The familiar creak of the wooden floorboards echoed beneath Wei's feet as he entered his family's modest home. The scent of burning incense, lingering from his mother's evening prayers, filled the air, but the atmosphere felt heavier than usual. His parents were seated at the small dining table, casting worried glances at each other.
In Wei's hand, concealed in his jacket, was the healing cream from the Midnight Pawnshop. The weight of the small jar felt enormous, not just because of its magical properties, but because of the price he had paid for it. He had traded his late grandfather's high-grade gemstone, a relic with a history he barely understood, in exchange for the chance to heal his sister's scars.
Wei's heart pounded as he made his way toward his sister's room. Every step felt like a betrayal of his grandfather's legacy, but his sister's pain had always been his greatest burden. He paused at the door, hesitating, before quietly pushing it open.
His sister, Liu, lay on the bed, her face turned towards the window, staring blankly at the darkening sky. Her arms, wrapped in bandages to cover the burn scars that had plagued her since childhood, rested motionlessly at her sides.
"Xiao Liu," Wei called softly, trying to keep his voice steady.
She didn't respond, but he knew she was awake. She had been distant lately, ever since the fire incident years ago that had changed everything. The guilt of not saving her in time had haunted Wei every single day, and he had spent countless nights at the pawnshop in hopes of finding a solution, a way to erase the scars that reminded them both of that tragic day.
Without another word, he approached her bedside and gently unwrapped the bandages on her arms. Her skin, marred and disfigured, looked as raw as ever. A deep sigh escaped his lips, and he took out the healing cream.
"I… I found something that might help," he murmured.
For the first time, Liu turned her head to look at him. There was a flicker of something in her eyes—hope, perhaps, or skepticism. Wei couldn't tell. He unscrewed the jar and, with trembling fingers, applied the cream to her scars.
The moment the cream touched her skin, a soft glow spread across her arms. The scars began to smooth out, the skin mending itself as though it had never been damaged. Wei watched in awe as his sister's arms were restored before his eyes. The once darkened and twisted skin became whole again, smooth and flawless.
Liu gasped, sitting up suddenly, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Wei… how did you…?"
Before she could finish, a sharp pain shot through Wei's chest. He clutched his heart, his breath hitching. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he felt as though something inside him had broken.
The trade. The consequences of the trade.
Mr. Shen's words echoed in his mind: "Every exchange has a cost."
Wei stumbled backward, feeling the invisible weight of the high-grade gemstone he had traded. The protection it had offered to his family—now lost. The gemstone had not only been an heirloom; it had been a safeguard, one that his grandfather had sacrificed his life to obtain.
And now, in his desperation to heal Liu, Wei had undone that protection.
As he leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, Liu knelt beside him, her hands trembling. "Wei, what's happening? What did you do?"
Wei struggled to respond, but the pain in his chest was unbearable. Images flashed through his mind: his grandfather's stern face, the moment of the trade with Mr. Shen, the ominous warnings he had ignored.
The pawnshop. The Midnight Pawnshop.
"Xiaoyu, I—" Wei's words were cut off by the sound of footsteps approaching the room. Their parents had heard the commotion.
"Liu! Wei! What's going on in here?" Their mother's voice was laced with panic.
But Wei couldn't answer. He felt himself slipping away, the weight of his actions pulling him into a darkness he couldn't escape. His grandfather's voice, faint and distant, echoed in his ears:
"You've disrupted the balance, Wei. Now, you must face the consequences."
As the darkness overtook him, Wei realized that this was only the beginning. Whatever protection the gemstone had offered was gone, and something far worse was coming.
When Wei awoke, the world felt colder, heavier. He was lying on his bed, with Liu and his parents standing over him, their faces etched with concern. His mother's eyes were red from crying, and his father stood silent, his expression unreadable.
"Wei, what happened?" His father's voice was stern, but there was a tremor in it that betrayed his fear.
Wei sat up slowly, the weight in his chest now a dull ache. He glanced at Liu , whose arms were fully healed, and he realized the price had already been paid. But what came next? What would his family face now that the gemstone's protection was gone?
"I… I made a mistake," Wei said, his voice barely a whisper. "A huge mistake."
His father frowned. "What kind of mistake? And where are you getting all this money from, Wei? You've been coming home late, and we've been worried sick."
Wei's heart sank. He couldn't tell them about the pawnshop, not yet. Not until he understood what was really happening.
"I'm working late shifts… at a place that's… complicated," Wei lied, his voice faltering. "But I promise I'll explain everything soon."
His mother sighed, rubbing her temples. "Wei, we just want to understand. You've been distant, and now this…"
Wei stood up, swaying slightly on his feet. "I'll fix it," he said, more to himself than to them. "I'll make things right."
But deep down, Wei wasn't sure how. The consequences of his actions were still unraveling, and he had no idea what awaited him in the days to come. One thing was certain: the Midnight Pawnshop held more secrets than he could ever have imagined, and he would need all his wits to survive the storm that was coming.
The question was, would he be ready when it arrived?
Outside, in the shadows of the alley near the pawnshop, a figure watched the house carefully. The Shadow Sect had sensed the disturbance—the breaking of the protection spell. They would come for the pawnshop, for Mr. Shen, and for the one who had dared to disrupt the balance.
And Wei, unknowingly, had just set the wheels of fate in motion.