Valtheim Kingdom - Capital City.
The alchemy shop smelled of dried herbs and simmering remedies, its shelves lined with vials of emerald greens and ruby reds. Behind the counter, a handsome red-haired man lounged with his boots propped up, idly flipping through an old ledger.
His customers—a pair of Resonators fresh from an Echo Realm dive—had just left with their healing pills, the bell above the door jingling in their wake.
Then—
Tremble.
The ring on his left hand shivered, its silver band vibrating like a struck chord.
The man's relaxed demeanor vanished.
In one fluid motion, he snapped the ledger shut, swept behind the counter, and slipped into the backroom. His fingers danced across the wall—tapping hidden mechanisms, disengaging locks—until a section of the floor slid open, revealing a staircase descending into darkness.
The air grew colder as he climbed down.
