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墨書 Inktalez
I don't know how long I had been walking, but I faintly heard a commotion in the distance. Following the sound, I made my way through the mist, and before me appeared a narrow street. Shops lined both sides of the street, brightly lit, bustling with people coming and going, creating a lively atmosphere.
"What is this...?" I looked around in astonishment, unable to believe my eyes. This place was completely different from the eerie and terrifying location I had just come from.
"Hey there, are you alright? Lost your way?" A middle-aged man passing by noticed me and asked curiously.
"I... I don't know..." I shook my head in confusion, unsure how to explain.
"You look like you've lost your mind. Did something happen? Speak up; maybe I can help you," the man said warmly.
After hesitating for a moment, I decided to seek his help. I briefly told him how I ended up in the alley and what had happened there.
"What? Are you talking about Midnight Alley?" The man's expression changed drastically after hearing my story. "Young man, you were really careless! That place is very dangerous; how could you just walk in there?"
"I... I didn't know..." I said regretfully. "What should I do now? Can I still leave here?"
The middle-aged man sighed and said, "Leaving here isn't difficult; you just need to..." He leaned closer to my ear and whispered something.
After hearing his words, my eyes lit up, and I quickly thanked him.
I followed the direction he pointed out and soon arrived at an inconspicuous shop. The storefront was small, with only a worn wooden door and a sign that read "Grocery Store."
Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The interior of the grocery store was much more spacious than I had imagined, filled with all sorts of items ranging from daily necessities to antique paintings and calligraphy.
An elderly woman with gray hair sat behind the counter, dozing off.
"Shopkeeper..." I called softly.
The old woman heard my voice, slowly opened her eyes, glanced at me, and asked, "What do you want to buy?"
"I..." I was about to speak when I suddenly noticed a necklace around the old woman's neck. The pendant was a red gem, shaped like...
"…like a drop of blood?" I pointed at the necklace and feigned surprise.
The old woman looked down at her necklace. A hint of barely perceptible wariness flashed in her murky eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
She leisurely stroked the red gem and said in a flat tone, "Young man, you have a good eye. This is not an ordinary ruby; I spent a lot of money to buy it from a girl in red. They say it can bring peace and safety!"
I scoffed inwardly. A girl in red? Red Rose? It seemed these two were indeed connected! I pretended to be curious and asked, "Oh? Who is this girl in red? How did she come by such a treasure?"
The old woman squinted her eyes as if recalling something, and after a while, she said, "That girl is incredibly beautiful and speaks sweetly, just like someone who walked out of a painting. She said this ruby came from a mysterious place and possesses magical powers; as long as you wear it, your wishes will come true."
At this point, the old woman suddenly stopped, looking at me warily. She asked, "Young man, why are you asking so many questions? Do you want to buy something or not? If not, hurry up and leave; don't disturb my business."
Seeing that I couldn't extract more information, I decided to back off. Smiling, I waved my hand and said, "No need to buy anything; I'm just browsing. You carry on with your work."
With that, I turned and left the general store. As I walked away, I pondered: what was the relationship between the shopkeeper and Red Rose? Why did the form of Red Rose after the backlash of power look exactly like the shopkeeper's ruby? Could it be...
I suddenly stopped in my tracks as a terrifying thought surged into my mind: could it be that the shopkeeper and Red Rose are actually the same person?
I wove through the crowd and encountered again the old man with the birthmark on his arm at a tea stall around the corner.
It turned out he was a ghost trapped here, and he was very familiar with this place.
I walked straight up to the old man and asked bluntly, "Sir, how did you end up here? Who exactly is the owner of the 'Braised Chicken' shop?"
The old man lifted his head, his murky eyes fixed on me as if scrutinizing me. After a moment, he rasped, "Why do you want to know that?"
"I... I'm just curious," I replied vaguely. "You see, I just arrived here not long ago and I'm unfamiliar with many things, so I wanted to ask you."
The old man fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "We all call her the owner. As for her surname or given name, or where she comes from, no one knows. She rarely speaks but seems to know everything. She hardly leaves the 'Braised Chicken' shop unless..."
"Unless what?" I pressed.
"Unless someone causes trouble or... someone wants to leave here," the old man said, casting a meaningful glance at me.
A jolt ran through me. Did the old man see through my thoughts? I forced myself to remain calm and asked, "Leave here? Isn't it easy to come and go as you please?"
The old man scoffed and said, "Young man, you're still too naive! This place is no paradise; once you enter, it's very hard to get out! Unless..."
"Unless what?" I asked urgently.
The old man didn't answer but instead gave me a deep look before lowering his head to continue drinking his tea.
I knew he wouldn't say anything more, so I stood up to take my leave. As I stepped out of the tea stall and looked back, I found the old man still sitting there, motionless, like a statue.
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