"This is the best store in this place," Argent said as he led Matthew into a store tucked between two larger ones. The entrance was narrow and dimly lit, with a small glowing sign that flickered overhead. Inside, the lighting was red and low, which made immediately made Matthew frown. It felt more like a lounge than a storefront.
Then the smell hit him immediately. Thick. Heavy. Like a wet stone and something decaying. His steps slowed.
"This place is disgusting," the ghost girl muttered beside him. "It smells like rotten flesh."
Matthew didn't respond, but he agreed. The aura here was heavy. It pushed down on his shoulders, making it harder to breathe. That same dark pressure he'd felt around certain ghosts was present here—but stronger. Sadly, he couldn't see any ghosts around.
Shelves were lined with glass containers, stone fragments, labeled powders, and small black boxes sealed with wax. A few jars had things floating in them. Matthew couldn't tell what it was.
Matthew eyed the blond woman that was already standing behind the counter. She had flawless skin, long legs, and a body that didn't match the gloom of the store. Her red dress clung tightly to her frame as she stepped forward.
"Dear customers," she said as she smiled at them. "What can I get you today? I can sell you anything."
"She smells like him," the ghost girl whispered. "Same as Argent. Rotten. I don't like her."
Argent stepped closer to the counter. "Got anything new?"
The blond tilted her head. "We always have something new. You'll need to be more specific."
Matthew stayed silent, his eyes scanning the store. He had never seen this place in his past life. The layout, the lighting, the woman—it was all unfamiliar. He knew most of the old shops by the time he had reached this level in his previous life. But this store didn't exist. Or if it had, it was long gone before he arrived.
And Argent—he had never met anyone by that name back then either. If Argent is really friendly then Matthew should have heard his name mentioned, but he couldn't recall anything.
Matthew stepped forward. "Anything useful?" he asked. "Not something harmful. Just... useful."
The woman let out a soft laugh and leaned forward slightly.
"That's a vague request," she said. "But I think I have just the thing."
The woman led them through a side curtain into a smaller room. A long table sat in the center, surrounded by dark wooden chairs. She gestured for them to sit. Matthew took the seat across from Argent without saying anything.
The woman returned with a small tray and placed two cups of tea in front of them.
Matthew narrowed his eyes at his cup. Something about it didn't feel right. He leaned slightly forward, catching a faint scent. Bitter. How could he tell?
Then a sharp memory flashed in his mind. A woman offering tea—this very same woman. But it wasn't from his point of view. It felt like he was inside someone else's head. The angle, the smell, the pressure in the room—it was all off. Then the memory vanished just as fast as it appeared.
"What the heck was that?" he mumbled inwardly.
"What are you mumbling about?" The ghost girl appeared beside him again. "And don't drink that. She might've put something in it," she added before she started mumbling about how she had never been inside this place before. "I don't like how it smells," the ghost added.
Across the table, Argent took his cup and drank without hesitation.
Matthew didn't move. He kept his hands on the table.
Argent noticed. "What's wrong? You don't like tea?"
Matthew glanced at the tea, then shook his head. "Stomach's been acting up," he said.
Argent sighed and leaned back. "Figures. Always with the bathroom trips. Should've figured it out earlier."
Matthew didn't answer. He looked back at the woman. "Can you show us something?"
The woman smiled and stepped to one of the shelves. She pulled down a set of jars and placed them in front of them. Inside were fine white powders sealed with wax lids.
"This one is odorless," she said. "Undetectable in food or drink. Strong enough to put a horse to sleep for at least an hour, but it is longer for humans, especially if you change the dosage."
Matthew stared at the jar. He didn't need anything like this right now, but he knew it would come in handy. Especially once Lenox started scheming again.
"I'll take this," he said. "Also, give me some laxatives. The strong kind."
Argent blinked. "What about something for women?"
Matthew shook his head. "This is all I need right now."
Argent smirked and looked at the woman. "You heard him. Give Ghost here what he wants."
