The cold wind stung Qin Han's cheeks as Zhao Yue dragged him out of the wrecked convenience store. The rain had started again, a light drizzle that blurred the neon lights of the city into an otherworldly haze. Jiang City looked the same—but after what he had just witnessed, it felt like an entirely different world. The empty streets, the flickering lights, the distant sound of thunder—it all felt like the city itself was holding its breath.
"Slow down!" Qin said, yanking his arm free. "Where are we going? And what the hell just happened back there?"
Zhao Yue stopped and turned to face him. Her sharp eyes were like daggers, pinning him in place. "You're still alive because I saved your sorry ass, so maybe don't slow me down with stupid questions."
Qin clenched his fists. "Don't talk to me like I asked for this! I was minding my own business when that thing—" He stopped mid-sentence, his mind flashing back to the creature's twisted face and those needle-sharp teeth. A shiver ran through him. "—when that thing came out of nowhere. What was it? And what's this voice in my head?"
"The voice is your problem now," she replied, glancing around. Her posture was tense, as if she expected another attack at any moment. "As for the Shade? Think of it as a hunter. You're the prey. And now that you've been marked, they won't stop coming."
"Marked? What do you mean, marked?"
Zhao Yue hesitated, her eyes scanning the darkened street. Then, with a sigh, she gestured for him to follow her. "Not here. It's not safe. Come with me if you want answers."
Qin hesitated. Every instinct screamed at him to go the other way, to find somewhere safe and forget this night ever happened. But the memory of that voice—the System—lingered in his mind. Survive. The word felt less like advice and more like a command.
"Fine," he muttered. "Lead the way."
Zhao Yue didn't wait for him to catch up. She moved quickly, her coat billowing behind her as she led him down a maze of alleyways and side streets. Qin followed in silence, his mind racing with questions.
The rain picked up, turning the streets slick and reflective. They passed a group of homeless men huddled under a makeshift tarp. One of them muttered something incoherent as they walked by, his eyes wide and fearful.
"Even they know," Zhao Yue said without looking back.
"Know what?" Qin asked.
"That the city's falling apart," she replied. "They can't see the whole picture, but they can feel it. The barriers are thinning."
"Barriers?"
She stopped abruptly and spun to face him. "Do you always ask this many questions?"
"Do you always give half-answers?"
For a moment, there was silence between them, broken only by the patter of rain. Zhao Yue's lips twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smirk. "Fair enough. You want answers? You'll get them. But not here."
They arrived at an abandoned warehouse at the edge of the industrial district. The metal door groaned as Zhao Yue pushed it open, revealing a cavernous interior lit by a single, flickering fluorescent bulb.
"Home sweet home," she muttered, locking the door behind them.
The warehouse was sparsely furnished—a battered couch, a folding table covered in maps and documents, and a weapons rack lined with knives, swords, and guns. Qin noticed the faint smell of incense, mingled with something metallic.
"What is this place?" he asked.
"Safehouse," Zhao Yue replied. She walked over to the table and began sorting through the papers. "Temporary. We won't be staying long."
"Who's 'we'?"
She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Right now, it's just you and me. But trust me, kid, you're not the only one in this mess."
Qin crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "You keep saying things like that, but you're not explaining anything. Barriers? Hunters? Marked? What does any of it mean?"
Zhao Yue sighed and set the papers down. She leaned against the table, studying him with a calculating expression. "Alright. You want the short version or the long version?"
"I'm not going anywhere, so give me the long one."
"Fine. The world you know—your Jiang City, your normal life—it's just the surface. Beneath it, there's another layer, a world of shadows and monsters. The 'barriers' I mentioned? They're what keep the two worlds separate. Normally, the barriers are strong, and things like that Shade can't cross over. But lately…" She trailed off, her gaze darkening. "Lately, the barriers have been breaking down. And when they do, creatures like the one you saw start slipping through."
Qin let her words sink in. "So what does this have to do with me?"
"That's the part I don't get yet," Zhao Yue admitted. "The System—this 'voice' you're hearing—it doesn't just choose random people. It's looking for something. Or someone."
"And you think that's me?"
She shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe you're just unlucky. Either way, you're involved now. And the fact that you survived your first encounter with a Shade means you're tougher than you look."
Qin frowned. "What about you? How do you know all this?"
Zhao Yue's expression hardened. "I've been fighting these things for a long time. Longer than you've been alive, probably. Let's leave it at that."
Before Qin could press further, the air in the warehouse shifted. It was subtle at first—a faint hum, like the sound of distant machinery. Then it grew louder, filling the space with an almost unbearable pressure.
Zhao Yue grabbed a sword from the rack, her movements swift and practiced. "Damn it. They found us."
"Who?" Qin asked, his heart pounding.
"Stay behind me," she ordered. "And whatever happens, don't let them touch you."
The fluorescent light above them flickered and died, plunging the warehouse into darkness. Qin heard the sound of something wet slithering across the floor. His breath caught in his throat as a faint glow appeared in the distance—two pinpricks of light, unblinking and malevolent.
The Shades had returned.
"Remember what I said," Zhao Yue hissed, her voice barely audible. "Stay. Behind. Me."
But Qin's mind was already racing. The System's words echoed in his head: Survive for the next 24 hours.
Penalty: Death.
His grip tightened on the metal rod he had picked up earlier. He didn't know how he was supposed to survive this, but one thing was clear: the night was far from over.