She looked around and saw a group of people dancing to the same hauntingly beautiful melody. Their movements were graceful and fluid, and their faces were filled with a joy that Elara had never seen before.

Elara opened her eyes and found herself back in the narrow alleyway, standing in front of the small music shop. The silver-haired man was gone, and the shop was dark and empty.

The man nodded and handed her a small, worn MP3 player. "It's yours," he said. "But be warned: once you start listening, you may find it difficult to return."

But then, the music began to fade. The sun-drenched courtyard began to blur, and the sound of laughter was replaced by the sound of rain.