Eryx Vale opened his shop at dawn.
He always did.
Not because business demanded it—Lower Crescent Ward didn't stir properly until midmorning—but because silence suited him. The quiet hours before the street filled with noise let him take inventory, check on his Beasts, and exist without being watched.
Cubic Creatures smelled faintly of clean water and stone when he unlocked the door.
The Ghastling drifted lazily above the counter, already awake, already smiling. It made a soft, breathy sound when it noticed him, like steam escaping a kettle.
"Morning," Eryx murmured.
The Ghastling bobbed happily and bumped its head gently against his shoulder.
He chuckled and nudged it away before it got tangled in his collar.
"Careful. You'll knock something over."
It ignored him completely.
Eryx moved through the shop with practiced ease. He refilled water tanks, checked feed trays, adjusted heat stones. The fox pen—empty now—still carried faint traces of mana where the creatures had once curled up together.
Sold already.
All of them.
He paused there for a moment longer than necessary.
Good homes, he reminded himself. He'd made sure of that.
The bell above the door chimed earlier than expected.
Eryx glanced up.
Across the street stood Marlen, owner of Iron Fang Companions. Broad-backed, sharp-eyed, perpetually dissatisfied. His shop specialized in aggressive Beasts—fangs, claws, intimidation. It did well.
Marlen did not smile when he entered.
"Morning," Eryx said anyway.
Marlen grunted. His gaze flicked immediately around the shop, cataloging everything with a professional eye.
"Busy week," Marlen said.
Eryx shrugged. "Could be worse."
"Foxes," Marlen continued. "Every single one sold."
"They were popular."
Marlen snorted. "They were cheap."
Eryx didn't correct him.
Marlen's eyes narrowed, lingering on the Ghastling floating serenely above the counter.
"That thing's still here," he said.
"Not for sale."
"I figured." Marlen leaned an elbow on the counter. "So tell me."
Eryx waited.
"How do you get your stock?"
There it was.
Eryx smiled, mild and unbothered. "Carefully."
Marlen scowled. "You don't buy from breeders."
"No."
"You don't attend auctions."
"Nope."
"You don't hunt."
"Too messy."
Marlen's jaw tightened. "Then where?"
Eryx met his gaze calmly.
"I go… somewhere."
Marlen laughed, sharp and humorless. "That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
For a long moment, the two men stared at each other. Then Marlen straightened.
"Hmph. Fine," he said. "Just don't forget—places dry up."
He turned and left without another word.
The bell chimed.
Eryx exhaled slowly.
The Ghastling drifted closer, its glow dimming slightly, as if sensing his mood. It nudged his cheek.
"I know," Eryx murmured. "I know."
---
By the time the sun dipped low and shadows stretched across the street, Cubic Creatures closed for the night.
Eryx swept the floor, counted the day's earnings, and locked the door with a practiced twist of the wrist. The Ghastling followed him upstairs, bobbing lazily like a balloon tied to his presence.
The living space above the shop was simple.
A bed. A desk. A shelf with old notebooks he never opened.
Eryx sat on the edge of the bed and kicked off his boots.
"You had fun today," he said.
The Ghastling made a delighted, bubbling sound and floated straight into his chest, nuzzling him like an affectionate pet.
It purred.
It genuinely purred.
Eryx laughed softly, lying back and letting it curl against him. Its body was warm, comforting, weightless and solid all at once.
"Still weird," he muttered. "You're a squid."
The Ghastling ignored the insult.
As Eryx closed his eyes, the world softened.
The shop faded.
The ceiling dissolved.
Warmth replaced stillness.
Grass brushed his fingertips.
He opened his eyes.
Square sun.
Blocky clouds.
A horizon that stretched too clean and too sharp to be real.
"Minecraft," Eryx thought.
Modded Minecraft.
He pushed himself up, emerald-green armor clinking softly as he moved. The Ghastling—no, the Ghastling—floated beside him, its form subtly different here. More defined. More… native.
It squealed happily, spinning in the air.
Eryx smiled.
"Alright," he said. "Let's see what's out there tonight."
And together, they walked forward into the grass.