My Cuckhold System-Chapter 114: Crazy Old Shirley
The outskirts of the Eternal Ruins were nothing like West had imagined.
From afar, the ruins had looked ancient, solemn, almost sacred.
Up close?
It was practically a small town like a living, breathing ecosystem built around the bones of history.
Stone-paved walkways wound between rows of establishments that had clearly grown over the years. Wooden signs creaked gently overhead. Vendors called out deals. Lanterns hung between buildings, not yet lit but ready for evening glow.
The ruins loomed behind everything with massive arches and fractured towers standing silent as if watching the commercial chaos unfold at their feet.
Class 3 spilled into the area like a flock of excited tourists.
"This is insane," Darius muttered, spinning in place. "It’s like a festival."
It almost was.
There were souvenir shops selling miniature replicas of broken pillars and ancient carvings. Some were clearly mass-produced, others hand-crafted.
Historical vendors stood beneath shaded awnings displaying old relic fragments encased in glass.
"Authentic ruin stone," one vendor boasted loudly. "Certified and verified!"
Felix leaned toward West. "You think those are real?"
West glanced briefly.
"Some are. Most aren’t."
The smell of grilled food drifted from a nearby stall. Fried dumplings, skewers of spiced meat, and something sweet and caramelized.
Students scattered in small groups despite the teachers’ repeated instructions to stay together.
Nina and Mira, however, remained close to West.
"You’re not even pretending to look excited," Mira said, noticing West’s calm demeanor.
"I am excited."
"You look bored."
"Observation mode," he replied.
Nina smiled slightly at that.
She liked that about him.
Even in tourist chaos, he wasn’t distracted...
He was scanning and analysing...
The group stopped near a massive pit encircled by reinforced barriers and informational plaques.
A tour guide stood beside it, gesturing dramatically.
"This," the man announced with his voice amplified through a handheld speaker, "is where one of the first major gang wars in Red Valor City occurred."
Students leaned forward.
The pit was enormous... at least thirty meters wide, descending into reinforced stone layers.
"It began as a territorial dispute," the guide continued. "But escalated when multiple awakened factions intervened. The result? Over sixty casualties in one night."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
The guide pointed toward charred markings along the inner stone.
"Those burns? Fire-based bloodline abilities. The fractures in the rock? Impact from high-density kinetic strikes."
Darius whistled low.
"Imagine fighting down there."
West’s eyes lingered longer than most.
He could feel energy residue.
History wasn’t just written here... it was embedded.
The group moved on.
---
The outskirts grew busier as evening approached.
Tourists from other cities mingled with locals.
Street performers juggled flaming batons near the central square.
A small museum building offered guided exhibits on early awakened conflicts.
Nina pulled West toward a small artisan stall.
"Look at this," she said, holding up a silver bracelet etched with ruin symbols.
"Overpriced," West said calmly.
"Everything here is overpriced," Mira added.
Nina pouted slightly but bought it anyway.
Moments later, Mira found herself purchasing a carved wooden pendant she definitely did not need.
"You just said everything was overpriced," Nina teased.
"I didn’t say I wouldn’t buy it."
West shook his head faintly.
"Impulse spending."
"You sound like an old man," Mira retorted.
"Or someone who understands value."
As they continued walking, a sudden shrill voice cut through the atmosphere.
"THE GHOSTS!"
Heads turned as an older woman staggered through the crowd with grey hair.
Her clothes were layered and mismatched and her eyes were wide and unfocused. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"The ghosts are angry!" she shouted. "They’re restless again! They will take again!"
Some tourists stepped away nervously while children clung to their parents.
"She’s going to scare the visitors again," someone muttered.
"Crazy old Shirley," a nearby guard said under his breath.
Shirley pointed toward the ruins dramatically.
"They wake tonight! They remember what was done to them! Blood doesn’t fade! It never fades!"
Her voice trembled but carried strange conviction.
Nina instinctively stepped closer to West and held his shirt while Mira folded her arms.
"She’s just unstable," Mira stated, trying to convince herself not to be scared.
West watched Shirley carefully.
Madness?
Or something else?
Her eyes scanned the crowd frantically until they landed briefly on him.
She staggered back in fear.
"You," she whispered faintly.
Before she could say more, two guards hurried over.
"Alright, Shirley. That’s enough for today."
"She’s disrupting the tourists again," another guard said apologetically to nearby visitors.
They gently but firmly escorted her away and soon, the tension dissipated quickly.
People resumed walking, laughing and shopping.
"See?" Darius said loudly. "Even the ruins have their own local crazy."
West eyebrows furrowed faintly in response.
---
By the time they had circled a significant portion of the outskirts, the sun had begun descending.
Golden light cast long shadows against the ancient stone.
The group finally approached the main entrance.
Massive reinforced gates stood beneath a towering arch carved with worn inscriptions.
Security checkpoints were positioned at both sides.
Teachers stepped forward confidently.
"We have authorized passes for tomorrow and today’s preliminary visit," one teacher explained, holding out documentation.
The guard scanned the pass before shaking his head.
"Entry closes at evening."
"It’s not fully evening yet," Mr. Lowell protested.
"Regulations," the guard replied firmly. "No entry after 5 PM."
Rohan scoffed from behind.
"If it’s cleared and safe, why does time matter?"
Several students murmured agreement.
The guard’s expression remained neutral.
"Safety protocol."
"That sounds suspicious," Rohan muttered.
Felix leaned toward West quietly.
"What do you think?"
West’s gaze drifted toward the interior of the ruins beyond the gate.
Shadows had already begun pooling inside the broken corridors.
"Rules exist for reasons," he said calmly.
"Cryptic as always," Mira muttered.
The teachers argued for another few minutes but the answer didn’t change.
"No entry."
They would have to return tomorrow morning.
Groans spread through the students.
They had been so close.
"So unfair," Nina sighed.
"It makes sense," West replied.
"Why?"
"Because places like this," he said softly, "tend to probably get scarier at night."
She blinked.
"How?"
He didn’t answer.
---
