Meanwhile, from another perspective...
A fair-haired young man lounged idly on the countertop, his grey eyes scanning the pages of a worn book, entirely absorbed. His well-defined features exuded a gentleness, contradicting the mischievous curve of his lips—a crimson grin, as if the words on the page amused him far too much.
The air around him hung heavy with a misty grayness, like the remnants of a stormy clouds that refused to clear. Cobwebs clung to every nook and cranny, their fragile strands draped over forgotten toys and furniture. Dust coated the shelves and surfaces, giving the room a sense of long-abandoned decay. And yet, amidst the dreary surroundings, peculiar comforting silence homed the place.
Looking around, toys are scattered across the floor, jumbled among weathered books and broken board games. Dolls sat slumped against the dark walls, their once-vivid colors faded to lifeless shades. All of them seemed to have lost thier hue due to time. Like an abandoned toy store.
And so there he laid, unbothered, nonchalantly relaxed even, with an icy look plastered on his face. Everything seemed normal.
But then, a shift.
Gold sheds of light joined into the once dark and murky space, giving light to the once desolated space in streaks of white. It was the same as it had been just a decade ago, when the last person came to visit the young man's shop, seemingly startled and amused. After that, it's existence is still nowhere to be seen.
"Someone's coming! Someone's coming!" a breathy whisper echoed urgently, bouncing from shelf to shelf.
The room reacted at once. Sounds of books arranging themselves was heard from all four corners of the shop. Books fluttered off the floor, stacking themselves neatly in perfect rows on dusty shelves. Board games zipped through the air, slotting into place as though magnetized. Dolls, once lifeless, sprang to their feet, rushing to straighten their attire and assume their designated positions.
With a soft crackle, cobwebs hid into shadowy corners, and the suffocating layer of dust vanished into nothingness, nowhere to be seen. The air grew crisp and lively, charged with anticipation, as if the shop itself had awakened for the first time in years.
The moment the doors fully opened, the once strange and lifeless room suddenly burst into vibrant color, as though it had a mind of its own, painting itself alive with every passing second. Dolls crafted their smiles, irresistibly likable.
Playful colors danced across the shop, reviving its once elegant and enchanting presence, as if it had been waiting for this very moment to awaken.
Everything moved with an eerie sense of purpose, as though the scene had been meticulously choreographed for a singular, friendly intention.
Still, the young man didn't stir from his perch. Closing his book with a soft thud, his lips curled further into a sly grin. The icy calm in his gaze flickered with faint amusement as he muttered to himself.
"Well, this should be fun."
Sitting up straight behind the countertop, the fair-haired young man maintained his usual composed demeanor. Yet this time, a mischievous grin curved his sharp, knowing lips, perfectly complementing his ageless features that seemed frozen in eternal youth.
"Looks like someone's ready for a little game today," he said with playful ease, his gaze flicking toward the opened doors. He made no attempt to hide the spark of excitement glinting in his eyes, as if the presence ahead thrilled him to his core.