The market was nothing like he had expected.

Instead of small stalls and wooden carts lining the streets, massive buildings towered over him, their smooth, polished surfaces reflecting the golden sunlight.

Each building had enormous, brightly colored signs hanging above its entrance, boldly declaring what lay within, Fruits, Vegetables, Gowns, and many more.

The words were so large that they could be read from a great distance, as if calling out to customers before they even arrived.

The market was alive but not in the chaotic way he had imagined.

Instead of loud voices haggling and merchants shouting out their prices, there was a calm, steady hum in the air.

Elves moved leisurely, their graceful steps making it seem as though they were floating rather than walking.

Some disappeared into the vast buildings, their flowing robes vanishing beyond the doorways, while others emerged carrying neatly packed goods in their arms.

A few stood in small groups, chatting in soft, melodic voices, their faces calm and unhurried.

Despite the size of the market, there was an odd sense of quietness.

There were no frantic movements, no rushing customers, no impatient shouting, just a slow, rhythmic flow of life.

The air smelled faintly of fresh fruit, warm bread, and something floral, like a gentle perfume drifting from unseen gardens.

Somewhere in the distance, the soft chime of a bell echoed, signaling something unknown.

It was a different kind of marketplace, one that felt both grand and strangely peaceful, as if the entire place operated at a pace dictated by time itself, unbothered by the urgency of the outside world.

Alex watched as couples strolled through the market, their movements unhurried yet full of purpose.

He couldn't help but notice the husbands who lagged slightly behind their wives, their shoulders slumped in silent surrender.

Some wore expressions of sheer exhaustion, shaking their heads in quiet pleas as their wives eagerly pointed toward the towering buildings marked Gowns or Necklaces

. Their eyes carried the look of men who had long since lost the battle of saying "no."

One elf in particular caught Alex's attention, a tall, silver-haired man whose long robes were slightly rumpled, as if he'd been tugged in every direction since arriving.

His wife, a radiant figure in a shimmering blue dress, had her arm looped through his, practically dragging him forward as she gestured excitedly at a display of sparkling jewelry.

The poor man sighed, rubbing his temples, but in the end, he followed her inside, just like all the others.

Alex shook his head in wonder. Why did elves love things that demanded attention so much?

Their gowns were made of the finest silk, their jewels caught the light in dazzling colors, and even their everyday robes shimmered subtly under the sun.

The image of elves that Alex had carried in his mind was entirely different from what he saw before him.

He had always pictured them as short, slender creatures with delicate frames and long, pointed ears that twitched at every sound.

Stories had painted them as nimble and sprightly, darting through forests with mischievous grins and whispering in voices as light as the wind.

But the elves here shattered every one of those expectations.

They stood tall, taller than most humans, with elegant, upright postures that made them seem almost regal.

Their frames, while lean, were strong and well-defined, moving with effortless grace rather than skittish energy.

Most surprising of all, their ears were not long and pointed as he had imagined.

Instead, they were shaped much like human ears, with only the faintest upward curve at the tips, as if a trace of the old stories remained, but only barely.

So far, only Lucan had a somewhat pointed ear, a subtle difference that made him stand out among the others.

The rest of the elves had ears that were no different from a human's, save for a slight elegance in their shape, as if nature had sculpted them with a finer hand.

"You see why I wanted you to come here?" Sylra asked, her voice laced with amusement as she chuckled.

Alex exhaled sharply, shaking his head in wonder. "I definitely do now," he admitted. His gaze swept over the marketplace again, taking in every uniquely shaped building.

Unlike the uniform structures of human cities, these buildings seemed to follow no strict pattern or design.

Some were curved like flowing fabric, others rose in sharp, jagged peaks, and a few looked as though they had been carved directly from the earth itself.

Sylra grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, breaking into a light jog. "Come, let's check some of the wares out!" she said, her excitement evident in the way she moved.

Alex barely had time to react before he was being dragged through the marketplace, dodging slow-moving elves as Sylra weaved effortlessly through the crowd.

She led him toward one of the massive buildings, the large sign above the entrance simply reading Shoes.

As they stepped inside, Alex came to an abrupt halt, his eyes widening in surprise.

Instead of a small shop with a few neatly arranged pairs on display, the interior stretched high above them, with towering shelves stacked with countless styles and sizes of shoes.

The sheer variety was overwhelming. Delicate slippers embroidered with golden thread sat beside sturdy leather boots reinforced with intricate metalwork.

Some shoes had pointed, upturned toes, while others had wide, thick soles designed for rough terrain.

There were even elegant sandals made of shimmering, translucent material that looked more decorative than practical.

The Fruits building was a little different from the others.

Unlike the towering shelves of the shoe store, everything here was arranged to be within easy reach.

The shelves were shorter, allowing even the smallest elf to browse without effort, and the space felt more open, filled with the soft, natural light streaming in through high, arched windows.

But what truly caught Alex's attention was the sheer variety of fruits displayed before him.

There were the familiar ones, apples, grapes, and oranges, their colors rich and inviting, but beside them were fruits unlike anything he had ever seen as a human.

A deep purple fruit with a crystalline sheen sat next to a cluster of small, glowing berries that pulsed softly, as if they were alive.