Chapter 161: Shopping!

The spectral gates closed behind the carriages with a whisper as the group continued on, the convoy continuing to roll through the dimly luminescent streets of the Shadow Isles, the mana-lamps overhead pulsing faintly with hues of indigo and violet.

The city all around them thrummed as they moved, shadows continuously bending when one walked past, as if bowing in slow reverence. The group also continuously saw many spectral figures drifting between various alleyways, echoes of people who had once lived, worked, loved, and died here.

Albedo leaned out the carriage window slightly, eyes scanning the streets. Everything about this place tugged at the edges of reality.

The architecture itself seemed to shift all around them, the walls rippled faintly, balconies swayed like waves in a still sea, and reflections of the group shimmered faintly distorted in glass that wasn’t glass at all.

It was beautiful.

The convoy continued for around 6 minutes before coming to a stop before an enormous obsidian structure near the center of the city.

It stood like a monolith amidst the spectral glow, its exterior smooth as polished shadow-stone, runes carved into its walls pulsing faintly with silver light. Above the entrance, glowing sigils formed a name.

The Veiled Lantern Inn.

Ysvara stepped gracefully from her carriage, her silver gown catching the faint starlight from above. The soft clicking of her heels echoed like the rhythm of time itself. Around her, the air shimmered faintly, even the shadows bowed to her presence.

“Students,” she called out, her voice gentle but firm, carrying effortlessly across the courtyard. “This will be your residence for the night. The Veiled Lantern is under my control and has the isle’s blessing, so you’re safe here,”

The group of students began filtering out of the carriages. Some of them were already passed out sleeping and were being carried by their friends, while others just hurried into the inn, looking for a room to hop on a bed and sleep away.

Ysvara looked at the others that stayed around her, “You may all rest, or explore as you wish. You’ve earned this reprieve. However…” her eyes darkened faintly, “Be mindful, don’t overly bother the Ghouls and watch out at night, what you see may not always be real,”

Her words hung in the air like mist.

Then, with her usual serene composure, she turned toward Albedo, Lilian, Lucian, and the others who lingered near the carriages. “Tomorrow, we resume our journey toward the third Monument. But for tonight, breathe, live, and remember you are still mortal.”

With that, Ysvara dismissed them.

***

The remaining students quickly entered the Veiled Lantern inn, mostly to put down their stuff before they headed out to explore the city.

The Veiled Lantern’s interior was a paradox, ancient and modern in equal measure. The walls were carved from dark quartz that pulsed with inner light, while chandeliers of crystallized mana hung from the ceiling, their glow caught in the faint mist that drifted through the halls.

Each step they took echoed softly, absorbed by the strange, gentle acoustics of the building.

Miranda ran a hand along one of the shimmering walls, her reflection bending slightly with her movement. “This place feels… peaceful,” she murmured. “In a ghostly sort of way.”

Lilian immediately responded, “It’s stabilized with spectral energy,” she whispered, “These walls are probably reinforced by bound souls — not enslaved, but… willing anchors. They keep the realms from bleeding into each other.”

Zeus glanced around, unimpressed, “So basically, ghosts are holding the building up. Great. Totally not creepy.”

Lilian smiled faintly at that. “You’ll get used to it.”

Ysvara’s attendants, ethereal figures dressed in flowing silver attire, distributed ornate black keys to each group.

Each one pulsed faintly in tune with its holder’s heartbeat, “They’re attuned to your soul,” Ysvara explained when Elara asked about it. “They’ll open your rooms and ward them against intrusion. Even the shadows won’t cross without invitation.”

After that, Ysvara excused herself, gliding down the hall with two attendants, “I’ll be nearby if needed. The Veiled Lantern answers to me. Enjoy your evening.”

And just like that, they were free.

***

“Alright,” Lilian said after a moment of silence, her voice smooth and confident, “You humans look like you’re about to collapse from either awe or confusion. Both are valid.” She brushed a strand of her black hair over her shoulder, her crimson eyes glimmering faintly in the spectral light. “So, how about we make the most of this break?”

Elara raised a brow,”You mean?”

“Shopping,” Lilian said with a grin. “And not the mortal kind. The Shadow Isles’ markets only appear when the twin moons begin to rise. That’s in…” — she glanced toward the window, where the faint glow of the horizon had begun to shift, “twenty minutes.”

