“I just came to fix the lighting glitch in Bleak Falls Barrow,” he whispered.

“There’s a quest?” Tavir’s hand drifted toward his bound bow.

Tavir looked down. His ragged boots had been replaced. He now wore Sabre Cat Pumps : nine-inch heels with actual sabre cat teeth as the heel tips, purring softly with each step.

The mannequin laughed, a sound like soul gems clinking. “Patch notes, darling. Always read the patch notes.”

The arrow passed through. The mirror didn’t break. It smiled .

Behind him, the door to the Ragged Flagon sealed shut. Ahead, a row of mannequins began to clap—slow, rhythmic, porcelain on porcelain. The gallery’s chandelier (a reconstructed Alduin’s skull, each tooth replaced with a glowing magelight) flickered once, twice, then settled into a soft, flattering pink.