1. DARKNESS AND THE VOID
Under the flickering neon lights, Xuan Xingli slowly stepped out of the alley, leaving behind the lifeless bodies. The city remained noisy, vibrant, as if no one had just died. Light rain fell, droplets sliding down her smooth, pale skin, seeping into her black and silver cloak. But she didn't feel cold. She didn't feel anything.
Only a vague emptiness.
Fragments of memories remained scattered. Blood, screams, a blurred face fading into the darkness. She tried to piece them together, but they were like shards of a broken mirror—the more she touched them, the deeper they cut into her consciousness.
Her silent footsteps glided over the rain-soaked pavement, weaving through streets illuminated by artificial lights. Holographic screens projected endless colorful advertisements, flashing images without pause. In this world, everything was so lively… yet why did she feel like nothing more than a wandering specter?
And at that moment, she felt it—
Someone was watching her.
2. EYES IN THE DARK
In the reflection of a towering glass building, she caught a glimpse of a shadow—a blurred figure standing at a distance, yet their gaze was piercing, unnervingly sharp.
A pair of deep purple eyes, like the endless cosmos.
The feeling of being watched was unsettling. Xuan Xingli halted for a moment but didn't turn around. Instead, she calmly stepped into a narrower street, where the dim light cast long shadows and the darkness made it easier to conceal herself.
She didn't need to look back to know the person was still following her.
Footsteps echoed against the stone pavement, blending with the distant hum of the city. As she reached a bend, she stopped. The space around her was eerily quiet, with only faint beams of light seeping through the gaps between towering buildings.
"How long do you plan to follow me?" Her cold voice cut through the silence.
Then, from the shadows, a voice responded—soft yet deep, like an enchanting melody.
"So, you finally decided to speak?"
A figure emerged from the darkness. Silver-white hair shimmered under the faint lights, and violet eyes gleamed with an almost supernatural glow. A faint, unreadable smile curved on her lips, as if this was nothing more than a coincidental meeting.
Luo Chenxi.
3. FIRST ENCOUNTER
In that instant, time seemed to freeze.
Their eyes met. One pair of crimson-red eyes, like a ruby falling into an abyss; the other, a bottomless purple void, as if hiding secrets unknown to the world.
Xuan Xingli didn't know who the woman before her was, but she could feel it—she was dangerous.
"Who are you?"
Luo Chenxi tilted her head slightly, her faint smile remaining unchanged. "Me? Just someone curious."
"Curious?"
"Yes. Someone curious about you."
Her tone was light, almost casual, but there was something beneath it—something unfathomable. A gentle breeze brushed past, making the hem of her white and violet robes flutter, giving her an ethereal presence. Xuan Xingli observed in silence, searching for a flaw in her posture, her movements—but there was none.
This person… was not simple.
4. THE GAME BEGINS
"I don't like being followed," Xuan Xingli stated coldly, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly.
"I didn't think you would," Luo Chenxi chuckled softly, stepping closer. "But don't you think… we're fated to meet?"
Xuan Xingli didn't respond. She didn't believe in things like 'fate,' especially when her own existence was still shrouded in mystery.
But Luo Chenxi was different. She seemed to know something.
"What do you want?" Xuan Xingli asked.
Luo Chenxi tilted her head, her violet eyes narrowing slightly, as if assessing her. A moment passed before she shrugged lightly.
"I just wanted to meet you."
Just that? Xuan Xingli didn't believe it.
Before she could press further, a blaring alarm echoed from afar, interrupting their exchange. A holographic screen on a nearby building suddenly turned red, displaying urgent text:
[ALERT: A HIGHLY DANGEROUS CRIMINAL HAS BEEN SPOTTED IN THIS AREA.]
Xuan Xingli felt her body tense for a fleeting moment.
Luo Chenxi glanced at the screen, then back at her, that same unreadable smile lingering.
"It seems we'll meet again soon, Xuan Xingli." Her soft words drifted through the air, and in the next instant, her figure vanished into the night.
Xuan Xingli remained still, her crimson eyes gleaming with an enigmatic light. Her instincts told her… this was only the beginning.
The real game had just begun.