The Empty Alley & Next Step

Flicker Flicker

Arvin watched the street lamp's unsteady light, gathering his thoughts. Now that his memories of the plane crash had returned, relief flooded through him - he was alive, somehow saved from that impossible darkness that had swallowed the aircraft.

(I can find my way back home), he thought, his heart racing with both joy and apprehension. But first, he needed to figure out where he was.

Sniff Sniff

A peculiar scent interrupted his thoughts, cutting through the alley's usual stench. Clean and salty - nothing like the rancid and moldy from the alleyway. The smell seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it.

Drip Drip

Water trickled down the brick walls, each drop echoing in the narrow space. Arvin turned his head carefully, looking both ways down the alley. One direction led to darkness where that salty breeze came from, the other opened to city lights and distant sounds.

(Master always said to assess before acting), he reminded himself, staying still despite his curiosity. The garbage smell beside him had become almost unnoticeable as he weighed his options.

After careful thought, curiosity won out. He needed to investigate that familiar scent.

Shuffle Scrape

Using the wall for support, Arvin tried to stand. His legs trembled, refusing to hold his weight. Frustration burned in his chest as he slid back down.

(Chinese) "Damn it," he muttered, the rare curse word, reflecting his weakness. Drawing another deep breath, Arvin closed his eyes and turned his attention inward.

Despite his discomfort, Arvin straightened his posture and crossed his legs. Years of training took over as he started his breathing routine - in through his nose, hold for four counts, out through his mouth. Each breath helped his tense muscles relax.

Inhale Hold Exhale

After five breaths, his body found its rhythm. Keeping steady, he began checking his condition like his master had taught him. Like reading a scroll, he examined himself from head to toe.

What he found worried him. His chi was completely drained, and his inner energy dangerously low - just enough to keep him conscious. That explain the brief wave of nausea from his empty chi reserves. Though, it passed rather quickly, thanks to that tiny reserve of inner energy.

(My reflexes must have saved me), Arvin realized. (Chinese) "Thank you, Master," he whispered, grateful for all those practice he had went through. If both reserve had been completely depleted, he would have been in a coma, not just sitting in an alley.

Rustle

Paper trash moved in the wind, but Arvin stayed focused. With his inner energy so low, restoring his reserve became priority. He couldn't risk using what little stamina he had left.

With the situation he was in, he choose to restore his chi first. Restoring his inner energy will require him to find somewhere safe first.

Arvin deepened his breathing, drawing in energy around him. Though slower than in the mountains, he felt familiar warmth building in his core.

(Chinese) "One step at a time," he reminded himself, pushing away worry about his situation. Right now, survival came first. He focused on his breathing, following his master's technique.

Time felt different during deep meditation, just like usual.

The familiar feeling of chi building brought comfort, like finding an old friend in a strange place. Arvin let his mind drift, letting his body naturally gather energy.

Whoosh

A stronger wind brought that salty smell again, and Arvin noticed something strange. As time pass, the chi flowed more easier than it should in a city. Each breath brought more energy than expected, different from what his master had taught about urban places.

(This isn't normal), he thought, maintaining his meditation despite his curiosity. In his experience, cities typically hindered chi gathering - too much concrete, too little nature. Yet here he was, accumulating energy at an unusually rapid rate.

Minutes stretched into hours. The night deepened around him, but Arvin remained still, focused entirely on rebuilding his depleted reserves. Only when he felt the familiar warmth spread through his limbs did he finally allow his eyes to open.

Blink Blink

The alley had grown darker during his meditation, the street lamp's glow seeming dimmer than before. Arvin performed a quick internal check, measuring his progress. He'd managed to restore roughly twenty-five percent of his chi capacity - not ideal, but enough to function.

What surprised him wasn't the amount but the speed. (Chinese) "Strange," he murmured, brow furrowing in thought. "This shouldn't be possible in a city."

The salty breeze tickled his nose again, and suddenly things clicked into place. (Of course - the ocean. That's what I've been smelling.) The revelation explained both the familiar scent and the unusual energy flow. Large bodies of natural water often acted as natural chi amplifiers too, something his master had mentioned during their rare trips down the mountain.

