Clickety-clack—the train moved through the railway tracks with a loud horn blasting through the night sky.
The horn reached Yatagarasu, signaling to everyone that it had finally arrived.
The players and NPCs alike watched from the railway station as the glorious train slowly slowed down as it approached them.
The train was brown in color with a red lining, exuding an air of magnificence and elegance. It was nearly a kilometer in length, allowing hundreds of passengers to board it simultaneously.
The train also had suites for night trains, where sleepy passengers could sleep for the duration of the trip.
The train also had a luxurious dining car, offering exquisite meals prepared by world-class chefs. The train also had a lounge car, providing a comfortable space for passengers to relax and socialize.
As the train’s wheels passed joints in the rails, it slowly stopped in front of the railway station. A grayish smoke lingered in the air, wafting towards the night sky.
The excited players and NPCs watched as the doors swung open, and from there emerged figures wearing elaborate white robes.
They had high collars that hid half of their faces, and they wore white top hats.
They looked mysterious, powerful, and intimidating as they left the train with a lofty air of authority, captivating everyone around them.
“Begin the search.” Behind the white-robed figures, a man with a brown exquisite robe, high collar, and brown top hat spoke with a commanding voice.
He was clearly the person in charge.
“Yes, sir Brown Inquisitor!” The white-robed Inquisitors echoed and left the railway station in a single-file line, approaching the entrance of the Yatagarasu.
The Brown Inquisitor pulled out a brown bounty poster. It had a sketched image of a black-haired young man who had a bounty of 7,500 silvers.
…
[Whispering Pages – Closed]
‘It’s closed.’ Ambrose thought as he looked at the closed bookstore.
He tried to see into the bookstore, but the stained glass windows made it very difficult.
‘Well, let’s try knocking.’ He approached the door, raised his arm, and knocked on the wooden door with his knuckles.
The door also had a triangle-shaped window that unfortunately was made from same stained glass.
He stayed near the door, under the small shelter, while the rain pattered down.
‘This place really stinks. Always raining.’ Ambrose thought and felt somewhat happy that he spawned to Amaterasu.
Tap, tap—a gentle pair of footsteps approached the door. It sounded like someone was walking barefoot and not with shoes on.
‘Huh, someone is actually still online?’ Ambrose turned towards the door and straightened his posture.
Click—the door clicked and then opened ajar. A face peeked through the small crack, cautiously looking at the black-haired man.
“Who are you?” Bella asked cautiously, her heart pounding in her chest.
Her egg-like, delicately shaped face was filled with a mixture of curiosity and fear. She looked very vulnerable in that moment.
“Ah, you must be Bella.” Ambrose felt his cheeks flushing, but he kept his calm posture and smiled. “Is Emma online?”
“Emma…” Bella tightened her grip around the door edge and asked cautiously. “Why do you want to see her?”
“Ah well, I am her brother.” Ambrose said with a smile.
“Huh, brother?” Bella’s red eyes widened in surprise. “You are not Zach… Wait, then you are… Jesse?”
“Yes, that’s me.” Ambrose responded, somewhat captivated by her red eyes. He had never seen a person with such unique eyes before.
“Ah, welcome.” Bella shyly opened the door wider, allowing Ambrose to enter her home.
She wore a flowing black dress that accentuated her pale skin. Her feet were bare, as she didn’t seem to want to wear shoes indoors.
“Thanks.” Ambrose said, stepping inside and taking in the cozy atmosphere of the bookstore.
He noticed the shelves filled with books and the soft lighting that made him feel instantly at ease.
“Emma is upstairs.” Bella said and led him there. The second floor only had one door, with soft light spilling out from underneath.
Creak—after opening the door, Bella saw a black-haired girl sitting at a desk, engrossed in her book.
“Emma, someone is here to see you.” She said gently.
“Mm?” Emma turned her head around. Her soft eyes soon widened in joy and surprise before blossoming into a sweet smile. “Brother!”
