Chapter Four: The Impact Mark

Lin slapped the mirror from her hand. It shattered, every fragment reflecting the boy's fall. Mia lunged at her. Luca caught his wife while Lin seized the brass key and pressed it into his palm. “Your ticket only says recover it. You have recovered it.” She addressed the shop. “No purchase. No payment.” The room receded like scenery drawn into darkness. The white hand struck the glass once, leaving five muddy streaks. Luca's ticket grew hot. New words appeared on its back: PROPERTY CLAIMED. CUSTODY TERMINATED. The handprints vanished. Luca remained. “The loophole works,” Amara said. “Only before a sale closes,” Jonas said from the corner. He looked more disappointed than the shopkeeper. “And you destroyed Mia's anchor.”