Once Noah was far enough away, he was able to level his head, and think. Was I able to get away from him? He turned his head from side to side. Plus, where am I right now? Tsk! Why did I even go through all that if I can’t find a way out of here anyway.

"I knew I shouldn't have run away so mindlessly," Noah said in annoyance.

Knowing that he wouldn’t find out anything just by standing there, he walked around aimlessly in the hopes of randomly finding his way back.

He'd seen a variety of things throughout his time wandering about the entire district.

There were the usual slave bouts, some of which were bloodier than others, but people would occasionally take advantage of the fights, gambling and betting on who would win.

The fights were messy, usually having one or no survivor, with the survivor usually dying as a result of beatings from those who had lost their bets.

And when Noah saw it for the second or third time, he felt the same way he had the first time he saw it, but as he saw it more and more, the usual sensation of fear faded.

Noah also noticed plenty of street art on the wall. They were mostly comprised of ugly or simplistic-looking designs with not much thought being put into them. Such as random fowl words in small or big fonts, and doodles of random objects.

However, there were still a few masterpieces made, such as colored paintings of humans, a sunset that had a sea of clouds alongside it, a starry night with a beautifully glistening blue moon, and more.

To Noah though, the most memorable one was a gorgeously painted double white feathered wing with a fading and unelidable artwork in between. Its precise details, fine strokes, and what remained of its core section were capable of putting the masterpieces of the red-light district to shame.

After a few hours, Noah found himself in front of the entrance to an unlit alleyway, beside which sat a pale elderly man on a wooden chair. He was seated in a cross-legged position, smoking away at a wooden pipe. After smoking a puff, he asked, "Are you planning to enter, kid?"

Noah responded to his question with an opposing question. "Um, would you mind telling me where this is?"

The man pointed to a wooden sign, whose pole was embedded in nails and was affixed to the ground, saying,

‘FOOD ALLEY’

Noah read it and excitedly thought – Wait! That must mean the street could be filled with food.

"Yes! Thank you, sir!" Noah giddily said while running down the alley giddy with excitement.

It was a meandering cobblestone pavement lined with taverns and eateries. Strangely, it seemed like none of them were open, and there were zero people in sight.

In Noah’s sight, there were several lanterns that lined down on both sides of the pavement, but they were all turned off, which led Noah to wonder – Why are they going to put multiple lanterns if they were all going to be off anyway.

Noah came to a halt and glanced off into the horizon for a small period. He envisioned the street bustling with people, taverns open, and lanterns that shined yellow-orange lights that reflected against the glass of the taverns.

Noah mumbled, “This place… it would have been beautiful…”

He continued to walk down the narrow path, admiring the design of each building, some made out of wood and others of cobblestone. Later, Noah started to see cutleries, plates, and glasses left on some of the tavern’s tables. He reasoned – It seems like they left in quite a hurry, not even bothering to clean up the place before leaving.

After some more walking and when the pavements were about to go uphill, he noticed two people standing side by side watching the distance with glaring eyes.

They were both dressed similarly, they wore blue vests and had serious expressions on their faces. With guns that were slung over their shoulders and swords that draped around their waists, they appeared ready to strike at any moment.

Luckily, Noah wasn’t spotted when he noticed them, and before anything could go astray, he crept into one of the taverns. Inside, there was another door that led to another shop just past the two men.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

When he went to open it, he saw that there were utensils, plates, and glasses left on the table, as well as shards of the same type of flatware littered on the ground.

Trying to not pay any mind to it, and to cease any noise that he could make, he immediately left the tavern. But when he did, he noticed a dimly lit restaurant that glowed like the moon in the dark street.

Noah was brimming with curiosity, wondering – What’s in there? As he crept closer and closer, and when he got there, he took a peek through the missing door.

The tavern was bigger than the ones beside it, and it looked fairly modern while using cobblestone and wood for its walls and ceilings. It had two levels, one of which was built of cobblestone and the other was constructed with wood as its flooring. It was well furnished with seats and tables that could cater to dozens.

A spiral staircase led to the second level, where a spectacular chandelier hung from the ceiling. Which could be seen from both the first and second floors. The front bar was situated right beneath the second level, which occupies half of the ceiling.

A man sat on the front bar, directly in front of the only bartender. The bartender was dressed in a black suit top and black trousers. He wasn't frail nor particularly short, but in comparison to the man in front of him, he may as well have been skinny. He had snow-white skin, white hair, and a well-groomed face, which highly contrasted with his piercing red eyes.

The man in front, on the other hand, wore a gold chain and had gold rings on each finger. His eyes were a bottle green color, and his hair was a gleaming gold with an undercut appearance. He was around seven feet tall, had a strong build, and wore a navy-blue suit, with an unbuttoned grey trench coat and black gloves.

While remaining hidden, Noah questioned the situation – Why are they the only ones there when this tavern can fit a lot of people?

He continued to listen in on their conversation.

The man took a gulp from his glass. “Judas, you truly do make the best booze in town,” he laughed jollily.

“Oh you jest, sir,” Judas jokingly retorted, trying to make him as comfortable as possible.

"You know, you don't have to be that courteous," he remarked, raising his glass and motioning for more.

"How could I? You’re a guest of the tavern right now." Judas poured more of the concoction into his glass.

"Oh, don't be so dull; you’ve been a friend of mine for years already, plus today is a very special day" Herod took another drink and smashed the cup against the table.

“What is it?”

“Oh! I’m glad you asked,” Herod slammed his palms against the desk, leaning closer to Judas. “Today is the anniversary of me getting the rank of Earl”

Noah pieced everything together, concluding – He’s an Earl…? That explains why no one was here. He must have rented out the whole street.

Herod turned his gaze to the entrance and spoke in a bitter tone. “But there seems to be a rat on my special occasion huh, Mr. Judas?”

"You’re right, it appears there’s a guest outside,” Judas wiped his hand with a towel and proceeded to raise his hand.

Noah stood up and was about to flee when… Judas snapped his fingers and said, "Why don't you come out... boy?"

Noah’s body felt an imposing aura, which followed by him slowly turning back and walking to the door. He couldn't control a single part of his body, from his fingertips to his toes.

Noah panicked – W-what…! Why is my body like this?

Noah fought the mysterious power, when he suddenly groaned in pain, “Argh!” His body felt as though it had been doused in oil and set on fire.

Noah in pain, shrieked and asked, “Wh-what did you d-do…?”

It was met with Judas’s chilly voice, “It’s futile to resist; you'll only experience more anguish; simply show yourself."