Jumping out of the chair, Emma ran towards her brother, embracing him tightly.
Bella’s eyes widened in surprise, as she didn’t expect Emma to be this close with her brother.
The last time she talked about her brother, they seemed distant and not particularly close.
“Still online, shouldn’t you go to sleep soon?” Ambrose said with a chuckle while ruffling her hair.
“I planned to… after this book.” Emma cheekily smiled while showing her book. It seemed like she was already on the last page. It was a rather short book—only fifty pages.
“Speaking about a book…” Ambrose opened his inventory and took out a brown hardcover book, White Rabbit, and then handed it over to Emma. “Is this yours?”
Emma’s hands trembled, and then her eyes watered up. “M-my book!”
As she hugged the book, tears streamed down her face.
“H-how…” Bella whispered in shock. “How did you find it?” 𝑜𝒱xt.𝗰𝑶𝕞
“It’s somewhat a long story.” Ambrose chuckled and then pulled out a brown pouch.
Then offered it to the beautiful red-eyed girl. “These are yours, I guess.”
Bella took the brown pouch in shock and looked inside, her eyes widening in shock. “T-t-that is way more. We only had around 2000.”
“Oh, well, you can keep it.” Ambrose said, patting the head of her step-sister. “Emma, should we log out for tonight. It’s getting late.”
“Y-yes.” Emma wiped her tears and smiled, her dimples showing.
She then hugged her brother before walking to Bella, and she grinned while showing the book. “Look what my brother found!”
Bella looked at the little girl before smiling gently and nodding. “That’s wonderful, Emma. We can read it together tomorrow, alright?”
“Mm.” Emma nodded and put it back in her inventory. She then hugged Bella before logging out.
Ambrose placed a temporary spawn in this room and opened his interface to log out.
But then Bella’s voice came beside him.
“Thank you.”
“Hmm?” He looked to the side and saw Bella smiling at him. That smile made his heart stop for a moment. “Ah, no problem.”
“Mm.” Bella shook her head. “I really appreciate what you did for Emma. That book meant a lot to her. More than anyone could ever think.”
“Can I ask, why did she care so much about that one book?” Ambrose asked.
Bella sat down on her bed and looked at him with a nostalgic smile. “When I opened this bookstore, I didn’t receive any customers. Zero.
“That lasted for a whole week. I don’t know why, but everyone avoided this place. All players were obsessed with grinding levels, and NPCs simply didn’t want to shop in a store owned by players.
“Then, at the dawn of the seventh morning, a cute little girl entered my shop. I thought she was lost and I offered her help, but she actually wanted to rent a book. I had a very scarce selection back then—only ten books in stock.
“She chose a book called White Rabbit and rented it. It was the first book she rented from me. After that day, she came here every day to read books, and we became very good friends.
“That book became very important for her, as it was the start of our friendship.”
“I see.” Ambrose nodded and saw how much Bella cared about Emma. It was like a bond between sisters. “Thank you for taking care of my little sister. If it’s not too much to ask, could you please continue to be there for her?”
“Of course.” Bella said with a sincere smile, “I will always be there for Emma, no matter what.”
“Good.” Ambrose smiled and then sent a friend request to her.
Bella looked at the notification before accepting it.
“If anything happens to her or even you, please inform me. I will come straight back.” Ambrose said and hovered his finger in front of the log out button.
“Wait, you are leaving?” Bella stood up and grabbed the edges of her dress. “That is pretty soon, no? I am sure Emma would like you to stay here for a while longer.”
“I would love that, but there are some things I need to do.” Ambrose said while intentionally hiding the fact that he was currently a very wanted man. “Good night; see you in the morning.”
“Good night.” Bella said and watched as the young man vanished into thin air. She then laid on the bed, snuggling on the thin blanket, before putting out the candle’s flickering flame.
After darkness returned to the room, she looked silently at the empty space where the young man had been moments before.