Late at night.
White Stone City, in the slums.
A dilapidated courtyard, constructed with old, damp wood planks and broken stones, stood inconspicuously in a corner.
Hardly anyone knew when this courtyard had been built. It rarely saw visitors, and since the inhabitants of the slums were not keen on prying into each other's privacy—a key principle for ensuring one's own safety—the courtyard had existed in lonely, undisturbed peace for many years.
That night, the enduring calm was broken.
"Bang bang bang! Creak creak!"
Knocking sounds emerged from the warped wooden door of the courtyard, which shook continuously as if it would fall down if the person knocking pushed too hard.
Inside the courtyard, there was no response for a long time, the knocking patiently persisted.
"Bang bang bang! Creak creak!"
