Midnight Market

You are walking fast through a storm at night, your umbrella nearly flipping inside out. Your phone's GPS glitches uncontrollably. Ahead, a row of dim lanterns glows through the rain. Thinking it's just another street, you step forward— —but you are wrong. This street does not exist on any map. [[Enter the Market->Market Entrance]]

Warm air washes over you as you step inside. Rows of stalls glow with neon lights, steam rising from pots of soup. But something feels wrong: - A vendor’s shadow is larger than his body. - A woman’s eyes glimmer unnaturally. - One sign reads: “Today’s Special: A Second Chance.” Three pathways appear before you. [[Go to the Memory Stall->Memory Stall]] [[Go to the Time Stall->Time Stall]] [[Go to the Destiny Stall->Destiny Stall]]

<div class="memory"> //An elderly woman with silver hair sits behind a table covered in glass bottles. Inside each bottle swirls a faint, blurry scene. She says: “For one coin, I can return to you a memory you have forgotten. But don’t ask what the cost will be.” // </div> <img src="https://i.postimg.cc/qRbFB3bf/IMG-1426.jpg" width="300" /> [[Buy a memory->Buy Memory]] [[Leave the stall]]

A tall, thin man with a pocket watch greets you. “You may buy one extra minute of life,” he says. “Or sell one. The choice is yours.” A ticking hourglass sits on the table. [[Buy one minute->Buy Minute]] [[Sell one minute->Sell Minute]] [[Leave the stall->Market Entrance]]

The vendor wears a gold mask. “I can show you the person you could have been,” he says in a low, rough voice. “But once you see it… you may not wish to return.” [[See alternate self->See Destiny]] [[Walk Away]]

You pick up a bottle. It cracks open in your hand. Suddenly— A face appears in your mind. Your childhood best friend. You promised you would grow up together… but you broke that promise. The old woman whispers: “Now, you must find her.” You look up— the entire market has vanished. THE END (Memory Ending1) [[Restart->Start]]

You place your hand on the hourglass. The sand freezes. You feel a warm pulse through your body. You gain one extra minute of life— yet you have no idea when or how you will use it. Was it worth it? THE END (Time Gain Ending) [[Restart->Start]]

You agree to sell one minute. The pocket watch spins violently. Suddenly, your chest tightens. A sense of deep sadness hits you— He has taken the happiest minute of your life. A minute you no longer remember. THE END (Time Loss Ending) [[Restart->Start]]

He hands you a mirror. Inside it stands another you— more confident, more successful, more fearless. You reach toward the mirror. Your reflection reaches back. In one sudden motion, it pulls you inside. You open your eyes— You are now living its life. Your original self is trapped in the mirror forever. THE END (Destiny Ending1) [[Restart->Start]]

You decide the price is too mysterious. As you turn away, every jar on the stall flickers— showing glimpses of your own memories. Were you supposed to choose one? The lanterns fade, and you suddenly stand alone in the rain. HE END (Memory Ending2) [[Restart->Start]]

You turn from the mirror. The masked vendor laughs softly. “Not everyone chooses their destiny.” The market lights fade one by one. You stand in the empty street, uncertain whether you made the right choice. THE END (Destiny Ending2) [[Restart->Start]]