Ethan rapped a coded sequence of taps—alternating between light and heavy—against the door, but there was no stir from within.
He raised his hand to knock again, repeating the pattern with precision. This time, the sound of movement echoed from the other side.
Ethan took a step back from the door.
"Who's there?" boomed a voice from inside, deep and tinged with a menacing edge.
"The owl hunts at midnight," Ethan responded his voice even.
Silence hung for a moment.
"What business do you have?" The voice asked.
"I'm here to make a trade," Ethan replied.
"A trade? Does this look like a market to you?" The voice's irritation flared anew.
"I've come to trade in 'Shadows,'" Ethan said, his tone unshaken by the gruff interrogation.
Another pause lingered, heavy with anticipation, but it was broken by the sound of someone fiddling with a lock from within.
