The golden markets of Aurendia buzzed with life, filled with the jingling of coins and the chatter of traders.
Kara Ilvion stood at the center of it all, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd.
Every transaction in the market seemed to orbit around her, the legendary merchant whose skill had built an empire.
But today, something felt... off.
"Five crates of silk from Emris for 300 aurins?"
Kara arched a brow at the trembling trader before her.
"You must think I'm an amateur. I'll give you 200, take it or leave it."
The trader hesitated, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
Kara leaned forward, her confident smile razor-sharp.
"Tick-tock, my friend. Others are waiting."
The deal closed with a reluctant nod, as always. Kara pocketed the profit, satisfied.
Yet, as she turned to leave, a strange chill ran down her spine.
The lively sounds of the market dulled in her ears, replaced by a subtle yet menacing shuffle behind her.
Kara glanced over her shoulder and saw him-a wiry man with wild eyes and a knife glinting in his hand, pushing through the crowd with alarming speed.
"Kara Ilvion!" he bellowed, fury dripping from his voice.
"You think you can cheat everyone and walk away unscathed?"
The crowd parted, gasping in shock, but no one moved to stop him.
Kara froze for a heartbeat, not out of fear but from sheer disbelief.
Cheated? Her? The accusation was absurd.
She always made fair deals, though
perhaps her charm and wit left sore losers in their wake.
"You're delusional," she said sharply, her voice cutting through the murmurs around her. "Put that down before you regret it."
But the man only snarled and lunged at her.
Kara's instincts, honed from years of navigating both markets and danger, kicked in.
She stepped back, her hand darting to her satchel, ready to defend herself.
Before she could react further, the world seemed to tilt.
A sharp pain flared in her side as the man's blade grazed her, and the bustling market around her began to blur.
The vibrant colors of Aurendia dimmed, and the weight of the gold in her satchel grew heavy, unbearably so.
"No," she whispered, her voice trembling for the first time in years. "Not like this..."
She staggered, her knees buckling as the golden light of her beloved market began to fade into darkness.
The last thing she heard was the murmur of the crowd, growing softer and softer, until there was nothing at all.
Rina Kang jolted awake, gasping for air.
The soft light of the morning sun streamed through the cracks of a small wooden window.
Disoriented, she scanned the unfamiliar room—a tiny space with a threadbare bed, a battered desk, and peeling wallpaper.
Where was she? The last thing she remembered was... gold? And Aurendia?
As she tried to move, a flood of foreign memories rushed into her mind.
Kara Ilvion, the Merchant of Aurendia, was gone. In her place was Rina Kang, a 15-year-old orphan who had recently lost her father to illness.
She lived in a small suburban house in a world filled with metal beasts (cars), glowing boxes (televisions), and strange rectangular contraptions (phones).
"What is this madness?" Rina whispered, clutching her head.
If I just sleep again, I'll wake up back home, she thought.
She curled into a ball, forcing her eyes shut.
But peace didn't come.
A shrill, blaring sound pierced through the silence, jolting her upright.
She stared at the glowing red numbers on the small device by her bed, the noise growing louder and more grating.
Her heart raced in panic.
"What is that?!" she yelled, scrambling back against the wall.
Her mind raced, filled with wild, irrational thoughts.
A bomb? A trap? Some kind of sorcery?! Without thinking, she grabbed the device and flung it across the room.
It smashed against the wall, the noise mercifully stopping.
The silence that followed was almost worse.
Breathing hard, she stared at the broken pieces scattered on the floor, her hands trembling.
"What… what was that thing?" she whispered to herself.
Her voice was thin, cracking under the weight of her confusion.
Her thoughts swirled like a storm. In an effort to ground herself, she pinched her cheek—hard.
A sharp sting shot through her skin, and her breath hitched.
"It hurts," she murmured, her voice barely audible.
The realization struck her like a thunderclap: this wasn't a dream.
Her knees buckled, and she crumpled to the floor, unable to support herself under the weight of the truth.
"No," she whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Tears welled up as she pressed her hands to her face, shaking her head as if to deny the reality.
"This… this can't be happening."
The familiar comfort of Aurendia was gone.
The bustling markets, her gold, her very identity as Kara Ilvion—all of it was out of reach.
Now, she was in this strange, unfamiliar place, and the truth was unbearable.
For the first time in 18 years, she felt completely, utterly lost.