The silence stretched.

  The attendant’s lips parted, but no words escaped. Her hands trembled faintly as she stared at the empty air where the crystal had been, as if unsure whether to apologize or run.

  From the side, a low murmur rose among the other guests, bewildered whispers, some curious, others alarmed. A few glanced at their own crystals, as if fearing they too might shatter at a touch.

  Jin Yu reclined slightly in his seat, one leg crossed over the other, as if this entire affair bored him.

  Another attendant, older and robed in a deeper shade of blue, approached quickly, eyes trained on the pale dust still dancing in the air. Her steps were fluid but carried purpose. She bowed, respectfully but tensely.

  “Honored guest, there must have been… a misalignment.” Her gaze darted toward Seer, then back to Jin Yu. “Perhaps your vessel is too unique. Would you be willing to try again?”

  Jin Yu’s gaze slid to her, then to the fresh crystal being offered in reverent hands.

  Seer leaned in slightly, voice low, amused. “Ah… not afraid it might explode this time?”

  “Why would I be?” Jin Yu said dryly. “Maybe the crystals just recognize me as tax-exempt.”

  Seer covered a laugh behind his fingers, shoulders shaking.

  The new crystal hovered in the attendant’s trembling hands.

  Jin Yu didn’t move.

  Instead, he turned his head slightly, voice even, “Seer.”

  “Hm?”

  “What is this thing exactly?”

  Seer blinked, then tilted his head. “A currency crystal. Everyone who enters pays with memory fragments. They draw from the surface of your recollection, pleasant ones, mostly. Or so they claim.”

  Jin Yu’s eyes narrowed faintly. “You’re saying they take memories as money?”

  “Yes.” Seer took another sip of his tea, nonchalant. “It’s convenient, really. No need for coins. Just offer up something sentimental and forgettable. Unless you’re me.” He set the cup down gently. “I pay with entire lifetimes.”

  Jin Yu paused. “You remember everything you give?”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “I choose what I give,” Seer said, tapping his temple. “Most people don’t have the... structure for that. But don’t worry. The staff knows how to keep the extraction gentle.” He paused, then frowned. “Although… yours didn’t extract anything. It shattered. That shouldn’t happen.”

  Jin Yu leaned back. “So you’re saying I broke the bank without paying.”

  “That’s one way to put it,” Seer said. “You basically slapped the Realm’s currency in the face.”

  Across the room, a whisper floated out:

  “Did he really destroy a memory crystal?”

  “That’s not possible… unless…”

  More attendants gathered now, murmuring quietly to one another, casting increasingly wary glances Jin Yu’s way.

  The lead attendant hesitated, holding the second crystal like it might be her final act. “Honored guest, please… would you try once more? If it fails again, we will waive all fees. Your presence alone is....an honor.”

  Jin Yu raised his brows. “Oh? So I get the VIP treatment now?”

  The woman swallowed. “We only wish to understand.”

  He took the second crystal.

  The room held its breath.

  For a second, it shimmered in his hand, then, just like before:

  DING!

  Currency rejected.

  CRACK.

  This time, the sound was louder. A fine web of fractures exploded across the surface, and the crystal disintegrated before anyone could blink.

  Gasps echoed around the chamber. The older attendant took a step back, nearly losing her balance.

  The silence that followed was louder than before. Now, eyes weren’t just curious, they were frightened, Reverent and Confused.

  Seer let out a long, low whistle. “Friend... remind me never to lend you my things.”

  Jin Yu dusted off his palm again. “If your things are this fragile, I’ll pass.”

  He looked up at the stunned attendants.

  “Next time,” he said flatly, “bring me something that doesn’t dissolve like wet paper.”

  One of the customers at a nearby table stood abruptly, bowing toward Jin Yu before hurrying out. Another whispered something about a “ The markless” and fled in the opposite direction.

  The staff scrambled now, bowing deeply and murmuring apologies, backing away as though standing too close might cause spontaneous combustion.

  Seer finally rose to his feet, arms loose at his sides. “I think we’ve caused enough confusion for one visit.”

  Jin Yu stood beside him. “You said this was a place to relax.”

  “I also said you’d love it.”

  “I’m not paying you for recommendations.”

  “Good,” Seer said, already walking. “I only accept memories.”

  They exited the hall in silence, but the silence they left behind was full of ripples, like a calm lake disturbed by something deep.

  Behind them, the whispers started again, faster this time, like embers about to catch flame.

  Just as they reached the arched exit, golden light spilling through the translucent walls of the building, a figure stepped out from the side corridor and blocked their path.

  She was tall, cloaked in silver-blue robes that shimmered like shifting clouds. Her face was veiled, but her bearing exuded confidence and calm. A badge of soft light hovered near her shoulder, an emblem that pulsed with quiet authority.

  “Honored guest,” she said with a respectful nod toward Jin Yu. “An elder of the House has requested a private audience.”

  Jin Yu didn’t stop walking. “Not interested.”

  But Seer caught his sleeve lightly. “Wait.”

  Jin Yu gave him a side glance, eyebrow raised.

  Seer leaned in, voice dropping just above a whisper, though clearly loud enough for the messenger to hear.

  “I heard her beauty is… otherworldly.”

  Jin Yu blinked once, unimpressed. “And?”

  Seer’s masked expression tilted innocently. “You wouldn’t want to miss a chance to lay eyes on a woman who’s rumored to make statues weep and paintings jealous.”

  The messenger’s veil rippled faintly, as if she were amused.

  Jin Yu sighed, glancing up at the ceiling as though asking the heavens why he tolerated any of this. “If she turns out to be old and wrinkled, I’m breaking your mask.”

  Seer bowed dramatically. “Then I shall accept my punishment like a man.”

  Jin Yu turned back to the messenger. “Fine. Lead the way.”

  With a silent nod, the woman turned and gestured. The folds of her robe flowed like water as she led them deeper into the heart of the building, into a corridor not marked for public access, its doors guarded by statues that shimmered faintly with concealed formations.

  The moment they passed the threshold, the air shifted.

  Soft, fragrant wind drifted through the hall, and the walls lost their solid form, becoming panels of light and flowing script. It was a realm within the building, layered and veiled from the outside world.

  “Only you may proceed from here.” the messenger said, pausing before an arched gateway made of glowing stone.

  Seer gave Jin Yu a light nudge in the ribs. “If she asks for your memory, make sure it's not one involving me. I’m too valuable.”

  Jin Yu rolled his eyes and stepped forward.

  The stone archway shimmered as he passed through it, and then, with a faint hum, the world changed.