Episode 5: The Memory That Was Never Hers
> [Delivery Challenge Accepted.]
Warning: This order may affect the timeline. Proceed with caution.
Rhea sat frozen.
"Timeline?" she muttered, brows furrowed. "What kind of shop is this?"
Fizz floated beside her, noticeably paler. "Boss… that wasn't a regular order. It triggered a system route—an ancient one. That means it's connected to you."
"Connected to me?"
"But… how?" she whispered. "I've never even left my town before the awakening. I'm not special."
Fizz didn't respond.
Instead, a new screen flickered open in her panel.
> Order ID: 0000-X
Client: Unknown
Delivery Item: Glass Feather of Time
Instructions: Deliver via Spatial Rift. Do not make physical contact. Location: Forgotten Realm - Cradle of Echoes.
Rhea's heart raced.
Everything sounded more like an adventure game than a business. But she reminded herself—it was her shop. Her power. Even if everyone thought it was useless.
She tapped the screen. The system shimmered, and a glowing glass feather appeared before her. It was delicate, weightless, and pulsing with a gentle hum.
It didn't look dangerous.
And yet… she felt something in her chest stir. A distant ache. Like déjà vu mixed with longing.
Fizz finally spoke. "You really don't remember anything… do you?"
She turned to him, confused. "Remember what?"
Fizz floated lower, almost touching the ground. "You weren't supposed to awaken this skill. Not in this world. The Multidimensional Shop is a power from… somewhere far beyond."
"Beyond?"
"Your soul is older than you think, Boss. Maybe… this order will help you remember a piece of it."
She clutched the feather tighter.
> [Spatial Rift Opening…]
Coordinates Locked: Cradle of Echoes – Restricted Zone]
Wind swirled around her as a portal tore open midair. It wasn't loud. In fact, it was silent—eerily so. Like the world was holding its breath.
Before stepping in, she took a deep breath. "Fizz… if I don't come back—"
"You will come back," he interrupted, trying to sound brave, though his tail flickered nervously. "You have to. Who else is gonna pay my snack subscription?"
She laughed softly. "I'll bring you the biggest bag of void chips if I survive."
And then, she stepped through.
—
The Cradle of Echoes was… empty.
Not just of life, but of sound.
Rhea found herself in a field of white—no sky, no ground, just endless light. The only thing visible was an ancient tree, leafless and silver, standing alone in the void.
A soft whisper brushed her ear, though no one stood near.
> "Daughter of the Shop… Keeper of Worlds… Return what was lost…"
Rhea's grip on the feather tightened.
Suddenly, the tree pulsed with light. A hollow crack opened in its trunk, like a door welcoming her.
Her feet moved on their own.
Inside the tree, the world changed.
Memories flooded in—but they weren't hers.
A woman who looked like her, but older… wiser… stood before a great army, handing them weapons summoned from thin air.
A man knelt before her, whispering: "You are the last hope, Rhea."
The vision blinked away.
Rhea gasped. "That was… me?"
Or someone who had her face.
She felt her knees go weak.
Fizz's voice echoed faintly from her bracelet. "Boss? Can you hear me? Your vitals just spiked!"
"I… I think I saw my past life," she said breathlessly. "I was someone powerful. I was—"
Before she could finish, the glass feather dissolved in her hand.
The tree whispered one last time:
> "One item delivered. One memory returned."
The portal reopened behind her.
She turned to leave, but not before glancing back. The tree shimmered, and for just a second, she swore it bowed.
—
Back in her shop, everything was still.
Fizz zoomed around her. "You're back! I was about to jump in and drag you out myself!"
"I'm okay… I think."
Fizz stopped mid-air. "Something changed. Your aura's stronger. And your eyes… they look older."
She didn't answer.
Instead, her panel lit up again.
> [Hidden Skill Unlocked: Soul Inventory]
You can now access and summon items from past lives across multiple dimensions.
New Title Earned: Echo of the Forgotten Merchant
Rhea whispered the title like a prayer. "Echo of the Forgotten Merchant…"
She stared at her hands.
She was more than a shopkeeper now.
And the world was starting to remember her… even if she hadn't remembered herself.
To be continued…