Jiang's heart sank. It was her.
The mysterious woman from the alley stood in the doorway of the care center, her black hoodie pulled low over her face. The lights above flickered weakly, casting eerie shadows that danced across the sterile walls. The room seemed smaller now, more confined, with her presence filling the air with tension.
The zookeeper looked up from where she had been tending to Jiang, her face twisting in confusion as the woman silently stepped forward. The compass that hung from the woman's neck glowed faintly, flashing a deep green. The color was unfamiliar—Jiang had only seen it flash red before—and the change sent a ripple of anxiety through him. What did green mean?
"Uh, excuse me, miss?" the zookeeper asked, her voice unsure. "Can I help you? You shouldn't be in here."
The woman didn't respond. She took another step into the room, her movements slow and deliberate, her gaze locked on Jiang. He felt a sudden urge to hide, to disappear into the corner, but his body was frozen, the cold tile pressing against his small, penguin belly.
The zookeeper stood up, her eyes narrowing as she moved closer to the woman. "Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Before she could say anything more, the woman raised her hand. There was no sudden movement, no dramatic flourish—just a simple, almost gentle motion. The compass flashed brighter for a moment, and the zookeeper's eyes fluttered shut as she collapsed to the floor in a heap, her limbs limp and unmoving.
Jiang's flippers trembled as the woman slowly walked toward him, her eyes hidden beneath the shadow of her hood. He wanted to scream, to run, to do anything—but all he could manage was a low, panicked squawk.
The woman knelt beside the unconscious zookeeper, her eyes briefly flickering over her still form before turning her attention fully to Jiang. "I found you," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding in his ears. "But so did he."
He?
As if summoned by her words, the door behind her creaked open.
Jiang's heart nearly stopped.
The shadowy figure stepped into the room, its form shifting and rippling as it moved. The light from the hallway barely touched it, as though the figure absorbed it, snuffing it out before it could reach him. His glowing eyes—those same eyes that had hunted Jiang through the sewers—fixed on him with chilling intensity.
The woman tensed, standing up and placing herself between Jiang and the figure. She reached for the compass, her fingers brushing over its surface as if preparing to use it again.
The figure growled low in his throat, the sound rumbling like distant thunder. He was larger than before, his form more solid, his presence heavier. The faint sound of dripping water accompanied his movements, as though he had carried the filth of the sewers with him.
He didn't speak. He didn't need to.
Jiang could feel the figure's intent—capture. Whether he was taken alive or dead didn't seem to matter.
The woman took a step back, her gaze never leaving the figure. "Stay behind me," she murmured to Jiang, her voice steady but strained. "He's not here for just you. He wants both of us."
Jiang's mind raced. The room was small, filled with medical equipment, cabinets, and the unconscious zookeeper. He wasn't a fighter. He was a penguin—a clumsy, flightless bird. There was no way he could help her fight off this thing.
But he had to try.
The figure moved, and everything happened at once.
The woman raised her hand, the compass flashing brightly as a pulse of energy shot forward. It crackled in the air, aimed directly at the figure, but it barely slowed him down. He swatted it away as if it were nothing more than a flicker of light, his eyes glowing brighter with rage.
Before the woman could react, the figure lunged. His arm swung out in a dark blur, striking her square in the back of the neck. She crumpled to the ground, her body hitting the floor with a sickening thud.
Jiang's world tilted.
No. No, no, no!
The woman lay still, unconscious, her face hidden beneath the hood. The figure stood over her, his form towering, his eyes gleaming with triumph.