blinked, surprised by the change in his tone.

"I'll guide you a little," Pip said at last. "Free of charge. But don't expect charity forever, girl. Everyone pays eventually."

He tipped her a wink, then gestured for her to follow him deeper into the winding stalls, where the Goblin Market twisted toward the next part of her journey.