The whisper faded into a hush that hung in the air like smoke.
"you'll see me in the morning light~"
Zhao Liren froze mid-step, his eyes darting around the room. Shen Lian's gaze sharpened, cutting through the thick darkness. The bulb above flickered once and went still again, the shadows on the wall quivering like something alive.
"Did you hear that?" Zhao's voice cracked slightly, though he tried to mask it with a scoff.
Shen Lian's tone was steady but low. "A kid's voice… from inside the walls?"
Zhao grabbed his phone, turning on the flashlight. The beam sliced across the room... walls, ceiling, floor... nothing. Just the quiet hum of fear. Yi Chen stood a few steps behind them, his heterochromatic eyes glinting strangely in the dim light.
"I swear I heard it too," Yi Chen whispered. "But it's gone now."
Shen moved closer to the corner, inspecting the wall, pressing his ear against it. Nothing but the faint sound of wind outside. He straightened, rubbing his temples. "Either this building's haunted, or you idiots are giving me migraines."
Zhao let out a breath. "Both could be true."
It was past 2 a.m. when they finally gave up the search. The tension refused to lift, clinging to the air like damp smoke. Zhao Liren refused to sleep alone. He barged into Shen Lian's room without even asking.
"I'm sleeping here, yuelin must be sleeping already i don't want him to wake up" he muttered, flopping onto the couch.
Shen didn't argue. He didn't even bother changing, simply sat on the edge of the bed, the moonlight brushing across his face. "You snore, I'll kill you."
"Yeah, yeah… you talk too much for a guy who looks like death's secretary," Zhao mumbled, already half-asleep.
In the next room, Qin Yuelin lay awake in silence. His eyes were open, staring at the ceiling. The whisper echoed faintly in his mind... soft, teasing, unnatural. He tried to shake it off, pulling the blanket to his chin. Eventually, exhaustion dragged him under.
The morning arrived quietly, too quietly.
The air was heavy, and the light that filtered through the curtains felt dull.
Yi Chen was the first to notice. He knocked softly on Yuelin's door, but there was no answer. so he opened the door... she called "Zhao?" he called. "Yuelin's not here."
Zhao sat up instantly. "What do you mean, not here?"
"I mean he's gone."
Shen Lian was already awake, lacing his boots. His expression turned grave. "Check the entire apartment first."
They searched every corner... the balcony, the kitchen, even the damn storage room... but there was no trace of him.
Zhao's calm broke. "He wouldn't just leave like this! He was fine last night... he said goodnight!"
Yi Chen placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "We'll find him. He can't be far."
Shen Lian's voice cut through the panic. "Enough talking. Get dressed. We're looking for him outside." He was already on the phone, calling his team.
Within an hour, the search began. The whole of Linhai felt swallowed by fog that morning... streets dull and gray, the sound of dogs barking in the distance.
As they split up, Zhao's breath hitched more and more. His voice cracked when he shouted Yuelin's name. "Yuelin! Answer me, please!"
Yi Chen followed him closely, his usually calm demeanor shaken. He was trembling, though whether from fear or the cold, he didn't know. but one thing went unnoticed by zhao snd shen.
Meanwhile, Shen Lian moved ahead, deeper into the outskirts... toward the forest. Something in his chest felt wrong. It wasn't just worry. It was heavier. Something primal. As if his instincts were whispering that whatever he was about to find would change everything.
He saw the crows first. Dozens of them, perched silently on branches, watching. The smell hit him next... thick, metallic, unmistakable. Blood.
"Yuelin?" he called, though his voice was low.
No answer. Just the wind.
Then he saw it.
At the edge of the trees, half-hidden in shadow, was a figure crouched on the ground. A soft sound came from it... something between a sob and a growl. Shen Lian stepped closer, his pulse tightening.
When the light finally fell across the figure, he froze.
Qin Yuelin.
His face was drenched in blood, hands trembling as they tore into the carcass of a stray dog. His teeth were red, eyes unfocused, his beautiful face exposed which was indicating it's not yuelin... it was something... wild. In his grasp was the animal's heart, still twitching faintly.
Behind him, one of Shen's team members gasped and gagged, stepping back. "Dear God-what the hell-"
Shen didn't flinch. he was calm which was shocking because he's known for his short temper and roughness. His hand was steady, though his breath was slow. He moved forward. "Yuelin."
No response. Only the sound of ragged breathing.
He reached out, his fingers brushing Yuelin's shoulder. The reaction was instant.
Yuelin snapped, lunging at him with a snarl. His nails sliced across Shen's neck, blood beading instantly. The others moved to intervene, but Shen raised his hand, stopping them.
"Stay back."
Another strike... Shen took it, blocking Yuelin's wrist, gripping it tightly. "It's me."
But Yuelin didn't hear. His eyes... empty, black voids of something inhuman... burned into Shen's. He screamed, hitting, scratching, clawing, his voice breaking. Shen's face was scratched open, but he didn't let go.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Yuelin's strength broke. His screams turned to sobs. He collapsed into Shen's chest, trembling, choking on his own breath.
"I-what-what did I do…" His voice was small, broken.
Shen Lian exhaled, his hand still holding him steady. "Don't look at it."
He took his handkerchief, wiping the blood from Yuelin's mouth, his cheek, his trembling hands. Then he pulled the black mask from his pocket... the one Yuelin always wore... and gently slipped it over his face. "There. You're fine now."
Yuelin looked down and saw the dog. His body went rigid. "No… no, no, no…" He fell to his knees, shaking violently.
"Don't," Shen said quietly. "It's over."
One of the team members whispered, "Sir, we should-"
"Not a word," Shen cut him off. His voice was sharp, dangerous.
He lifted Yuelin up, half-carrying him to the car. Yuelin's hands clung weakly to his sleeve like a child.
The forest was silent again, save for the sound of their footsteps.
Zhao Liren was pacing outside the apartment building when the black car pulled up. His heart dropped when he saw the stains on Shen's shirt, the slump of Yuelin's shoulders.
He ran forward. "Yuelin!"
Shen's expression was unreadable. He brushed past Zhao, guiding Yuelin inside. "He's fine," he said softly, though the blood on his face said otherwise.
Yi Chen stepped out from the kitchen, eyes widening. "What happened to him-"
"Later," Shen interrupted, his voice calm, almost too calm.
Zhao reached out, but Shen gave him a look that stopped him in his tracks. "Not now."
Yuelin didn't say a word. He just let Shen lead him inside, his mask half hiding the tears that still fell quietly.
The air was thick with silence. Yi Chen and Zhao exchanged glances, the question heavy in both their eyes-what had happened?
Shen finally spoke, looking at Zhao with a faint, tired smile that didn't reach his eyes. "yi chan... take whatever your stuffs are from store room... and zhao take yuelin's stuff and keep them in store room?"
Zhao frowned, confused. "why?"
Shen's gaze flickered toward the closed door where Yuelin had disappeared. "Because we'll need it."
And then he turned away, the faint metallic scent of blood still clinging to his shirt as the evening light bled slowly through the window.
End of Chapter