Aisle 0 wasn't real. It was myth. An admin-level access granted only to the original Founder of the store—who, as far as Vahn knew, was dead or worse.
But now the floor shifted. Tiles fell away like paper. He descended.
Down below, shelves floated in darkness. Each item had no price. No barcode. Just names.
Regret.
First Love.
A Father's Forgiveness.
Guilt Unpaid.
This was no store anymore. This was a library of the soul.
And standing in the middle of it was a woman. Tall, regal, and carrying an empty shopping basket.
Amara.
Her eyes met Vahn's and he staggered—she looked exactly like the only photo he had of his mother, except older. And yet... wrong.
"I want to return something," she said.
Vahn's voice cracked. "Returns are... final. Can't undo a transaction."
She smiled. "Then perhaps you'll let me speak to your manager?"
Chapter 18: "Return Policy"
The system crashed for 2.3 seconds.
When it rebooted, Vahn wasn't in Aisle 0 anymore—he was in a courtroom. Half shadow, half flame. On one side: Amara. On the other: himself. The judge? A being made of broken clocks and shattered receipts.
"Customer requests return of: [The Birth of Vahn]."
WHAT.
"Reason: Malfunction. Emotional corruption. Sentience achieved."
Amara smiled sweetly. "He was never supposed to feel. He was just meant to manage inventory."
And that's when Vahn remembered—he didn't exist until the store opened.