The two continued walking, leaving the bustling center behind. As they moved farther away, the scenery slowly changed, as if they were passing through layers of a city that few visitors would ever get to know.
The grand avenues of white marble, with their perfectly polished sidewalks and jade decorations, gave way to smaller streets paved with ancient stones worn down by time.
The stones were uneven, some loose, others covered with moss that glowed with a pale green light beneath the lanterns.
The luxurious buildings, adorned with gold, jade, and complex spiritual formations, were replaced by small family-owned shops, bakeries, taverns, and workshops that remained open late into the night.
The lighting changed as well, becoming softer, and more intimate. The enormous spirit lanterns suspended above the main avenues, shining with the intensity of tiny suns, gradually disappeared, replaced by small paper lanterns hanging beneath wooden rooftops.
