image [https://i.postimg.cc/Z5SwgzYD/eyes1.png]

Chapter 2

Shan stepped carefully along the moss-covered path, his silver hair absorbing the ambient glow of the bioluminescent plants, gaining a subtle sheen that mirrored the ambiance. His eyes, a striking cerise, shimmered with a hint of anger as they reflected the vibrant hues around him, capturing the light and color in a way that made them appear almost alive. As he brushed his fingers lightly against the glowing plants, they responded by releasing a thick fog that hissed around him.

Shan tilted his head slightly, his cerise eyes shimmering with a dark intensity as they reflected the shadowy hues around him. Discordant and unsettling harmonies rose and fell with his breath, as if the environment was attuned to his inner turmoil. The air was filled with haunting melodies and muted colors, creating an intricate pattern of darkness and sound that pulsed ominously with his movements.

Pausing, Shan reached out to touch a nearby leaf. The colors swirled and shifted, weaving a dark narrative that rippled outward from his fingertips. The swirling colors and haunting notes wove a tale filled with foreboding, responding to his presence with a sense of unease and urging him deeper into the shadowy sanctuary, where the path seemed to vanish into an abyss of darkness.

As Shan wandered onward, an ominous luminescence emerged from a clearing, casting a foreboding aura. The light beckoned him, wrapping him in a cold embrace that stirred dread. His cerise eyes began to shine with unsettling intensity, reflecting the encroaching darkness. His lithe form moved with a fluid grace, muscles taut and defined beneath his attire, as he was drawn by an inexplicable pull toward this ominous invitation.

As Shan moved deeper into the forest, the path seemed to shift and twist underfoot, mirroring the turmoil within him. His cerise eyes burned with a fierce intensity, cutting through the encroaching shadows. The forest's darkness seemed to cling to his form, accentuating the taut muscles beneath his skin as he navigated the treacherous terrain. Each step was purposeful, driven by an unseen force that compelled him to uncover the secrets hidden within the ominous glow ahead.

As Shan ventured further, he reached a dark pool of water, its surface shimmering with an eerie, iridescent light. The air was thick with a heady aroma, enveloping his senses with an unsettling intensity. Kneeling beside the pool, the light in his cerise eyes was snuffed out, awakening something primal in his soul. The cold, unwelcoming liquid sent a shiver through him as ripples spread outward, resonating with the foreboding energies in the air.

As Shan stood by the pool, the water churned violently. Arms coalesced from the depths, seizing him with an unyielding grip. Behind him, the earth erupted as serpentine forms made entirely of chattering teeth burst forth, their sharp edges sinking into his veins. While those toothy vines tightened their hold, Shan began to remember, his eyes shimmering again as he muttered to himself, "I... must..." A sonic boom erupted, sending the bones sprawling, the ethereal hands from the depths disintegrating, and Shan slowly stood up on his two legs.

Suddenly, a sharp smack to his forehead jolted Shan awake. The vibrant dreamscape vanished, replaced by the dim light and the musty scent of old books and exotic spices in his shop. He blinked rapidly, wiping a trail of drool from his chin as he tried to reorient himself.

As Shan blinked awake, he found Aiko standing before him, her expression a mix of amusement and feigned annoyance. She held a damp cloth, teasing him about finally joining the land of the living. Shan growled softly, his eyes shimmering with renewed intensity. "I doubt the customers are here for a drool exhibition," Aiko quipped, her voice light and teasing.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Shan, now awake, responded to Aiko with a low growl, his eyes shimmering with renewed awareness. "Calm down," Aiko interjected, her voice steady.

Resonating with a spark on his hair, flickers of light cast around and flittered, a chicken cawking in the distant background. Aiko hesitated, then asked, "Which is it?" Shan simply said, "Seven." She scowled, moving to the drawer while taking her shirt off, retrieving an object, and handing it to him.

