The interrogation room was exactly what Zhuo had expected.
Dull, suffocating, and utterly devoid of personality.
A single flickering light hummed overhead, casting sharp, artificial shadows on the cold steel walls. The air smelled faintly of disinfectant, and the only furniture in the room was a metal table and two chairs—one occupied by him, and the other by a particularly stern-looking Captain Seraphine Ashcroft.
Zhuo exhaled through his nose, lazily slouching in his seat like a man who had absolutely no regard for the weight of the situation.
Seraphine, on the other hand, sat with perfect posture, her silver eyes as sharp as a drawn blade, her hands neatly folded over the table. The contrast between them was almost comical—one looked like a hardened soldier prepared to extract classified intelligence, and the other looked like an unbothered man who had just wandered into the wrong room by accident.
The tension was thick.
Zhuo, of course, chose to ignore it.
Seraphine took a slow breath. Then, with a voice as cold as ice, she began.
"Name."
Zhuo blinked. His lips curled into a lazy smirk as he leaned forward slightly, resting an elbow on the table.
"You already know, don't you?" he said smoothly.
Seraphine's expression didn't waver. "I want to hear it from you."
Zhuo let out a slow, exaggerated sigh, as if this whole process was already such a chore.
"Zhuo," he said, drumming his fingers against the table. "Just Zhuo."
Seraphine's stare didn't soften.
She tilted her head slightly. "That's it?"
Zhuo shrugged. "Simple. Elegant. Mysterious. I think it suits me, don't you?"
Seraphine didn't even blink. "It suits someone trying to hide something."
Zhuo placed a hand over his chest, mock offense flashing across his face. "Captain, please. Do I look like a man with secrets?"
Seraphine gave him a look.
Zhuo coughed lightly, averting his gaze. "Okay, bad question."
Seraphine exhaled sharply. "Let's move on."
She flipped open a folder in front of her and skimmed over the contents before continuing, her voice sharp and measured.
"Where are you from?"
Zhuo hummed. "Oh, you know. Here and there. A little bit of everywhere."
Seraphine's fingers twitched.
"Where. Specifically."
Zhuo smiled. "A small, distant village you've probably never heard of. Very exclusive."
Seraphine's jaw tightened. "Name it."
Zhuo leaned back in his chair, tapping his chin in mock thought.
"Hmm… You see, the thing about names is that they hold power. And I'm just so bad at giving out power for free."
Seraphine's silver eyes flashed with irritation.
"You expect me to believe you're just some traveler who somehow managed to enter a quarantined zone undetected?"
"Believe whatever you want, Captain," Zhuo said with an easygoing smile. "But I assure you, I'm just a very curious man."
Seraphine studied him for a long moment. Then, she snapped the folder shut.
"Fine. Then tell me—why are you here?"
Zhuo tilted his head.
"Evernight seemed like a nice place to stretch my legs," he said, voice dripping with amusement. "Great scenery. Fresh air. A little too quiet, though."
Seraphine didn't react. "Cut the nonsense."
Zhuo held up his hands, feigning innocence. "It's the truth."
Seraphine's fingers tapped against the table once, twice—slow, deliberate.
"People don't come to Evernight unless they're looking for something."
Zhuo clicked his tongue. "Ah, see, that's where you're wrong. I came here with zero expectations. And you know what? It's been a blast so far. The eerie atmosphere, the abandoned ruins, and I get to sit in this lovely room with you? Best vacation I've had in ages."
Seraphine inhaled deeply through her nose, as if drawing on the last reserves of her patience.
"You bypassed multiple security layers, avoided every patrol, and walked into the heart of a city overrun with monsters. And you expect me to believe this was a casual visit?"
Zhuo leaned forward, resting his chin on one hand. "I'm a very spontaneous man."
Seraphine's lips pressed into a thin line.
"...I should arrest you."
Zhuo smirked. "You could try."
The room fell into silence.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then,
Seraphine slowly exhaled. "You're an irritating man, Zhuo."
"Why, thank you."
Seraphine rubbed her temples.
She had asked her questions. He had answered them. Well—sort of.
But even with all of his clever deflections and irritatingly smooth remarks, Seraphine wasn't a fool. Zhuo wasn't just some wanderer. That much, she was certain of. And yet…
Seraphine let out a slow, measured breath before finally unfolding her arms.
"…I think that's enough for now."
Her voice was less commanding than before, but still held that unwavering steel. She wasn't letting her guard down—just pausing for now.
Zhuo raised an eyebrow. Huh.
No more questions? No further interrogation?
Was he finally so charming that even the ever-so-stoic Captain Ashcroft had given up?
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his expression playful but his words careful. "Just like that?"
Seraphine didn't answer. Instead, she flicked her gaze toward the door, a silent command.
Zhuo sighed dramatically, pushing himself up from the chair. "Wow. That's disappointing." He stretched lazily, letting his muscles loosen after being seated for too long. "I was just starting to enjoy our little back-and-forth."
Seraphine rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed.
Zhuo, ever the opportunist, smirked and tilted his head. "So… that's it? No handcuffs? No official arrest? Not even a slap on the wrist?"
Seraphine's expression didn't change, but there was the faintest flicker of annoyance in her gaze. "I don't have time for this."
Zhuo blinked. "What, really? That's all you're going to say?"
Seraphine exhaled sharply, rubbing her temple. "I have bigger problems to deal with right now. You're not exactly priority number one."
Zhuo placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. "Ouch. And here I thought I was special."
"You're a problem," Seraphine said flatly. "Just not my most urgent one."
Zhuo gave her an amused look. "Well, that's a first. Normally, people go out of their way to make me their problem."
Seraphine shot him a pointed glare. "I could still arrest you."
Zhuo grinned. "But you won't."
Seraphine let out a slow breath through her nose, her patience visibly thinning. "I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with whatever you are right now." She gestured toward the door. "Just go back to wherever you came from. And if I see you wandering around Evernight again…"
Her silver eyes locked onto his, cold and sharp.
"…the consequences will be severe."
Zhuo's smirk didn't fade, but inwardly, he noted the sheer weight behind her words. Seraphine Ashcroft was not a woman who made empty threats.
But still—
"Oh? What kind of consequences? Are we talking fines? Jail time? A stern lecture?"
Seraphine took a slow, deep breath. "Zhuo."
"Y'know, if you wanted me gone, you could've at least escorted me out. Maybe with a little 'farewell gift' for my troubles? Some tea, a snack? Hospitality is dead, huh?"
Seraphine pinched the bridge of her nose.
This man.
"Leave. Now."
Zhuo chuckled. "Alright, alright. I get it. You'll miss me."
He turned toward the door, his posture casual, but his mind alert as ever.