At first, Silas didn't feel any different, but he was quite excited about what the future would bring him.
The workers showed up earlier than expected, as did the two women Silas had hired the day before. Even though each of them had a different shift, both wanted to see how the process worked and what the place was like.
Silas showed them the entire shop—except for the basement—and explained how things would be.
"I'll provide a key for each of you to lock the shop, and also food for you during the day. You'll both have time to eat, but the one responsible for the night shift won't be able to leave the shop," Silas explained.
During the day, either he or Thomas would certainly be at the shop, so the place wouldn't be left unprotected. But during the night, things were different. That's why the rules had to be different too.
Neither of the women, June and Christy, were surprised to hear that. It was pretty much what they expected when they accepted the job.
Anyway, Silas explained everything to them, and during that time, the workers were already organizing more parts of the shop. And still no sign of Thomas.
Thomas arrived two hours later than planned, with a swollen face and messy hair. He had clearly gone to bed late the night before and had probably had a few beers.
"You look like shit," Silas said. "Are you trying to lose your job already?"
As much as Thomas had an important role, Silas knew he could find someone else if he wanted to. He wasn't that indispensable.
"Sorry, man. I really needed a drink yesterday. But it's gonna be the last time, I promise."
"The last time you'll drink?"
Silas wasn't buying it.
"No. The last time I'll be this late… and drink too much. A little drink doesn't hurt, right?" Thomas said with a chuckle.
"Today you're staying here at the shop helping the workers. I have other things to do," Silas said.
Thomas agreed without complaining. He had already shown up late, so he had no right to complain about anything.
Silas left his shop. He needed to find a special service for creating magical keys.
He had to make copies of the keys for his two employees, and one for Thomas as well. And for that, he needed a magical locksmith.
The key couldn't be a simple one, since it was connected to the shop's security system, disabling and activating the magical protections. Not just anyone could do that kind of job.
"It's not gonna be cheap…" Silas thought.
The price would definitely be a problem too. He needed to make his shop successful, or things could get complicated for him.
He went to the part of the city where most service providers were located. It was a specific area, not too far from his shop.
There, he searched for a locksmith and found one with a simple storefront. But the name was very familiar. Silas had asked a few people around, and most of them told him that this was the best place to get magical key services.
Silas decided to trust what people had told him. Maybe it wasn't the smartest idea… but he trusted them anyway.
The name of the shop was "Grandpa Lu's Magic Keys."
It was quite a peculiar name. Both the name and the appearance suggested that it was a family-owned shop—cozy and welcoming. Very different from the huge stores with dozens of employees and massive buildings.
Here, everything was simple. Silas stepped inside, and as soon as he did, a small bell rang to announce his arrival.
Given the name of the shop, he expected to find an old man. But instead, he saw a middle-aged man standing behind the counter.
"Good morning, my friend," the man greeted. "How can I help you today?"
Silas looked for a place to sit so he could properly talk with the man. The interior was cozy, with a fireplace that made everything warmer. There were decorations and trinkets scattered all over the place, giving the shop a unique charm.
Unlike other stores, which were all perfectly organized with bright, shiny floors, this place felt more real—more grounded.
"I need a few copies of my shop key. Three copies, to be exact. And I'd also like to add some kind of containment spell… just in case one of my employees runs off with the key or tries something inside my shop, like stealing..." Silas explained.
He didn't fully trust any of his employees yet. After all, he had just met them. It was always better to be cautious and make sure no one could steal from his store.
"I can do that for you," the man said. "Can you show me the key?"
Silas pulled the shop's key from the pocket of his leather jacket and handed it over to the man. The moment he saw the key, the man looked a bit surprised.
"Isn't this the key to that shop near the main square?" he asked.
The question made Silas uneasy. How the hell did he know which shop it was?
The man noticed Silas's wary expression and let out a light chuckle to ease the tension. "My grandfather used to own that shop—the very first owner. He's the one who made this key, so I recognized it. His name was Lu."
The coincidence was almost absurd.
"Are you serious? What happened to him?" Silas asked.
He was expecting the man to say his grandfather had passed away, but that wasn't exactly the case.
"One day, he just… left. Disappeared. I lost a lot of customers at first and ended up renting out my grandfather's old shop to help pay the bills and keep this place running."
"So that means the rent I'm paying actually goes to you? That's an insane coincidence!" Silas said.
The man laughed. "Not exactly. There are a bunch of taxes and fees, so it's not the full amount... but yeah, pretty much."
"Anyway, come with me. I'll show you some of the security mechanisms I can add to the keys."
They headed toward the back of the shop.