The heavy wooden mallet slipped from his trembling fingers, striking the floorboards with a dull, hollow thud that echoed across the dusty shop. He scrambled up from his low stool in a panic, the color completely draining from his features as if a specter had materialized right before his eyes in the harsh sunlight. He stumbled toward me, his knees knocking together beneath his worn trousers as he practically threw himself at my feet.
"Greetings, my Luna... please... I beg for your merciful forgiveness!" he stammered, his voice cracking with pure terror. "Pardon my appalling ignorance and the disgraceful manner in which I addressed you just now! I had no idea... absolutely no idea!"
I leaned heavier on my wooden crutch, tilting my head as a cold flare of irritation surged through my tire
