“Lena, where do you think we should go next?” Flora turned to look at Lena.
“Hmm, I don’t really have a specific place in mind for now. I haven’t decided.” Lena shook her head.
Flora saw that Lena didn’t know where to go either, so she looked at Xueli beside her. “Xiao Xue, is there anything you want to see? Let us know, and if there is, we’ll follow you.”
Xueli hadn’t expected to be asked where to go. She stopped in her tracks, her calm gaze sweeping across the bustling stalls and crowds around them.
“I’m somewhat interested in antiques.”
“And I’d rather not go to stalls that are too lively. I want to look at things in actual old shops.”
These words were spoken carefully, making her sound like a traveler who was curious about folk culture and knew a little bit about it.
“I know just the place!” Lena chimed in immediately.
“I remember a few old shops — the kind that have been open for a very long time. The things they sell are quite interesting, and average tourists don’t usually know to head that way!”
“Then let’s go take a look,” Flora nodded.
Lena led them familiarly down a relatively quiet side road, which was much more peaceful.
The buildings on both sides were clearly old. Though the white walls were tinged with a bit of gray, they still possessed a sturdy, dignified feel.
They stopped in front of an unremarkable shop. It wasn’t large, but the characters carved onto the wooden sign were still quite clear.
In the display window sat some ceramic jars, old wood carvings, and metal gadgets of indistinguishable use.
The light inside the shop was dim, and the faint glow of candles gave the place a mysterious air. The air was filled with an ancient scent that echoed the feeling of mystery.
The shelves were somewhat crowded. Items were arranged seemingly at random, yet they clearly possessed a certain order.
The shopkeeper was an elderly member of the demon race with gray hair, wearing a monocle.
He was repairing a small wooden box by the light of a small lamp. He stopped his work when he saw them enter.
“May I ask if you’re looking for anything?” the old demon race man asked.
“Nothing in particular, we’re just looking around,” Flora said, seeing that Xueli hadn’t spoken.
After speaking, Flora looked at the items on the shelves.
Most of them were old objects that looked like they had some history, but there was almost no wear and tear. It was clear they had been carefully protected and maintained.
Her gaze swept over a row of old bells of various shapes. She also saw some golden wine cups and an impressionist painting.
Then, she noticed Xueli stop in front of a glass case against the wall at the very back. She leaned forward slightly, looking very focused.
Flora walked over curiously. There wasn’t much in the glass case. Against a dark velvet lining lay an unpolished, pale purple crystal about the size of a palm.
The stone’s surface was smooth. As the dim yellow light of the shop fell upon it, it seemed as if stars were flowing across it, exuding a mysterious and tranquil beauty.
“What is this?” Flora murmured instinctively.
The old shopkeeper had sharp ears. Without raising his head, he spoke with a gentleness honed by time.
“That is the ‘silence stone.’ It’s an ancestral heirloom and isn’t for sale. We take it out every year during the Unification Festival for people to see.”
“The silence stone?” Flora repeated.
The old shopkeeper set down the wooden box, stood up, and strolled over, wiping his hands with a soft cloth.
“Yes. The ancestors said the First Queen brought that raw stone out from the mountains when she passed through here back then. It wasn’t crafted into anything; it was just kept like that. They say it can… calm one’s heart.”
He smiled, as if telling a beautiful legend.
Xueli listened intently. She looked up at the shopkeeper and asked in a polite and clear voice, “Excuse me, may I take a closer look?”
“Go ahead, just be careful not to drop it.” The old shopkeeper was agreeable. He fished a small key from his pocket, unlocked the glass case, and carefully took out the crystal, placing it on the counter.
Xueli stepped forward and bowed her head slightly, examining it closely. She didn’t touch it, but simply scanned every facet of the crystal with her gaze.
She was observing its color and texture. Her expression was focused, as if she were studying a precious specimen.
The stone itself possessed a peculiar charm. The light flowing within was as dreamlike as rosy clouds, capable of making one lose themselves in it.
Flora was also drawn in. She watched Xueli for a long while before she couldn’t help but reach out a hand, wanting to touch it. She asked softly, “Can I… hold it and see?”
“Sure, just be gentle.” The old shopkeeper nodded.
Flora carefully cupped the crystal with both hands. It was heavier than she had expected and felt ice-cold to the touch.
The moment her fingertips fully touched the stone!
*Hum — !*
A ringing in her ears, so sharp it felt like her head would split open, sounded without warning. In an instant, all external sounds grew quiet and dissipated.
The scene before her eyes shook violently, blurred, and faded, leaving only that smudge of deep purple in her hands spinning and expanding wildly.
Immediately following that, an indescribable sense of sadness and heaviness surged into her chest from deep within her own body like a bursting levee.
It wasn’t just an emotion, but more like a physical weight, pressing down until her heart constricted and she couldn’t breathe.
Loneliness, exhaustion, some bottomless regret… countless dark fragments stirred together, threatening to swallow her whole.
