The rain had not stopped for even a single second since it began, and it did not fall like ordinary rain that came and went with time, but instead poured down endlessly over Qiangheng City as if it had a purpose, as if it was trying to hide something, or worse, reveal something slowly, patiently, one drop at a time, turning every street into a blurred reflection and every corner into a place where something could stand unseen, and right in the middle of that unnatural calm walked Zian Hausi with her umbrella slightly tilted, her posture relaxed, her face calm to the point of being unreadable, as if she had no worries in the world, even though her mind was working far more actively than she would ever show.
It didn't disappear yesterday, it retreated, and anything that retreats instead of disappearing is not finished, which means this situation is not over, which means I will not get the peaceful day I clearly deserve, which is extremely unfortunate.
Behind her, Huo Lou and Sterling followed closely, their footsteps slightly uneven compared to Zian's steady pace, their expressions much more serious than usual, because although they didn't fully understand what had happened the previous day, they understood enough to know that things were no longer normal, and more importantly, they understood that Zian was no longer someone they could casually joke about without thinking.
Sterling suddenly spoke, breaking the quiet in a way that sounded almost forced, as if he was trying to return things to how they used to be but didn't know how.
"…I've been thinking a lot since yesterday, and I've come to the conclusion that my life was perfectly normal until you decided to exist more actively," he said in one long breath.
Zian didn't turn, didn't react outwardly, but her mind responded immediately.
Incorrect, your life was never normal, you simply didn't notice it, which is a common problem.
"…That sounds like your personal issue," she replied calmly.
Sterling stared at the back of her head like he was expecting a different answer and was disappointed when he didn't get one.
"…You always say that," he muttered.
Because it is always true.
Huo Lou let out a quiet breath that almost turned into a laugh but stopped halfway, her gaze shifting between the two of them before settling back on the road ahead.
"…Yesterday wasn't just strange, it was dangerous," she said, her tone softer but more serious than before, as if she had already accepted something that Sterling was still struggling to understand.
Zian slowed down slightly, just enough for it to be noticeable.
She understands more than she says, which is good, because explaining everything would be exhausting.
"…Correct," Zian said simply.
They walked a few more steps, the sound of rain hitting the umbrella blending with the distant echoes of the empty city, and for a brief moment it almost felt calm, almost peaceful, almost like nothing was wrong.
But that feeling—
Didn't last.
Zian stopped.
Completely.
Not slowly.
Not hesitantly.
Immediately.
"Stop," she said quietly, her voice cutting through the rain with calm certainty.
This time—
Neither of them questioned it.
They stopped instantly.
Huo Lou stepped closer to Zian, her voice low but steady.
"…It's here again, isn't it, and it didn't leave like we hoped it would," she said, her words forming into one continuous realization rather than a question.
Zian didn't answer immediately, her eyes already scanning the surroundings with quiet precision.
Yes, and it's closer than before, which means it is either curious or persistent, and both options are equally annoying.
"…Yes," she said finally.
Sterling swallowed slightly, his usual confidence replaced by something much more cautious.
"…I don't like how calm you are about this," he admitted.
I don't like how it exists, so we're both uncomfortable.
Zian slowly turned her head.
Across the street, where the rain seemed slightly heavier and the light slightly dimmer, something stood in a way that did not match anything around it, not a person, not a shadow cast by an object, but something separate, something wrong, something that looked like a shadow that had decided it no longer needed a source.
It was tall, its shape unstable, its edges shifting slightly as if it could not hold a consistent form, and even without moving it carried a presence that made the air around it feel heavier, colder, less real.
Huo Lou's breath caught, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"…It's the same one, and it looks closer than before, like it's not even trying to hide anymore," she said, her words blending into each other.
Zian's gaze sharpened.
Confirmed, and more confident than yesterday, which means it learned something.
The shadow didn't move.
Didn't react to the rain.
Didn't acknowledge anything except—
Zian.
Focused on me again, which confirms I am the target, which is inconvenient but expected.
Zian took a step forward.
"…What do you want," she asked, her voice calm and steady, carrying no fear and no hesitation.
Silence followed, but it wasn't empty silence, it was the kind that felt like something was deciding how to respond.
Then—
A voice.
"…You… are not normal…"
Sterling froze completely.
"…Why does it sound like it's struggling to exist," he whispered.
Zian ignored him.
Unstable communication, unstable form, not fully adapted to this world, which makes it both dangerous and predictable.
"…Correct," she said.
The shadow flickered slightly, its shape distorting for a brief second before stabilizing again.
"…You… should not exist here…"
Zian tilted her head just slightly.
