The phantom domain collapsed like a curtain drawn shut.
The constellations dimmed. The silent plain dissolved. The wooden walls of the wine shop reassembled themselves around Ethan and the old man as though nothing had happened. The overturned jars were whole again. The lanterns burned steadily. Outside, the mountain wind resumed its ordinary murmur.
The old man stood upright now, his frailty gone. His back was straight, and his presence carried a restrained but unmistakable weight.
Ethan regarded him calmly.
"Old man, do not take this to heart," he said in an even tone. "I am merely a traveler who enjoys testing himself against others. Take care."
The old man's eyes narrowed slightly. "You came to provoke me deliberately."
"I did."
