Every empire has its shadows.
And in the corners even shadows fear to reach, a different kind of market thrives—where laws do not bind, and currency is not measured in coin, but in things irreplaceable.
Memories. Time. Names. Souls.
Kairos had heard of it only in whispers.
A place called Veltraxis.
A wandering bazaar that phased between dimensions, never staying in one coordinate system for more than a day.
But now, it had surfaced.
And the next Scarlet Guild Master was inside.
Into the Fracture
"Veltraxis just tethered to the Orbis Rift," said T'rana, pulling up the pulse-reading from the quantum beacons. "You've got a narrow window—three hours before it blinks out of phase again."
Kairos nodded. "Do we have an ID on the Guild Master?"
Kessie's projection flickered in.
"Codename: Morrow. No confirmed image. No fixed biological state. Believed to deal exclusively in soul trades."
"Joy," Vael muttered. "We're dealing with an ethereal parasite."
