The old man began his storytelling, his voice drawing everyone in. "Long ago, there lived a married couple in a forest near a village. To the villagers, they were like wise sages. Because those two would help around the village people and solve their problems."
The two had a communal relationship with the villagers, as the husband would sometimes hunt animals in the forest and share them with the whole village. For a while, this relationship continued with the villagers.
One day, the wife got pregnant, and nine months later she gave birth to a girl. The whole village celebrated with the couple. The child grew up in the care of the villagers and her parents. The villagers treated her as their own child. She would constantly be seen around the village, playing with kids her age.
However, she was not a normal child. She had the ability to communicate with insects and animals in the forest. Soon after noticing these changes and seeing her otherworldly sorcery, the villagers became wary of her and began to avoid her. Those villagers even warned their children not to mingle with her. With that, no one wanted to play with her anymore.
She was basically an outcast by the villagers who once treated her like their daughter. Only at home did she still receive that love.
But she was a strong girl, she didn't feel sad but turned to the forest and played around with the forest animals. As she aged, her hair slowly turned white. At first, she only had a few strands of white hair, but by the time she turned nine, her entire head of hair was white.
One day, when her father was out late, she decided to go to the village and search for him.
The evening passed, and it was nearing nighttime. The wife, noticing the two had been gone for a long time, grew worried and went out to search for them.
However, as she reached the village gate, her heart nearly fell. She saw a familiar figure at the gate, tied to a pole. It was her daughter. Behind her, on another pole, her husband was also tied, bruised, and bloodied.
She hurriedly ran to her daughter and released her bindings. But, as she freed the ropes, her daughter's body fell limp into her arms. There was no breath in her; she had passed away.
Seeing her daughter's limped body, the mother couldn't hold back her tears and cried. As her tears touched her daughter's cheek, they slowly turned to ice. The mother's entire head of hair turned white, while her daughter's white hair slowly turned black.
"He chose the only way to stop her without killing her. He sacrificed his soul, creating a powerful seal that would imprison her forever in an unknown place, saving the human world from the witch."
The storyteller's voice trailed off, leaving the audience in a heavy silence. The night had fully descended, and the square was now bathed in the soft glow of lanterns. Alice's eyes were wide with wonder and a hint of sadness.
"Did you enjoy the story, little one?" the old man asked, walking towards them.
"Yes, old grandpa," Alice replied, her eyes shining.
Spark turned to Alice. "Would you like to hear more stories from him next time?"
Alice nodded eagerly, her eyes still sparkling with the excitement of the tale.
"Then we'll make sure to come here again." Spark chuckled. "I'm sure you won't disappear, leaving Alice without a good storyteller like yourself."
"Of course. How could I?" the old storyteller could only reply with a wry smile.
The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving the square quieter. Only the old man remained, counting his coins.
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A:N- What kind of child reads such stories? lol