The door closed behind Simon with a soft sound.
The third floor was quieter than the floors below.
There were no merchants shouting about the origins of their shells, no customers arguing over prices, and no crowds gathering around opening tables. The demons present spoke in low voices, as if raising their voices in this place would lower their status.
Dark silver tiles covered the wide floor, and thin formations moved beneath them like streams of light. Soft white flames floated near the ceiling, illuminating rows of abyss shells that were separated by a great distance.
None of the shells were placed carelessly.
Some rested on black stone pedestals. Some were sealed inside transparent cases, while a few had individual barriers around them. Small plates beside each shell contained information about where they were found, who recovered them, and their prices.
