Side Street Off Neon Alley,
10:24 AM.
The side street was quieter the moment Ren stepped into it almost like a different world from Neon Alley's blinding lights and noise. The buildings here were older and more residential.A laundromat with humming machines visible through its windows, a tiny tobacco shop, a grocery store with vegetables stacked in wooden crates, and an old ramen shop with a weathered sign.
"Ramen Tatsumi – Since 1987. "
Fewer people. Fewer neon signs. Less noise.
Ren could actually hear himself think.
He walked slowly, hands in pockets, observing the neighborhood dynamics.
This was the underbelly of Downtown. Not the flashy main streets designed for tourists and entertainment. This was where actual people lived.
Where families ran small businesses. Where the reality of Crimson Dragons' control became visible.
An elderly woman swept the entrance to her grocery store.