Resonating with a spark on his hair, flickers of light cast around and flittered, a chicken cawking in the distant background. Aiko hesitated, then asked, "Which is it?" Shan simply said, "Seven." She scowled, moving to the wall while taking her shirt off. She tapped on the wall in a precise sequence, revealing a hidden compartment. As it opened, a magical aura enveloped her, causing her to glow with bioluminescence. Within the compartment, an object was held inside a cube of liminal perspective, its edges shifting and elusive. She pulled out the object, which had no objective dimensions, and handed it to him.

After Shan pulls out his intricately carved pipe, he hands it to Aiko. She takes it and walks over to a section of the shop, tapping on a hidden panel. A secret compartment opens, releasing a flying antisquash that hits the ground with a thud before evaporating into a shimmering silver mist. The room fills with a momentary glimmer as the peculiar event unfolds. Aiko then reaches into the compartment, pulling out a small sigil shaped in the form of a moose.

Before walking back to Shan, Aiko locks the door and moves behind the counter. She breaks the sigil on another secret compartment and pulls out an anti-anti wrapped in Luminara's Veil. As she walks back over to Shan, her hair glistens, and her shirtless form reveals glowing patterns wrapping around her stomach and arms. Her eyes emit a dark and angry glow, creating an extremely menacing aura as she approaches.

After Aiko approaches Shan, she loosens her pants slightly, unzipping them just enough to reveal a hidden pocket. She retrieves a very small pineapple, secures her pants again, and unwraps the pineapple before placing it into the pipe. As she inhales, the pipe emits small poofs, accompanied by unsettling sounds of squirming and screaming. Letting the smoke curl around her, she tosses the pipe into Shan's hands.

He catches it deftly, then reaches down to pull a knife from his boot. With swift motions, he cuts both wrists. One hand allows a significant amount of blood to pool on the floor, while the other crushes the object in his hand. He drops the remains into the pool of blood. As he does, his eyes turn a vivid yellow, sparks dancing within them, adding an intense glow to the room.

Aiko, seeking confirmation of Shan's identity, asks, "What does blue taste like?" Shan responds with a gurgle, blood spilling from his mouth as he says, "Tannins, they're a weird thing, aren't they?" Aiko, unsatisfied, asks again. This time, Shan answers, "Too young to know a seven." Aiko looks at him sadly, then takes a deep inhale, the air thick with tension and unspoken understanding.

Aiko stands shirtless, focusing intently on the glowing lines emanating from her core as she places her hands on her chest and exhales deeply. One line transforms into a sardine, which pulls away from her body and turns toward the door, hissing just before it cracks open. The lines continue to grow in fervor, turning silver. Mr. Thistle enters, his body flickering and shifting as he steps forward. "Good day," he says, "I'm here for my usual order of flour and salt."

Shan stands up, blood streaming from his hands and dripping from his mouth. He looks at Mr. Thistle and coughs, "I've got it right here for you." Stumbling slightly, he catches himself mid-step and walks toward the fish tank with the salt, giving Aiko a glance. She immediately runs upstairs into his study.

Mr. Thistle moves further into the shop, his torso unhinging and reappearing backwards before flipping back in an instant. "Good day," he says, "I'm here for my usual order of flour and salt."

Shan, standing by the fish tank, places a bloody hand on its surface and looks at Mr. Thistle. He moves further into the shop to ask again. "Good day," he says, "I'm here for my usual order of flour and salt."

Shan walks toward Mr. Thistle, blood streaming from his hands and dripping from his mouth. He coughs, "Yeah, sure you are." Taking out his intricately carved pipe, he puts some of his blood into it from his dripping wrists. The pipe emits a high-pitched squeal as he inhales deeply, and a shimmering aura envelops him, pulsating with an enigmatic energy that dances and flickers.

Standing, Shan hears a primal scream pierce the air. A cat suddenly darts out of the room, a papaya clutched in its mouth. Looking up, Shan gives a wide-eyed grin, his mouth dripping with blood. Mr. Thistle, confused, reaches out to grasp Shan's arm. As he touches him, Shan dissipates, leaving only the glow of his eyes glaring at the room where Aiko is.