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墨書 Inktalez
In a dim and damp alley, a faint light swayed in the heavy rain, with strands of rainwater passing through beneath the lamp, resembling golden threads pulled from their source. Only when they dripped down did they lose their brilliance, splashing into the depressions of the cobblestones and accumulating into small puddles.
Pedestrians hurried along, appearing somewhat flustered by the sudden downpour. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl clutched her newly bought book to her chest to prevent it from getting wet. She lowered her head, allowing the raindrops to hit her shoulders and head as she ran forward, lost in her own world. More pedestrians shielded themselves with various items, cursing the unpredictable weather while carefully picking their way through areas without puddles.
In contrast, those with umbrellas appeared much more composed. They could find shelter beneath their canopies and did not have to rush about, allowing them a bit more leisure and enjoyment.
The girl charged ahead with her head down, not looking straight ahead but instead judging whether she would collide with someone by observing the shoes passing by. Rainwater trickled down her neck, the cold liquid flowing down her body made her feel chilled, and raindrops clung to her eyelashes, sparkling and making her look quite disheveled.
Fortunately, the book in her arms remained safe and sound.
Most people would instinctively step aside for the little girl running with her head down, allowing her to maintain a quick pace. However, at that moment, a pair of black leather shoes suddenly entered her line of sight.
Someone was ahead!
But it was too close; she had no time to stop and collided directly with them.
An accident occurred.
The book she was protecting fell with a splash into the puddle, its pages quickly stained by dirty water, losing their pristine white appearance.
She shut her eyes in terror, anticipating a harsh scolding from the adult she had bumped into. Adults always seemed to think only from their own perspective and vent their frustrations on children without hesitation.
She waited for what felt like an eternity. The sound of rain around her seemed to quiet down, and even the water flowing from above ceased momentarily; yet no angry reprimand followed.
Gathering her courage, she timidly opened her eyes and looked up.
Instead of a sky filled with raindrops, a dark fabric obscured the gloomy heavens—a black umbrella. Underneath it stood a handsome young man. In his twenties, his soft black hair indicated he hailed from the Mysterious Eastern Kingdom, and his eyes were as deep as obsidian, filled with emotions that were hard to decipher.
The gentle demeanor of this young man clearly put the little girl at ease. Just as she was about to apologize and leave, she noticed her book lying in the puddle.
"Ah!" she exclaimed in surprise.
As she bent down to retrieve it, she saw that the young man had already crouched down first. He was tall; even in a crouched position, he was about her height, which spared her the difficulty of looking up at him.
Then, a long-fingered hand reached into the water and retrieved the paperback Fairy Tale Book, offering it to the little girl.
She froze for a moment and softly said thank you as she took the book from him.
As she accepted it, murky water trickled down from between its pages.
Clearly, there was no way for the book—now stained and ruined—to return to its original pristine condition. Seeing the book she had protected all this way end up like this made her eyes well up with tears that immediately fell.
The gentle young man smiled softly while maintaining his crouched position, looking directly into her wet eyes.
The girl's eyes were a beautiful blue, blurred by tears, resembling a stunning ink wash painting. The young man reached out and gently rubbed her head, softly saying, "Be good, don't cry."
The little girl, whose head had been patted, looked up at the young man in a daze.
"Did the book get wet?"
"Um... yes..." The little girl lowered her head, appearing somewhat downcast. "It was borrowed, and now it's dirty. I probably can't return it, and maybe... maybe I’ll have to pay for it..." As she spoke, her eyes seemed to well up with tears again.
The young man pulled out a handkerchief from somewhere, holding an umbrella in one hand while wiping the girl's tears with the other.
"If it can't be returned because it's damaged, then we can just buy another one."
"But..." The little girl hadn't finished speaking when the young man interrupted her. "Come on, I'll take you to the bookstore. We can buy the same one."
She appeared hesitant.
"It's nothing," the young man said with a casual smile, his delicate features suddenly coming to life.
In the end, the little girl stopped refusing and quietly thanked him, "Thank you."
He looked at her face, his eyes filled with a hint of confusion and melancholy.
"It's okay," he replied softly.
"And your blue eyes and golden hair are very beautiful."
Watching the girl joyfully run off with her new book as if it were a treasure until she disappeared around the corner of the alley, the young man finally withdrew his gaze.
In his hand was the Fairy Tale Book that had been stained with mud. This was clearly a special reading material for little girls; its cover was in soft pink hues. Although simply bound, it contained many exquisite illustrations that children loved in picture books. The title of the fairy tale was written on the cover.
"The Little Mermaid..." he murmured softly.
His faint voice faded into the rainy alley.
He continued walking deeper into the narrow passageway, large drops of water sliding off his black umbrella and left behind with his unhurried steps. He navigated through the winding alley until he arrived at an inconspicuous wooden door and stopped in front of it.
This was evidently a back door of a building, hidden deep within the alley and very discreet. Generally, no one would enter or exit here, let alone someone dressed so decently.
The young man stood still and gently knocked on the door; soon after, footsteps could be heard from inside.
With a creak, the door opened, revealing the person there to greet him. He took off his umbrella and, upon entering, placed it in a side umbrella stand that was already damp from the rain.
Though the wooden door was small, once inside, he discovered a spacious little hall. On one side was a staircase leading up to the second floor, while on the other side was a closed door that led to the main entrance. Despite the stark contrast between the interior and exterior, the young man showed no signs of surprise, clearly indicating that this was not his first visit.
Following the guide, he ascended the stairs to the second floor. The guide stopped and gestured for him to enter the room. Then, silently, he retreated downstairs, leaving a quiet space for the upcoming conversation.
The young man stepped forward and politely knocked on the door. As he heard an invitation from inside saying "Please come in," he pushed open the door.
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