Shalma Hughes stared at her phone screen; the incoming call was from an unknown number. An inexplicable sense of foreboding tugged at her heart. She answered the call, and a voice drifted through the receiver...
"All right, I understand. I'll see you there."
With the boom in tourism, Eldoria had seen a surge in quaint little shops designed to charm passing visitors. Among them, one particular small café was the most popular, always bustling with business.
Shalma had tied up her slightly wavy, long hair. She wore a simple, tastefully understated dress. While not particularly expensive, it was exceptionally chic. The front featured pearl frog-fastenings, and the hem was adorned with an embroidered lotus blossom and two emerald-green leaves, complete with lifelike dewdrops resting on them. As she walked, the hem fluttered in the breeze. Shalma was already slender, and this outfit made her look otherworldly and ethereal.
