Red lights ?

I cursed the old innkeeper for making me stay here while he avoided it himself.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about jasmine?" Jesper said, his voice firm but gentle. "Anything you remember could help."

"I was familiar with her, sure," he began slowly. "She often played with me when I was little, but I was too young to remember much. Even her face is just a haze now."

Jesper frowned but persisted. "Try to remember. Anything at all. Where did she spend her time? Who did she talk to?"

The boy thought for a moment, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Well, there is one place I remember," he said finally. "Joll's Paradise. That's where she worked as a part-time dancer."

"Joll's Paradise?" Jesper repeated, filing the name away in his mind. "Is there anything else? Anything strange she might have mentioned, or any other places she frequented?"

The boy shook his head. "No, nothing else. I don't know much about her beyond that. She was kind to me, but I was too young to really understand anything that was going on."

Jesper nodded, though he felt a pang of frustration, he refined from pushing any further. He had hoped for more, but this was something. He reached into his pocket and handed the boy a five more notes. "Thank you. You've been helpful."

The boy's eyes lit up at the sight of the money, and he pocketed it quickly. "Good luck," he said, his voice low. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Jesper watched as the boy scurried back towrds the inn, then turned on his heel and made his way back to the street. I had barely walked a few steps, when i remembered something and then turned back to the boy. My voice was edged with urgency. "One last thing," I called out to the boy. "Is there a red light in the lobby or anything else that's red on the second floor."

The boy frowned, thinking for a moment. "No, sir. There's nothing there like that."

I nodded, accepting the answer, and was about to leave when the boy spoke again, his voice almost a whisper. "There weren't any red lights, but... they were red."

I stopped dead in my tracks, turning back to face him. "What do you mean?"

The boy seemed lost in thought, his expression distant. "The eyes… Jasmine, the innkeeper's older sister, she had red eyes."

A cold wave of dread washed over me. My heart pounded, and bile rose in my throat. Red... eyes… It hit me like a jolt. I remembered peering through that keyhole, and seeing all but red. It was her. I realized.

It wasn't some red light or something, it was her, Jasmine had been staring right back at me.

The intensity of the dread gripped me, making my body tremble uncontrollably. I staggered backward, my vision blurring as fear overwhelmed me. My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground.

The boy rushed to my side, shouting for help, but I barely registered the commotion. My mind spun out of control. I realized with sickening clarity that Jasmine had been there, it wasn't some red light but her eyes. The image flashed in mind. How those red eyes minght be stating through the keyhole.

I gasped for breath, my entire world shrinking to a haze of terror. It felt like I was falling into a bottomless pit, the weight of my fear dragging me down. All I wanted was to escape, to run as far away as possible from this nightmarish reality that had ensnared me.

Every shadow seemed to harbor an unseen terror now, and every creak of the old inn's timbers taht day sounded like a sinister whisper. She was dancing outside, the reason behind those creaking also unfolded before me. My movements were sluggish, my thoughts clouded by an icy dread that paralyzed me. It was as if I were trapped in a nightmare with no escape.

But suddenly, the warmth rised in my body, the foold card, i realized was reacting again. Gradually, I managed to gather my resolve, shaking off the initial shock, though the dread still clung to me like a heavy shroud. With trembling fingers, I reached into my pocket and gripped the golden card tightly, trying to draw strength from its presence.

"I need to find out more," I muttered to myself, my voice wavering slightly. I forced myself to stand, the ground beneath me feeling unsteady and alien. Determination flickered in my eyes as I turned back to the boy.

"Thank you for telling me," I said, my voice steadier now despite the lingering fear. "I'll… I'll figure this out."

The boy nodded solemnly, his eyes reflecting a mixture of sympathy and unease. "Be careful, on your way sir," he warned softly.

I nodded in understanding, my mind racing with plans and uncertainties. Each step I took away from the alley felt heavier than the last, as if the weight of the mystery was physically dragging me down. I knew I was delving deeper into something that could consume me entirely, yet I couldn't turn back.

The dread gnawed at my insides, relentless and pervasive, but I pushed forward. The need to uncover the truth—no matter how dark or dangerous—was a force I couldn't resist. The red eyes of Jasmine haunted me and will continue to do so, a chilling reminder that the darkness I was unraveling was not just an illusion but a terrifying reality.

As I walked through the bustling streets of Babel, each step was a battle against the terror that gripped me. My thoughts were a whirlwind of fears and questions, but one thing was clear: I had to confront whatever horrors lay ahead. The shadows of the inn, the whispers of the old shopkeeper's sister, and the enigmatic card in my pocket—all of it pointed toward a truth I was determined to uncover, no matter the cost.

The sun was now completely over my head in the sky, signaling it was time for my duties, so i made my way to the library, my sanctuary amidst the chaos. I knew that my quest for answers would only grow more perilous from here on out. But as the night approached, I steeled myself for the challenges ahead. The truth awaited, and I was ready to face whatever darkness lay in its path.