Matthew quickly paid after receiving the items and then left the store with Argent.
"How about we check out some newly mined stone?" Argent suddenly said. "I know the perfect place for that."
Matthew immediately nodded. He didn't know what this man was up to, but he was pretty excited about what he was cooking.
"Let's go," Matthew said. "I am looking for something fun tonight," he added.
Almost immediately, Argent perked up. He quickly led him to another store.
The next store was brighter than the last, with clean marble tiles and glass cases arranged in neat rows. Several buyers were already inside, examining polished stones displayed under white lights. A few rocks, rough and uncut, were placed on velvet-lined trays or resting directly on the tiled floor with tags beside them.
Attendants in matching uniforms moved quietly between groups, presenting gems, explaining properties, and answering questions. The mood in the room was calm. Peaceful, even.
Argent nodded to one of the attendants. "Take us to the back."
They were about to move when a man from the far corner turned and called out. "Argent? You came back?"
"Cosim, I didn't know you were here tonight?" Argent scratched the back of his head. "Let's not bring that up."
The man walked over. He was tall, wearing a fitted blazer and a plain black mask with some dotted detail on the side. He glanced at Matthew briefly, then focused on Argent.
"You remember what happened last time?" the man said. "We lost big because of you. The betting got out of hand."
Argent gave him a half-shrug. "Ghost, this is the manager of this place. Cosim."
The man pointed at Matthew. "You know this guy? Argent here won a gem worth two million just last month. His friend cleaned out three booths. I was this close to banning them both."
Argent chuckled. "It was luck. Just mere luck."
Another man from a nearby group joined in. "Luck? What about the month before that?"
Matthew kept still, watching the exchange. The men acted friendly enough. They smiled, laughed, and spoke casually. But something felt off. The atmosphere had shifted. Too easy. Too familiar. And he didn't like that.
Matthew narrowed his eyes slightly. They were either genuinely comfortable with Argent—or trying to be.
Argent clapped a hand on Matthew's shoulder. "This is Ghost. We're just looking for something fun today. Nothing too serious."
The two men looked at each other and nodded. One of them motioned to the back area. "Then you came to the right place."
"What do you mean?" Argent asked.
Cosim adjusted the cuff of his blazer. "We're about to open a new cart of stones. Fresh batch. Straight from a restricted zone outside Dhurak. Still unpolished. Most of it hasn't even been appraised yet."
Argent's head lifted. "Restricted zone? You're kidding."
"Nope. Pulled straight from the tunnels last week. Word is, it came out of a collapsed section. Some of the stones are still covered in ash. We're opening it in the back. Everyone's placing bets."
Argent looked at Matthew. "This might actually be our lucky day."
Matthew didn't respond. Something shifted in his head. A sharp pull.
Then it hit.
Another memory—just like before.
Same words. Same setup. Same faces. Except the clothes were different. The room looked older. Dimmer. But the people, Argent, the man in the blazer, even the other bystanders, they were all there. Just dressed differently.
And again, it wasn't from his own point of view. He could see everything, hear everything, but he wasn't the one living it.
He blinked. Then image vanished.
Matthew's fingers twitched slightly at his side. He glanced at Argent, then at the man. He forced himself to focus.
"So, how does this work?" Matthew asked.
The man smirked. "Same as always. We open the cart. You pick a stone, uncut. You bet on the value. The highest confirmed appraisal wins. But you only get to pick once. Or, you can simply buy all contents of the cart."
Argent nodded. "We're in."
Matthew didn't say anything else. He followed as they were led toward the back. Then the memory hit him again. This time, it was a memory of walking down the same hall that led them to the back portion of the store.
Matthew frowned. Why was he having these memories? He couldn't actually think of a reason aside from the fact that these were the memories of that ghost that tried to kill Matthew. He was talking about the very same ghost that was following behind Argent when they met.
"This is bad," Matthew mumbled just as his head started to ache.