It was raining inside the Store.
Not outside—in fact, the sun was shining over Verdant Hollow beyond the protective dome—but inside, a delicate drizzle of silver mist fell from the ceiling of Aisle Nine, coating the enchanted mirror section in a luminous sheen. The rain wasn't wet. It shimmered as it fell, dissolving before hitting the floor, leaving behind whispers and flickers of reflected images.
Li Kai watched the phenomenon from behind the counter. This wasn't the first time a section of the Store had become "possessed" by an object's lingering intent, but this time it felt… different. More aware.
"System," he murmured, "is there a reason Aisle Nine looks like an indoor dream sequence?"
System Alert:
Source: Artifact Disturbance
Object: [Unbound Mirror – Tier: ???]
Current Status: Semi-Awakened
Caution: Dimensional Reflection Layer Unstable
Warning: Merchant Class anomaly detected within the Store's boundary.
"Merchant anomaly?" Li Kai repeated. He straightened immediately.
Xiaomei appeared beside him with a soft flash of light. "We've got company."
Moments later, a tall, cloaked figure stepped into view—just at the edge of Aisle Nine. The mist parted around him, not touching the black and violet of his robes. A silver mask obscured his face, smooth and polished like liquid moonlight. In his hand, he held a cane topped with a shifting, reflective orb.
"I was wondering when the new Storekeeper would notice me," the man said, his voice echoing as though spoken in a hall of mirrors. "It's been a long time since anyone kept this place truly alive."
Li Kai stepped forward. "And you are?"
The masked figure bowed slightly. "I am known by many names, but for today… call me the Mirror Merchant."
Xiaomei tensed. "You're one of them."
"Guilty," the Mirror Merchant said with a chuckle. "Though I no longer trade under their banner. My guild… fractured."
Serin Velora appeared next, her blade at her side but not yet drawn. "This Store doesn't allow rogue merchants to tamper with the inventory without approval."
"I'm not here to tamper," the Mirror Merchant said smoothly. "I'm here to offer a trade."
Li Kai raised an eyebrow. "What kind?"
The Mirror Merchant gestured toward the swirling mist. "That mirror—Unbound and ancient—was once part of my personal collection. It reflects not what is, but what might have been. Alternate lives. Roads untraveled. Potential futures. I lost it in a trade gone awry… and the Store absorbed it."
Li Kai narrowed his eyes. "And you want it back."
"Not entirely," the merchant replied. "I merely want to make a deal. A reflection for a reflection."
Li Kai motioned for the System to display details.
Trade Request Received: Mirror Merchant
Offering: [Fragment of the Shattered Future – Tier: Legendary]
Requesting: Temporary Resonance Access to Unbound Mirror
Duration: 3 minutes
Risk: Psychological Feedback, Minor
Reward: Insight +2, Time Thread Anchor (Rare)
Li Kai considered. "What does 'resonance access' mean?"
The Mirror Merchant smiled under the mask. "I do not take the mirror. I only look. Peer into its surface… and see what my path might have become."
Xiaomei whispered, "He's telling the truth. For now."
Serin's voice was steel. "If he tries anything—"
"I won't," the Mirror Merchant interrupted. "I can't. Not in his domain."
Li Kai stared into the fog of Aisle Nine. The Unbound Mirror hovered gently in the air, rotating slowly. Its surface shimmered with infinite versions of reality. In one, he saw himself older, his hair streaked with silver, standing atop a mountain surrounded by kneeling warriors. In another, he was barefoot and laughing with a child in a field of golden light. In yet another… he was gone entirely.
He looked back at the Merchant. "Three minutes. Then you leave."
The Mirror Merchant bowed again. "As you wish."
Li Kai nodded to the System.
Trade Accepted
[Fragment of the Shattered Future] acquired
Unbound Mirror: Temporary Resonance Enabled (180 seconds)
The Mirror Merchant stepped forward.
As soon as he crossed the threshold into Aisle Nine, the mist shifted violently. Reflections twisted, showing warped versions of him. One wore golden chains and ruled an empire of glass. Another was shattered, pieces of him scattered across time. Yet another stood with Li Kai, shoulder to shoulder, both laughing like brothers.
The Mirror Merchant reached out, his gloved hand brushing the surface of the mirror.
And for a heartbeat—everything froze.
The Store itself held its breath.
Then—
The Mirror cracked.
Not fully—just a single spiderweb fracture across its lower right corner. The mist screamed and surged before vanishing all at once. The silver rain ceased. The Unbound Mirror lowered gently to the ground, dormant.
Li Kai felt a jolt in his core.
Alert: Mirror Stabilized[New Trait Unlocked: Vision of Potential]Grants one glimpse into a path not chosen—once per month.
The Mirror Merchant turned, slower this time. There was a heaviness to his steps.
"That was… more than I expected," he murmured. "Even in dreams, I did not imagine such loss."
Li Kai tilted his head. "What did you see?"
The Merchant didn't answer at first. Then, softly: "I saw the empire I built. I saw the day I broke it."
He held out a small crystal shaped like a jagged star. "Your payment. And a warning."
Li Kai accepted it wordlessly.
"Be careful," the Merchant continued. "The Store has begun attracting not just wanderers and traders… but echoes. Some should not return. Some will not ask permission."
With that, he turned and stepped backward into a swirling portal of mirror-shards, vanishing without a sound.
Xiaomei exhaled. "Well, that wasn't ominous at all."
Serin stared at the mirror's single fracture. "One crack. One choice. How many more like him are out there?"
Li Kai looked down at the jagged star crystal in his hand. It pulsed once, warm and sad.
"I think we're going to find out."