Repeated statement, limited variation, possibly not intelligent, or just extremely rude.
"…That sounds like your problem, not mine," she replied without any change in tone.
Huo Lou let out a very small laugh before quickly stopping herself, clearly aware that laughing at a shadow that spoke was not the safest reaction.
Sterling whispered urgently,
"…Why are you provoking it, we can leave, leaving is an option, I like leaving," he said in one continuous nervous sentence.
Leaving is not a solution, it is a delay, and I don't like delayed problems.
Before anything else could be said—
The shadow moved.
Fast.
Directly toward Zian.
Sterling stepped back immediately.
"…Zian—!"
But Zian didn't move away.
Didn't react with panic.
Good, now we confirm physical interaction.
The shadow reached her—
She raised her hand—
And it passed straight through.
Silence.
Zian blinked once.
Intangible, as expected, which removes the simplest option and makes this more annoying.
The shadow flickered violently now, its form unstable, its voice more distorted.
"…You… cannot… touch me…"
Zian looked at her hand briefly before lowering it again.
"…Unfortunate, but not a problem," she said calmly.
If one method fails, I simply use another, which is basic logic.
Sterling whispered,
"…I strongly recommend running, like immediately, preferably very fast," his words coming out in a rushed chain.
Zian ignored him again.
Her gaze sharpened slightly, her focus deepening, her presence shifting in a way that was subtle to humans but not to what stood in front of her.
If I cannot touch it physically, then I interact with what allows it to exist here.
The air around her changed.
Not visibly.
Not loudly.
But enough.
The shadow reacted instantly.
"…What… are you…"
Zian took one slow step forward, her calmness now carrying something heavier, something quieter but far more dangerous.
"…Someone you shouldn't approach, someone you shouldn't observe, and someone you definitely shouldn't follow," she said in one continuous, controlled sentence.
The shadow pulled back.
Quickly.
Its form flickering harder now.
"…You… are wrong… this world…"
Zian interrupted without hesitation.
"…Speak clearly, or don't speak at all," she said, her tone flat but sharp.
Sterling whispered behind her,
"…She's arguing with it like it's a student," in disbelief.
Huo Lou whispered back,
"…At this point, just accept it," with quiet resignation.
The shadow suddenly became clearer for a brief moment, its shape forming into something almost human but stretched, distorted, incomplete.
"…You… don't belong…"
Zian didn't hesitate.
"…Neither do you," she replied immediately.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Still.
Then—
The shadow retreated.
Fast.
Disappearing into the rain as if it had decided that staying was no longer worth the risk.
Zian stood still for a moment longer, watching carefully.
Retreated again, not defeated, which means it will return, which means this is not over, which means I still won't get my peaceful day.
"…Good decision," she muttered quietly.
Sterling finally exhaled loudly.
"…WHAT WAS THAT AND WHY IS THIS MY LIFE NOW," he said in one long, dramatic outburst.
Zian turned and started walking again.
"…Problem," she said simply.
Ongoing, persistent, and extremely inconvenient.
Huo Lou followed quickly.
"…It was scared of you," she said, her voice quieter but certain.
Zian didn't respond immediately.
Correct, and that is the only advantage here.
"…It made the right choice," she said.
They reached the mansion and stepped inside, the warmth and light returning instantly, but the feeling of being watched did not disappear, did not fade, did not weaken.
Zian stopped.
It followed.
She turned her head slowly toward the window, her gaze steady, her expression unchanged.
Nothing was visible.
But she knew.
Still there, still watching, still waiting.
Shengling's calm voice broke the silence.
"…You're late."
Zian replied without turning.
"…Yes."
Fiang Huo looked at her carefully.
"…Something happened."
Zian paused briefly.
Something always happens.
"…Yes," she said.
Fiang Sheng stepped forward slightly, his presence more active now.
"…Explain," he said.
Zian looked at him.
"…Not human, unstable form, capable of communication, focused on me, and likely to return," she said in one long, precise sentence.
Silence filled the room.
Sterling added quickly,
"It talks and it's creepy," in a much less structured way.
Huo Lou nodded.
"…And it's watching her specifically," she added.
All eyes turned to Zian.
Zian sighed internally.
Now it's everyone's problem, which means more questions, which means less peace.
She turned toward the window again.
Outside—
Through the endless rain—
Something moved.
Still there.
Still watching.
Still waiting.
Zian's eyes darkened just slightly.
Come again.
Pause.
Next time… you won't leave.
And somewhere beyond the rain—
The shadow paused.
Because for the first time—
It wasn't just observing Zian Hausi.
It was wary of her. 😈🔥