Chapter Five:
The city pulsed with life as the day wore on, but for me, every moment felt like walking on a knife's edge. The pendant and note haunted me, a puzzle piece that refused to fit neatly into the grand picture I was building. Someone out there wasn't just a player in this game—they were a master of their own, and their moves were aimed directly at me.
By mid-afternoon, I found myself restless, pacing the apartment while the kids napped. Mouse lay sprawled by the door, his ears twitching at every sound, a silent sentinel against the unknown.
Then my phone buzzed.
It was a message from an unknown number.
"You look lovely when you're calculating your next move."
My heart skipped, and my mind raced. I hadn't left the apartment since my meeting with Jiang Wei, which meant whoever sent this was either watching me directly or had access to someone close.
My fingers tightened around the phone as I fired off a reply:
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
The response came almost instantly.
"Who I am is irrelevant for now. What I want? To see if you'll be the person I've always believed you could be."
I stared at the screen, a chill crawling up my spine. This wasn't just a threat—it was personal.
That evening, I decided to venture out, leaving the nannies in charge of the kids. Mouse was at my side, his leash loosely wrapped around my hand as we walked the dimly lit streets. The air was crisp, the hum of the city a soothing backdrop to my spiraling thoughts.
My feet carried me toward a secluded park, one I remembered fondly from my first life. It had always been a place of solace, a refuge from the chaos. Tonight, it felt like the only place where I could clear my head.
As I rounded a corner, Mouse stopped abruptly, his ears standing straight. A figure emerged from the shadows—a man leaning casually against a lamppost, his presence commanding despite his relaxed stance.
He was tall, with dark hair that caught the faint glow of the streetlight, and sharp, piercing eyes that seemed to see through me. There was something hauntingly familiar about him, though I couldn't place it.
"Out for a stroll?" he asked, his voice smooth, laced with amusement.
Mouse growled low in his throat, but I placed a calming hand on his head. "Who are you?" I demanded, my voice steady despite the tension crackling in the air.
The man tilted his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "Just someone who finds you… fascinating."
I narrowed my eyes. "If you're the one leaving me notes, you're playing a dangerous game."
"Oh, I'm well aware," he said, pushing off the lamppost and stepping closer. His movements were fluid, almost predatory. "But then, isn't that what life is? One big, dangerous game?"
Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating his face for a brief moment. My breath caught. His features were striking, almost unnervingly so, but it wasn't just his appearance that unnerved me—it was the way he looked at me, like he knew every secret I'd ever kept.
"Who are you really?" I asked, my voice colder now.
He stopped a few paces away, close enough for me to see the faint scars along his hands, the faint gleam of metal bracelets on his wrists.
"Call me Crow," he said simply.
The name hit me like a punch to the gut. Crow. The leader of the Black Hounds. One of the most dangerous people I'd faced in my previous lives. But this man seemed… different. There was no malice in his expression, only a strange intensity that left me off balance.
"You're wasting your time," I said, taking a step back. "I'm not interested in whatever game you're playing."
Crow's smile widened, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, but I'm not playing, Lìyuè."
The sound of my name on his lips made my heart stutter. He shouldn't know that name—no one in this life should.
Before I could respond, Crow's gaze softened, almost wistful. "You're even more beautiful when you're angry."
The words sent a jolt through me, a mixture of confusion and something I didn't want to name. I tightened my grip on Mouse's leash, my mind racing. This man wasn't just a threat—he was a mystery I hadn't anticipated.
And I hated not knowing.
When I returned to the apartment, the encounter replayed in my mind like a broken record. Crow. The name. The familiarity. The way he looked at me like he knew me better than I knew myself.
There was something deeper at play here, something that went beyond the apocalypse and my preparations.
Sitting at my desk, I flipped open my journal to the section marked Enemies. I scrawled a new entry beneath the Black Hounds' leader.
Crow
Dangerous. Knows too much. Possible connection to my past lives? Investigate further.
The pen hovered over the page for a moment before I added one last note:
Motives unclear.
As I closed the journal, I couldn't shake the feeling that the storm brewing wasn't just external. It was personal, and it was only just beginning.