This new understanding strengthened Arvin's resolve to investigate the source of that salty smell. If he was right about the ocean, it might help him figure out where he'd was.

***

Shuffle Scrape

Arvin pushed himself up using the wall, his muscles protesting each movement. Pain shot through his left leg, making him hiss through clenched teeth.

(Focus through the pain), he thought, remembering his master's lessons. Shifting weight to his right side, he found his balance.

Tap Drag

He developed a limping rhythm, using the wall for support. The darkness grew deeper as he left the street lamp behind, but that salty scent pulled him forward.

(Chinese) "One step at a time," Arvin muttered. His master had taught him every journey starts with a single step - though probably never imagined one like this.

The alley opened up ahead, revealing a vast port facility. Concrete breakwater stretched into darkness, separating land from sea. Moonlight filtered through thin clouds, showing scattered cargo containers like giant building blocks.

Lap Lap

Waves created a gentle rhythm in the distance. The port felt unnaturally quiet - no workers, no machinery, not even the usual city sounds.

A small light pulsed steadily far away, probably a lighthouse. Arvin could barely make out anything beyond the breakwater's edge, but the light suggested a shipping channel.

Throb

His leg reminded him not to push further tonight. After one last look at the mysterious light, Arvin turned back toward the alley. He'd solved the mystery of the salty smell; now, it was time to check the other direction.

Tap Shuffle

The flickering street lamp guided him back. When he emerged onto the main street, the sight made him pause. Skyscrapers stretched toward the night sky, modern buildings mixed with older ones.

The mix of buildings puzzled him. Some looked like the ones he'd seen in photos of Shanghai - tall, modern, glass everywhere. Others reminded him of older structures from the town near the mountain, where he went to visit several times with his master.

Rustle

A torn poster fluttered nearby. Arvin studied the letters - they looked like the alphabet used back home, but the words themselves made no sense to him. His grandma, his father's mother, had never taught him other languages beside his mother language and the regional language where he was born. On another hand, his mother's side family only taught him Chinese after he finished kindergarten.

More signs filled his vision as he scanned the street. Shop fronts, billboards, even the traffic signs used the same alphabet, but none of the words were familiar. The realization hit him hard - he was much further from home than he'd thought.

(What time is it anyway?), he wondered, tilting his head back to study the night sky. Back in the mountains, reading stars and moon positions had been as natural as breathing. But here, the city lights drowned out most stars, leaving only the moon visible through thin clouds. Based on its position, it's not quite at its apex, it was probably still before midnight.

Arvin's footsteps seemed louder. The emptiness felt different from his mountain training. There, solitude meant peace. Here, it felt wrong - like a city holding its breath. No cars, no people - just empty streets and scattered papers in the wind.

Grumble

Another protest from his stomach pulled him back to focus on the current situation.

Checking his pockets, he didn't find his wallet. Panic rose as he grab over his clothes until his fingers found his wallet in the inner pocket of his jacket. His hand brushed against something else - a palm-sized wooden case. His fingers traced the familiar butterfly carving, remembering how his master never explained its meaning, saying only that Arvin would understand when the time was right.

Grumble

His stomach demanded attention again. (Chinese) "Let's look for food first," he reminded himself. Opening his wallet, he counted four hundred and fifty yuan. Not much, but hopefully enough for food here.

Tap Tap

His footsteps echoed as he scanned the empty street. A bright glow caught his attention - a building with a simple neon "8" sign above its entrance. Through the windows, he glimpsed shelves of packaged food.

Hunger pressed him forward. His leg still hurt with each step, but the promise of food drew him forward.

Whoosh

Arvin pushed the door, it opened with a soft chime. Bright fluorescent light made him squint after the dim street. Arvin stepped inside, finding himself in what looked like a convenience store.

Ding Dong

As the door closed behind him, Arvin thought, (Now, it was the moment to see if anyone was here, and more importantly, if they'd help me understand where is this place.)