“Ugh…” She let out a very faint, pained gasp. Her face turned pale as paper in an instant, and the hands holding the stone began to tremble uncontrollably.
Her vision swam with darkness, and her knees went weak, nearly causing her to collapse right then and there.
“Sister?!”
“Careful!”
Lena’s exclamation and Xueli’s voice rang out almost simultaneously. Flora felt someone support her arms, and someone took the stone — which had become unimaginably hot — from her stiff hands.
The ringing and the visions gradually receded, and the world’s sounds and colors reemerged.
Flora gasped for air, cold sweat already soaking her back.
She instinctively leaned against the person holding her, her other hand pressing hard against her chest. The sensation of a tightening pain still lingered there.
“Sister! What’s wrong? Don’t scare me!” Lena’s voice carried a hint of sobbing as she held onto her tightly.
The shopkeeper was also startled. He hurried to put the stone back in the case and locked it. “This… Miss, are you all right? Do you feel unwell?”
Flora barely managed to stand steady. She shook her head, her voice somewhat weak. “I-I’m fine… It’s just a sudden… severe dizzy spell…” She didn’t dare look at the stone again, or even in its direction.
Xueli stood a step away, quietly watching Flora. She saw Flora’s pale face and her slightly trembling hands. An imperceptible trace of deep thought flashed in the depths of her eyes, but she said nothing.
“Let’s go outside for some fresh air first!” Lena made a quick decision, half-supporting and half-carrying Flora out.
“Sorry, Sir, and Xiao Xue! I’m going to accompany my sister outside for a moment!”
Once out in the cool evening breeze, Flora finally felt the painful sensation clogging her chest ease slightly. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, slowly adjusting her breathing.
“Your Highness, what on earth happened? Your face looked so scary just now! Are you too tired from these past two days? Should we go back and have a doctor look at you?” Lena whispered to Flora.
“…No need.” Flora opened her eyes and patted the back of Lena’s hand, offering a reassuring smile.
“I’m probably just a bit tired, and the shop was a little stuffy. I just couldn’t catch my breath for a second. Really, it’s nothing major.”
She hid the terrifying ringing in her ears and the dizziness. More importantly, she hid that tsunami of sadness that didn’t belong to her.
The feeling was too eerie. It wasn’t something she could easily tell Lena, as she wasn’t clear on the situation herself either.
“Are you really okay?” Lena touched her forehead with concern.
Flora nodded, some color gradually returning to her face. “Go inside and let the shopkeeper and Xiao Xue know. I’ll just stand here for a little while. Don’t let them worry.”
“Will you be okay by yourself?”
“It’s fine. I’ll be better after leaning here for a bit.”
Lena hesitated but turned back into the shop.
Flora leaned her back against the cold stone wall and looked up at the sky. The night wind brushed through her hair.
The momentary heat from earlier and the terrifying feelings that followed were definitely not illusions.
‘That stone… the First Queen…’
She squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t think about those things anymore — at least not right now.
A moment later, the shop door was pushed open, and Xueli walked out alone. Lena seemed to be caught in a conversation with the shopkeeper and hadn’t followed.
Xueli walked to Flora’s side and stopped. She didn’t look at Flora, instead casting her gaze deep into the alleyway. Her voice was calm. “Nana is chatting with the shopkeeper. Do you feel any better?”
“…Yes, much better,” Flora replied softly, looking in the same direction. “I’m sorry for spoiling the fun.”
“You didn’t,” Xueli said briefly.
She fell silent for a few seconds before speaking again, asking a question Flora wasn’t very keen on answering.
“Just now, when you touched that stone, did you feel unwell, or did you… ‘see’ or ‘feel’ something else?”
Flora’s fingertips curled slightly. She turned her head to look at Xueli, who happened to turn her head at the same time. Xueli’s expression held only a calm inquiry, as if she were gathering data.
“It was just… a sudden discomfort. Dizziness, unable to breathe. Maybe I really was a bit incompatible with that stone.” She tried to state it in a lighter tone.
Xueli didn’t press further, only nodding almost imperceptibly as if accepting the explanation.
“According to the shopkeeper, that stone contains mana that is extremely ancient and stable, almost in an inert state. Theoretically, it shouldn’t have a direct impact on ordinary people.”
She seemed to be stating an objective fact, but Flora understood the implication. Xueli was hinting that her reaction might not be an “ordinary” circumstance.
Just then, Lena emerged from the shop with a smile on her face. “The owner is so nice! He even gave me a peppermint to give to Sister to help her freshen up!”
She ran to Flora’s side and stuffed the candy into her hand before looking at her and Xueli.
“How are you two? Sister, are you feeling better? Xiao Xue, there are still so many interesting old things inside. Aren’t you going to look anymore?”
“No,” Xueli said. “There’s nothing else in particular to see. We can go find a place to rest or just walk around as we please.”
Flora didn’t want to stay here either. The sensation from just now had been far too unpleasant, and she truly had no desire to linger in this place.
“Let’s go. Let’s wander around somewhere else.”