The morning proved even busier than the previous days.
As the night of the Lantern Festival drew near, the city surrounding Port Luminara became increasingly lively.
The streets were thick with movement, far more crowded than when the Cassians had first arrived.
People swarmed through every corner. Some haggled over rare goods brought in for the celebration, and others wandered leisurely, taking in the festive decorations as they awaited nightfall. At the same time, performers, vendors, and travelling entertainers filled the air with sound and colour, drawing curious onlookers wherever they went.
But it was not the festival alone that had stirred such activity.
A new attraction had emerged within the city.
Along a narrow lane tucked between two rows of shop buildings, a long queue had formed. People stood shoulder to shoulder, stretching far beyond the entrance of a modest shop lot.
