[VOLUME 11: THE ETERNAL CHASE][LIFE: #48][LOCATION: GOLDEN LOTUS CURIOS]
The bell above the door of Golden Lotus Curios chimed softly, disturbing the dust motes dancing in the afternoon sun.
Elara Vance stepped inside. The shop smelled of old paper, sandalwood, and a faint metallic scent she couldn't place.
"Hello?" Elara called out. "Li?"
"I am in the back," Li Wusheng's voice floated out, calm and serene. "Brewing. Do not touch the jade monkey. It bites."
Elara walked to the counter. She placed the Ignis Button (the plastic dragon button) on the wood. She had been carrying it around for two days, spinning it on tables, sleeping with it under her pillow. It made her feel safe, but it also made her feel... haunted.
"I need to return this," Elara whispered to the empty room. "It's messing with my head."
"It is a gift," a voice purred from the shadows of a bookshelf.
Elara jumped.
