[VOLUME 11: THE ETERNAL CHASE][LIFE: #48][LOCATION: BUBBLES 24-HOUR LAUNDROMAT]
If there was a purgatory on Earth, Aldren Vance was certain it smelled like fabric softener and regret.
He stood in the center of Bubbles 24-Hour Laundromat, staring at a row of industrial washing machines with the same expression he usually reserved for Ancient Curses or tax audits.
"It demands... coins?" Aldren whispered, looking at the slot. "I do not carry coins. I carry black cards and cryptocurrency keys."
He looked at his shirt. The bespoke Egyptian cotton shirt—ruined in the duel with the Monk—was stained with soot, motor oil, and a hint of spiritual residue. He couldn't take it to his usual dry cleaner; the magical signature on the soot would trigger alarms at the Mage Guild.
He had to wash it himself. Like a peasant.
"Ren," Aldren muttered, reaching for his earpiece. "How do I operate the spinning water cylinder?"
