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“Greetings visitor; and welcome to a place like no place on Earth.”
A voice, you cannot tell where it comes from in the old looking house you just entered out of curiosity. As you look around you find yourself all alone in its candle lit darkness; leaving you questioning if you have gone mad when you entered the house. Regretting your choice to step foot within this wretched place, you turn around again and just as you are about to leave; a shadow flies by the corner of your eye. However, when you turn around to face it, you are left staring in a dusty mirror at your own reflection. The candles beside it flicker and seem to almost laugh at your disappointment. “I see that you have found your way to our small corner of this world; we are most honoured to have you here with us and we are here to serve you however you see fit,” in the mirror you can see your own reflection moving its mouth. The voice echoes through the formerly silent room, but it is not your own voice. It is without a doubt the voice you heard just as you came through the threshold and the bell had made your presence known to the shop keeper.A tad uneasy you gaze around yourself once more, there truly is no one else in the house. You are alone.“What may we do for you today, Master?”“Who are you?” your voice is steady as the words leave your throat; leaving no evidence of your uneasy feeling that is creeping through your gut.The question leaves the room in silence once more. In hopes for a reply, you decide to stand still for a short moment. A part of you wishes to know more while another part of you keeps saying that it is about time to leave.A movement in the corner of your eye again. Quickly you turn your gaze towards it and find yourself looking at a silhouette sitting in an armchair by the unlit fireplace.
“Who are you?” you decide to try the question again.“Oh? You want to know who I am before we start? That is a first,” this time you can clearly notice that the voice comes from the person in the armchair. “I do believe it is only proper to introduce oneself from the very beginning … Is it not …? I go by many names.”Before your very eyes the silhouette vanishes from the armchair, only to re-appear standing by the old desk with piles of books and scrolls. In the light from the candle laughing at you from its throne on the desk, you can hardly make out the face below the hood. All you can see are some braided locks of copper coloured hair and pale skin around a vague smiling mouth.“I can be anyone you want me to be. However, I am the one named Vazchu …” the person before you looked up and for the first time you face the green eyes hiding in the shadows under the hood. “Of course, Master, you may call me Vaz or Caius if you prefer any of those names … As I said, I can be anyone you want me to be.”Silently you step forward; even though the person behaves oddly you cannot find any traces of ill intentions.“I create and that is something I do in more ways than one.” Vaz say with a gesture and all the candles in the shop lit up all at once and the fireplace let a warm fire come to life within its core. “Make yourself at home and let us get down to business, Master.” · · · · · • • ❖ • • · · · · ·
