"Who says I can drive your car?"
Claire smiled and walked toward the passenger side.
"No one. You just look like someone who can. Also… it's an intuition."
Shauwn grimaced at her words but eventually got into the car, and they set off. Driving through the town was nothing exciting for Shauwn, who was already familiar with most of the route between his home and work.
It was different for Claire. She was still fascinated by the city's atmosphere and architecture. He noticed it in her eyes and in her gestures: rolling down the window to take a deep breath of fresh air, smiling at children playing along the street corners.
The buildings were old but sturdy. The town felt antiquated yet welcoming, far from the technological boom that followed the Primordial Fracture—a mysterious phenomenon that shattered the continents and reshaped the world, leaving many regions unstable.
Silver Creek was one of the few towns that retained the charm of the old world. That was why Shauwn found it hard to describe—it all seemed ordinary and familiar: restaurants, apartments, small grocery stores, and playgrounds.
For the entire ride, neither Claire nor Shauwn spoke. Now that she had made her intentions clear, actions mattered more than words. Not speaking would have been counterproductive.
Claire turned to him, eyes carefully observing every subtle detail of the man at the wheel. She broke the silence.
"Ever thought about getting yourself a car? I can totally see you owning one."
Shauwn stole a subtle glance at her from the corner of his eyes and refocused on the road.
"Not really. My salary's comfortable, true, but not enough for that."
That wasn't the full reason, though it was part of it. Primarily, buying a car would require registering it, entering multiple databases, and the moment he did that, he'd be traceable across the region.
It took them thirty minutes to reach Lily's. The street was quiet, and the only hint of the old town was a solitary black lamppost.
Fate Eye's—the shop where Lily and her mother worked—stood before them. Mystical symbols and enigmatic drawings adorned the windows, while a giant eye on the sign proclaimed the name of the store.
The interior couldn't be seen from outside, hidden behind curtains embroidered with suns and stars. The door's chimes jingled as soon as they entered, alerting the shop's owner.
A middle-aged woman, wearing loose clothes and a scarf around her hair, came forward. She carried wooden and metal charms engraved with mysterious symbols, bracelets, and a jade ring. In one hand, she held burning incense sticks that perfumed the room. She wandered through the store, letting the aroma fill the air.
"Welcome to Divine Eye's. The future and the past are found in your eyes. How can I help you?"
"It's just me…" Claire said, her expression skeptical.
Astrid, Lily's mother, exhaled deeply before responding.
"Huh?! Then I was right to cleanse the place—I sensed bad energy approaching my domain…"
Claire and Astrid clearly didn't get along. Shauwn didn't know why, and he preferred not to intervene.
"Mrs. Astrid!" Shauwn called cheerfully, trying to ease the tension; he even waved.
The slight strain between the two women eased. Astrid blatantly ignored Claire and theatrically walked toward Shauwn.
Claire pressed her lower lip, visibly annoyed, but quickly masked it with a polite smile.
"Mrs. Astrid, where's Lily?" she asked, keeping her tone civil.
"She's in the back. Now go! I need to talk with Shauwn for a moment."
Her tongue clicked softly as she took heavy steps toward where Lily was. Shauwn could see the tension in Claire's shoulders. He was a bit confused, unsure what Lily's mother wanted to discuss.
In truth, Astrid was sociable and kind; some considered her eccentric because much of what she said seemed nonsensical. But it wasn't nonsense—people just didn't understand her perspective.
She couldn't engage in a mundane conversation without drifting into divination, energies, and vibrations. The shelves lined with jars, incense, and various tools supported this.
Shauwn felt apprehensive about the conversation—Astrid was unpredictable, and he had no clue what she wanted to discuss, especially since she'd intentionally sent Claire away.
"Shauwn, what do you think about fortune-tellers or clairvoyants?" she asked, intrigued.
Huh?!
The young man was surprised and… slightly annoyed. Was this really why she wanted to speak with him—about divination or the occult? He wasn't exactly the best person to discuss such matters, yet perhaps the question was just a facade.
He decided to answer.