C240 Red Flames(2)

Autumn had given way to winter, and the maple leaves, dusted with a light frost, cascaded onto the streets and alleys, blanketing them in a dense, mournful red. It was as if a beautiful, expansive carpet unfurled towards the horizon, offering the northern city its most affordable yet invaluable seasonal adornment.

Flanking this crimson carpet, a bustling crowd jostled and thronged