Chapter 1: The Hidden Night Bookstore
The city of Sunnydale lay shrouded in night, neon lights flickering over bustling streets. Despite the late hour, crowds continued to fill the avenues, but at the end of one such street lay a serene, quiet place. Tucked away in an unassuming alley, there stood an old bookstore—The Hidden Night Bookstore.
A wooden sign hung over the bookstore entrance, its edges weathered and chipped, revealing its age. Through the dim glass windows, a soft yellow glow could be seen inside, lending a cozy warmth to the air that set it apart from the lively, chaotic world outside.
Inside, Ethan stood beside a bookshelf, flipping through a manuscript. His expression was cold and focused, as if entirely absorbed in this silent space. His movements were slow and deliberate, and the dim light reflected off his face, lending him a pale and profound aura, as though a distant barrier separated him from the world, making him seem aloof and unapproachable.
Just then, the wind chime above the door softly jingled, and a young woman entered the bookstore. She wore a dark coat, her face showing a hint of weariness. Her gaze wandered around the store, filled with both curiosity and a sense of relaxation. As she took a few steps inside, Alina paused slightly, realizing she had stepped into a world set apart from the bustling city outside.
"Good evening," she greeted softly, her voice gentle, as if she were merely a passerby who had happened to wander in.
"Good evening," Ethan responded with a brief glance before returning his attention to his book, showing no hint of distraction at her arrival. His tone was flat and detached, handling the newcomer with casual indifference.
Alina smiled slightly, unbothered by his aloofness. She strolled through the shelves, her gaze lingering on the aged books. Most of the book spines were yellowed, their lettering faded, each one carrying the heavy weight of time. She picked up a few, flipping through them casually, even catching a faint musty smell.
"These books seem to have been here a long time," she remarked, her tone casual, as if merely voicing a fleeting thought or an offhanded comment to the bookstore owner.
"They're just old books," Ethan replied indifferently, his voice deep and calm, giving her observation no special regard. He remained immersed in his book, showing no intention of offering further explanation.
Alina chuckled softly and placed the book back on the shelf. Her gaze continued to explore the bookstore, and it seemed as though every corner held a unique and unfamiliar atmosphere.
"The nights in Sunnydale are truly quiet," she murmured, as if to herself, before nodding toward Ethan with a slight smile. "Thank you for having me; these books are quite special. I'll stop by again sometime."
Ethan nodded faintly, his gaze still on his book, offering no further words of farewell, saying only, "You're always welcome."
Alina turned and left, stepping back into the neon-lit street. She glanced over her shoulder at the dim windows of the bookstore, a fleeting, indescribable feeling stirring within her. Smiling, she slipped her hands into her coat pockets and merged with the crowd, disappearing into the night.
Inside, Ethan's calm expression remained unchanged, as if nothing significant had happened. The neon lights outside cast a faint glow over his profile, adding to his air of mystery and solitude. Quietly, he set the book down and allowed his gaze to linger where Alina had stood moments ago before lowering his eyes, as if the entire encounter was but a fleeting instant in his silent life.
Exiting The Hidden Night Bookstore, Alina lifted her head toward the night sky. The neon lights of Sunnydale flickered along the streets, weaving a web of dreamy colors. The city was as lively and bustling as ever, yet beneath it lay a barely perceptible tension, as though something invisible and powerful lurked in the depths of the night.
With her hands tucked into her coat pockets, she walked through the streets, her thoughts unexpectedly drifting back to the bookstore. The old books, the silent owner—together they created a strange feeling of estrangement from the city, as though neither truly belonged here. To Alina, the bookstore owner's aloofness had a mysterious allure.
"A strange person indeed…" Alina muttered to herself, sighing lightly, and let out a self-mocking smile. Ever since she had "returned," everything in this city felt foreign. She was aware she had never truly belonged here, yet she bore a hidden responsibility known to no one else.
Her memory drifted forward to the future, to the year 2046—a vision of the apocalypse spread out before her. In that world, the sky was painted dark red, with scattered remnants of humanity struggling to survive in the ruins, while ghosts and strange forces ran rampant, a hopeless apocalypse where survival was no guarantee. She had once lived in that bleak world, watching her companions torn apart by creatures, swallowed by despair and darkness. She had seen humanity's last glimmer of hope crushed, and she herself had…
"Perhaps this is a chance from the heavens..." Alina mused. She couldn't understand why she was reborn, but instinctively felt that the apocalypse was no accident. From the moment she returned, she had started investigating, determined to uncover the source of that end.
Lost in her thoughts, she wandered the streets of Sunnydale, the city's neon lights reflected in her eyes, blurry yet real.