October 13th.

On the dreary Morning, Beland once again experienced the same bad weather as usual.

The sky was covered with brooding clouds tinged with a hint of gloom, the drizzling raindrops descended steadily from above, gradually coalescing into a dense curtain of rain that veiled the surroundings in a shroud of moisture.

In the below, as far as eye could see either side of the road was covered with moving black umbrellas, as traffic lights turned from red to green, the group of black umbrellas marched in an orderly fashion.

In the midst of this wet and bustling scene, a middle-aged man stumbled across with an umbrella, hurried his way to the bus station, his hurried movements a blur against the somber backdrop.

Reaching the bus station and standing beneath the protective overhang, the middle aged man – Mr. Albert breathed a sigh of relief, as he looked at the heavy rain outside.

As an ordinary office worker, at a trading company, Mr. Albert’s routine weekdays typically began with a familiar routine of taking red double-decker bus to work. Today was no exception, despite the torrential downpour that threatened to disrupt his usual commute.

Though the domed canopy of the bus stop managed to shield him from most of the raindrops, there were persistent leaks that crept in with the gusts of wind, causing small puddles to form on the ground beneath his feet. 

Albert, after brushing off the small intrusions with a practiced hand, he closed his trusty umbrella and giving it a firm shake to rid it of beads of water, then found a spot on one of the long bench-like chairs and settled in, before took out a today’s newspaper out of his briefcase and read it.

Usually he would read the newspaper at his breakfast time, but reading in bus station wasn’t new to him either, today’s unexpected rush made him skip breakfast and left him no choice but to catch up on current events in the bus station.

“Councillor John emerged from the campaign as the new leader of the city of Beland with a promise to make people live better, richer, safer lives…away from crimes and cultism.”

A new city manager has been elected after the election.

Albert nodded gently as he read on.

“Councillor John will give his speech in two days, which will broadcast live on Tv for people to know about his future ideas and policies.”

He shook his head. 

What a boring news. What does it have to do with me what these upper-class people think?

“Yes, it’s boring news. It would be better to report on the Miracle Sect and talk about their spread in remote rural areas.”

The sudden hoarse voice startled Albert greatly, causing him to snap his head toward the unexpected sound source. To his surprise he found an old man was sitting next to him at some point.

With a thick black windbreaker tightly embracing the old man’s thin body, his white hair was neatly combed, his face was wrinkled, his eyes were squinted, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses.

He has a scholarly temperament…this was Albert’s first impression.

As he observed the man further, he noticed the copy of the Beland morning newspaper in his hands, the same one he had been reading on. 

 Mirroring Albert’s actions, the elderly man, equally engrossed in his Beland morning newspaper, turned his gaze toward Albert with a gentle smile playing on his lips, as if silently acknowledging the serendipitous encounter that had brought them together in that fleeting moment of shared understanding.

“Hello.”

The old man very politely extended his hand and greeted Albert with a smile.

“Hello.”

Albert nodded gently and shook his hand with a smile.

The old man turned his gaze towards the bustling scene outside where black umbrellas swayed in sync with passing pedestrians,he remarked with a touch of nostalgia.

“So this is Beland, a city that was once hailed as the epicenter of the world, the pinnacle of all capitals, a beacon of hope. Now, it stands as a cosmopolitan hub, a far cry from what it used to be. It’s been ages since I last set foot here.”

Was he someone who used to live in Beland? Albert smiled and picked up the words, inquiring, “It seems like you have a history with this city. Have you been to Beland before?” 

The old man responded with a subtle nod, his eyes narrowed as he replied: “Well, yes, the last time I came here was a hundred years ago.”

Albert froze for a long moment, laughed, and joked, “I can see then that you’re a long-lived wizard, aren’t you, with a wand and a broom and a cloak of invisibility.”

Albert was taken aback by his answer, and interrupted with a playful jest. “Ah, so you must be an immortal sorcerer then, with ancient wand, flying broom, and cloak of invisibility.” he quipped with a chuckle, lightening the mood between them.

The old man turned his head and met Albert’s eyes once, again gazing deeply into his eyes as if looking in depth. 

After what seemed like an eternity, he inclined his head in a gesture of acknowledgment, his expression turning solemn and earnest

“Yes, you’re right, I am a wizard, a real one.” he replied with a smile on his lip, but somehow it looked eerily and a little scary.

Albert was silent for a long while, vaguely feeling that this old man’s spirit might be a bit abnormal.

Out of kindness and concern, he continued to inquire.

“You haven’t come to Beland for a long time, why are you here again now? Do you still remember your relatives who live here?”

The old man sighed; “Because my relatives died here.”

‘A relative passed away? So he came to attend the funeral? This is an acceptable reason. Maybe I am overthinking it, the old man’s spirit is normal.’

‘The moment just now must be an illusion, right?’

The old man rubbed his legs and swayed his body, humming a nameless country tune.

“Hmm …… Hmmm ……”

He continued, “Although he is not a very important relative or a close blood relative, he was killed in this city, so I had to come and take a look at the situation.”

“Because, this is family.”

It turned out to be a murder case. 

Albert didn’t expect it to unfold like this, after a long silence he asked. “Uh, murder?”

“Yes.” The old man nodded again.

“My condolences.”

The corners of the old man’s mouth turned up slightly as he narrowed his eyes and smiled, “It’s okay.”

“I’m already in a better mood.”

Albert paused for a moment. This time he really felt strange and wonder whether the moment before really an illusion, and he no longer said anything.

Thankfully, the bus arrived in the nick of time, Albert without turning back directly got on the bus, felt a little tired, and fell asleep unknowingly.

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