They were in the mall.
As Dante, Clara, and Elena stepped through the grand, crystalline entrance, a wave of respectful silence followed them.
The shopkeepers behind their glowing counters, the attendants in their neat uniforms, even the heavily armed security guards standing at attention—all of them stopped what they were doing.
They turned, and in perfect, practiced unison, they bowed.
Dante's eyes widened slightly beneath his crude mask.
'Wow,' he thought, genuine surprise cutting through his usual cynicism. 'What a wonderful world. They respect the customer, even if they've just entered, even if they're just here to look around.'
It was a stark, pleasant contrast to the cold indifference of his old world. A place where the customer was truly king.
"So," Elena said, her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement as she looked at Dante. "Where do we begin first?"
