A new customer appears mid-trial—Death herself. Casual. Hood up. She walks in like she owns the place and pulls up a folding chair next to Vahn.
"I like this one," she says. "Let him be."
System override authorized.
Amara disappears in static.
And Vahn wakes up. At the counter. Back in the store.
But he's changed now. His eye glows faint barcode red. His scan hand has turned black at the fingertips. And on his wrist?
A countdown timer.