Jincheng City. The Street Market.
The Dragon Group owned half the city, but Elara Vance insisted on buying vegetables herself.
"It keeps me grounded," Elara had told Li Wusheng earlier that morning.
"It makes me look cheap," Li had countered, adjusting his diamond cufflinks. "My wife haggling over bok choy? The stock market will panic."
Now, Elara stood in the market, holding a bag of green onions. She wasn't haggling. She was staring at a reflection in a puddle.
The reflection showed a woman in a grey jumpsuit holding a rolling pin.
I am a Baker, Elara thought. The thought was no longer a whisper; it was a shout. My name is Elara Vance. I command the Void Pirates. And I am currently trapped in a phone screen.
She looked to her left. A sheer, vertical wall of blackness cut off the world. The 9:16 Aspect Ratio.
She reached out. Her hand pressed against the invisible barrier. It felt cold, like glass.
We are in a box, Elara realized. A digital aquarium.
"Young Madam!"
