Mirelle Sporemark's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Mirelle Sporemark pinned a notice to the board outside the above-ground cabin she'd just claimed. The wood still smelled of pine and daylight — both things she'd spent years avoiding in the shadow realm below. But the largest mushroom market needed a surface gate, and this post sat exactly where three merchant roads met. Two traders arrived before noon, circling the stone foundation like gulls over a carcass. One touched the wooden counter visible through the doorway. Mirelle stepped into view and held his gaze until he pulled his hand back. The other asked what she was selling. She didn't answer. By sunset, both had moved on, and she'd begun transferring her first crates of shadow mushrooms up from level three. The cabin was hers now. The surface expansion had begun.