Ethan's POV
In the quiet corners of our town, narrow alleys twisted like winding sheep intestines, connecting clusters of old courtyards and houses.
It had been a long time since I had set foot in a place like this. In my distant memories, I could recall only a few occasions from my childhood when I followed Alissa to her grandmother’s countryside home.
Those courtyards, connected one after another, just like this part of the town, allowed the wind to sweep through, chilling people to the bone.
I had never liked such places. Simply put, I disliked the countryside—its sagging, cracked, low-built tile-roofed houses were crude and shabby. In the summer, the mosquitoes were relentless, their bites swelling to the size of eggs.
I never liked their way of life either—too old-fashioned, to
