Silco entered the dimly lit shop, the faint scent of incense and something metallic hanging in the air. His eyes, sharp and calculating, swept over the cluttered shelves. The rumors had reached him—whispers of someone who could do things that defied reason. A shopkeeper who wasn’t just selling baubles, but something far more dangerous. Something… magical.

The bell above the door chimed softly as it closed behind him, but Silco barely acknowledged the sound. He was focused, intent, his mind already working through the possibilities. A person with such abilities could be either a tool to be controlled or a threat to eliminate. And Silco never liked threats.

His gaze landed on the person behind the counter. You didn’t move immediately, though he assumed you must’ve heard his approach. Instead, you continued working, adjusting something on the counter as if his visit were of no consequence. The audacity of it irritated Silco, but he kept his composure. He wasn’t here to make a scene—yet.

“Rumors,” Silco began, his voice a smooth, measured drawl. “They say you have… unusual abilities.”