Elara blinked, “Wait, the markets appear? They aren’t here permanently?”

Lilian’s smile widened, “Nope! They markets are in the dark side of the Shadow Isles, which means they only exist on this plane for 12 hours a day, and some of the merchants are called Ghoul Merchants, these ones don’t technically exist, they trade in memories, emotions, and things that can’t be forged in any realm but this one.”

Zeus groaned dramatically, “Let me guess, expensive.”

“Oh, very,” Lilian said sweetly. “But worth it.”

Miranda chuckled softly. “I think I’ll stay here and rest. After the Throne, I’ve had enough of staring into the abyss for one day.”

Lucian nodded. “Same. I’ll take a walk later.” His eyes drifted toward the window again, toward the faint shimmer of the horizon that seemed to pulse with ghostly light. There was something in this city that intrigued him quite a bit.

Lilian’s gaze flicked to Albedo then, “You’re coming with me, right?”

Albedo raised an eyebrow. “You’re assuming I’m interested in shopping.”

“Oh, please,” she said with an amused tilt of her head. “You’ll like what you find. The Isles trade in more than clothes and trinkets. There are runes, relics, even weapons forged from shadow essence. You might find something that… resonates.”

Elara, predictably, was already standing up, “I’m coming,” she said quickly, clutching her journal, “If even half of what you said about the markets is true, it’s worth documenting.”

Lilian grinned, “Perfect. Then it’s settled. Albedo, Elara, you’re with me.”

Zeus stretched and leaned back in his chair. “Fine by me. Bring back something shiny.”

“We’ll see,” Lilian said, brushing past him. “Come on, you two.”

***

The streets outside had transformed. The night had not yet fallen completely, but the twin moons had risen, one crimson, one pale blue, and under their glow, the entire city seemed to breathe.

The buildings turned faintly translucent. The cobblestone streets shimmered like mirrors. And from the misty corners of alleyways, stalls began to form, spectral fabrics unraveling from thin air, ghostly figures assembling stands laden with impossible goods.

It wasn’t chaotic. It was like watching a dream manifest in slow motion.

The Market of Reflected Souls had arrived.

Lilian led them through the glowing streets, her steps graceful and assured, “Stay close,” she said softly. “You don’t want to wander too far. The farther the market extends, the thinner the veil gets, and the Ghoul Merchants can even become dangerous,”

Albedo glanced around, taking everything in. One merchant sold glowing vials of liquid memory, shimmering blues and greens that whispered softly when held. Another showcased blades carved from condensed shadows, their edges humming with restrained hunger.

Elara was transfixed. “This is… extraordinary,” she breathed. “It’s like the boundary between science and sorcery doesn’t exist here.”

“It doesn’t,” Lilian said simply. “Here, desire and intent are the currency of creation.”

They passed a musician whose instrument was nothing but a string of light suspended between two mirrors. When she plucked it, the sound was both music and emotion, filling the air with something like nostalgia and sorrow intertwined.

Albedo paused before a small stall tucked between two larger ones. Its owner, a shadowed figure with no face, offered him a tray of small, crystalline stones that pulsed faintly when he approached.

Each one hummed softly, almost like heartbeats.

“They react to soul resonance,” Lilian murmured beside him, “They’re called Echo Crystals. They store fragments of consciousness, memories, even thoughts. You could merge one with your weapon, but be careful. Sometimes they remember… too much.”

Albedo picked one up, feeling its faint warmth against his palm. For an instant, a whisper flickered through his mind, a child’s laughter, distant and long gone. He set it back down gently.

“Strange place,” he murmured.

Lilian smiled faintly. “Welcome to the Shadow Isles.”

Albedo chuckled and met her gaze briefly, then looked back at the crowd, the living and the dead walking side by side, exchanging trinkets and artifacts.

He couldn’t help but wonder how many of them even realized which they were. He continued following Lilian all around, but he hadn’t seen anything that made him curious.

That was until they arrived at a certain merchant.

“Vex, it’s me,” Lilian said, waving as they arrived at the Merchant’s stall.

Neither Albedo nor Elara could see anyone manning the stall, and just when they were about to ask Lilian what was going on, two green eyes appeared, gazing directly into their eyes.

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