Xyon couldn't get the words out of his mind.
"Diamond shards... and a silver strand of hair."
The phrase haunted him like a whisper that never truly faded. He stood in the quiet hospital room, the hum of machines providing a dull, numbing soundtrack to his thoughts. His eyes lingered on Xiao, unconscious and pale under the sterile white light. Whatever had happened in the spirit world had followed them here—and it was far from over.
Suddenly, the door swung open with a rush of cold air.
"Xyon…" a voice cracked.
He turned, startled, as Alexandra rushed in. Her usually composed face was awash with worry, her eyes scanning the room until they found her daughter. She practically ran to Xiao's bedside, brushing aside strands of hair from her face, her fingers trembling.
"How's my Xiao? What exactly happened to her?" Alexandra's voice cracked under the pressure of emotion.
Before Xyon could answer, Sushie and Aimee stepped into the room behind her. Aimee's expression flickered with a complex mix of concern and confusion—perhaps fear. Sushie, on the other hand, was unreadable. Her sharp eyes scanned Xiao's body slowly, as if analyzing every inch for something unseen.
Xyon forced his voice to sound steady. "She's stable now, Auntie. She just needs rest. The doctor said she should wake up anytime."
As if his words summoned her, Xiao stirred. Her eyes fluttered open—sluggish but alert—and locked onto her mother.
"Xiao…" Alexandra whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry… did I wake you?"
"No, Mom," Xiao murmured, her voice surprisingly soft. "It's alright."
Tears streamed more freely from Alexandra's eyes. "She sounds like the Xiao I used to know," she said, barely a whisper, "the sweet, gentle girl I thought I'd lost…"
Slowly, Xiao propped herself up on the bed. She turned to Aimee, holding out her arms wordlessly. Despite the distance between them, Aimee hesitated only a moment before stepping forward and burying herself into her sister's embrace.
"I'm glad you're safe," Aimee said, the warmth of the hug surprising her.
"Mmm…"
But as Xiao released her sister, her gaze sharpened. She turned her attention to Sushie, her smile thin—almost mocking. It was brief, but enough for Sushie to catch the warning behind it.
"Xyon," Xiao said calmly, her tone too smooth. "I'll be staying at the house for now—with them."
He nodded slowly. "Of course…"
"And… I'd like Sushie to look after me tonight," she added. "There are things we need to talk about. Things I need to make up for."
Aimee stiffened instantly. Her moment of hope dissolved into anxiety. She's planning something. She always is.
Xiao turned her head slightly toward her. "Don't worry, little sister… I know what you're thinking." Her voice was sugar-coated, but her eyes betrayed something darker—too perceptive, too calculating.
"Please grant it," Sushie said unexpectedly. Her voice was calm, sincere even. "I want to talk too."
Her usually serious expression was softened by a small smile. Alexandra hesitated, but nodded. Aimee didn't hide her suspicion and whispered to Xyon as they left the room.
"Watch them… I don't trust her."
"You don't believe your sister?"
"I want to… I really do. But something's wrong."
"I'll keep an eye out. I just have to stop by the office first."
Meanwhile, above the hospital building, the real plan was unfolding. Sushie, now alone, tightened her long hair into a high tail. She reached into her bag and pulled out a narrow, four-inch blade—crafted from enchanted steel and wrapped carefully in a white handkerchief. She secured it tightly around her thigh, hidden beneath the folds of her skirt.
"Diamond shards… and a silver strand of hair," she whispered under her breath, her smile bitter. "You really are reckless, Xiao. Leaving pieces of yourself behind like that... It's like you're begging to be caught."
The hallway grew darker as she walked back. When she reached the patient's room again, the light had been turned off. The door stood ajar.
She's waiting for me.
Sushie stepped inside. The room was dim, with only the pale light of dusk filtering in through swaying curtains. A breeze ghosted through the room, cold and unnatural.
Suddenly—hands! A firm grip snatched her wrist, slamming her hard against the wall. The door clicked shut behind her. She barely had time to react before her attacker twisted her arm behind her back and locked her in place.
"A human body made you slower," she growled, recognizing the strength in the grip.
"And you're just as human here," a voice murmured from behind.
The unmistakable sound of a blade sliding against skin sent a chill down her spine.
"Arnoux…" Sushie breathed.
A dark, amused laugh echoed behind her. She stomped on his foot and delivered a sharp elbow to his face. It connected—but barely fazed him. Blood trickled from his lip as he caught her wrist mid-strike.
"I told you," he said coldly, "You're not strong enough here. You're no match."
A shadow moved. Xiao—no, the creature wearing Xiao's body—was already standing across the room, eyes glowing with contempt. The air shifted violently as Sushie prepared to counter.
Then—
The door flung open.
A figure stood in the frame, breathing heavily—Xyon. His broad shoulders tensed as he tried to make sense of the scene before him. The flick of a light switch revealed everything.
Sushie on the ground. Xiao looming above her. Arnoux stepping out of the shadows. Xiao's face twisted with rage. Her eyes met Xyon's and narrowed with disdain.
"Xyon!" Sushie shouted, struggling up.
But she was too late.
A sharp blow struck the back of his neck. Blood spattered the tile as he dropped instantly, unconscious.
"What now?" Arnoux asked, nudging his body with his foot. "Kill him or clean him?"
"Leave him alone!" Sushie snapped. "You're already pushing the limits. Possessing Xiao, hurting Xyon… This wasn't part of the order!"
"You speak as if mortals matter," Arnoux replied coldly. "You think this realm isn't bleeding into ours because of people like him?"
Xiao stepped forward, her voice deeper, more dangerous. "So, you know. You've seen the dimension breach."
Arnoux leaned down beside Xyon's motionless body. "Prince Liu…?"
"He's not the prince," Xiao muttered. "But there's something inside him. Take him with us."
"What am I—your servant?" Arnoux hissed. "Just wipe his memory."
As he bent over Xyon, Sushie tried to interfere—but collapsed with a gasp. Her limbs felt heavier here. Her energy was leaking.
I can't hold it here… not like this.
Then Xiao touched Xyon's temple, her fingers glowing faintly. But something halted her—a memory. Shards of light. Blue diamonds—glowing, impossibly alive. She jerked her hand back as if burned.
"What… is this?" she whispered.
In the vision—brief, fragmented—she saw a girl. On a bed. Hidden behind a veil of white mist.
"Take him too," Xiao ordered, recovering her composure. "There's something more in him than we thought."
Sushie, barely conscious, whispered one last warning.
"You're playing with things you don't understand… and you've already gone too far."
But her words were drowned out by the closing of the door—and the flicker of darkness that followed.