The room was silent except for the faint hum of the ceiling lights which hung from above. God Eye sat in his chair, back straight, hands folded neatly on his lap, his eyes fixated on the darkened monitors across the room. Each screen flickered with the city's feed—streets, alleys, neon-lit storefronts—but there was nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. Yet he knew better. Even in apparent stillness, a storm could be forming.
Lin Xueyi stepped forward, her footsteps almost imperceptible against the polished floor. In her hands were the fragmented reports they had managed to collect over the past ten hours. "Captain," she began, her voice calm but edged with frustration, "every attempt to retrieve information about the subject has been blocked. Either the footage is corrupted or surveillance cameras disabled. Whoever is doing this is methodical… precise. We haven't even managed a single clear trace."
God Eye's head tilted slightly. "And you believe interference comes from someone powerful?" His voice was soft, almost conversational, but it carried a weight that made even Lin Xueyi hesitate before answering.
"Yes," she admitted. "We can't even see past the first few steps of their movement without distortion or… temporal gaps. Whoever it is, they can manipulate perception at a distance. Or perhaps… reality itself."
God Eye's gaze returned to the monitors, unblinking. After a long moment, he spoke again. "Then we will need someone close to Bai Qiren. Someone with knowledge of his movements, habits… someone who will draw no suspicion from our target."
Lin Xueyi nodded, already preparing the necessary communications. "Understood. I'll contact the Misfit Faction. They'll coordinate immediately."
---
Within minutes, Tel Suyin had gathered a small contingent: three capable agents and Bai Qiren's partner. They moved through the faction with quiet precision, their faces shadowed beneath the hoods of their coats. Rin Shen, fully recovered and back on his feet, was ready to join them. Before stepping out, he looked at Lian Ye. "You coming?"
Lian Ye's expression remained unreadable. "No," he said. "I have other matters to attend to. Go. I'll follow if needed."
The team departed, leaving Lian Ye behind. He waited until the west wing of the faction fell into its natural rhythm again—the distant wail of a siren, the hum of neon lights, and the occasional footstep in a quiet alley. Then, as if the shadows themselves bent to his will, he slowly moved through the door avoiding contact with any member of the misfit faction. And with that, vanishing into the night.
---
East of Azure city, skyreach lane.
The gathering in Azure City was lively but contained. A select family had convened in a penthouse suite, their conversation light and polite. One of the men excused himself and slipped into the bathroom. The room was quiet, the reflection in the mirror unremarkable… until it wasn't.
The glass shimmered unnaturally. A presence solidified, blurring the reflection into something fluid, uncatchable. Then the figure stepped forward, and the mirror reflected not the man, but the intruder: tall, lean, presence cold as steel. Even the reflection seemed to hesitate, flickering.
The man froze. Fear gripped him before comprehension could even form. The figure's voice was low, precise, and icy. "What is the next task?"
"I… I don't want to continue," the man stammered. "The captain and vice captain of the Informant Faction are involved. If they find you… they'll find me. The deal… it's off."
Lian Ye's annoyance was visible now. His presence warped the air around him, lights flickering, shadows crawling along the walls. The mirror webbed with fine cracks as if reality itself was straining under his gaze. "Then hand over the information about Lian ye," he said. "Then I leave. No tricks, no games."
The man's eyes darted downward. Trembling, he whispered, "Fine… I'll copy the rest of the files. They'll go to you… and to the Misfit Faction."
Lian Ye relaxed, though only slightly, and leaned against the wall. "So," he asked, "what do you know from the current information leading to me?"
The man swallowed, voice shaking. "I wasn't involved. But a friend of mine… he has what you need. I'll get it to you in minutes."
Then the faint clicking started. From the ceiling, from the walls, from beneath the floor—the clicks were sharp, deliberate, staccato. Morse code. Lian Ye's eyes narrowed as he decoded the vibrations. Azure City. Greenhouse in lapis crest district. Then the clicks stopped, leaving a ringing silence.
The man said with a Shakey voice."That was him...he deals in coded messages". Lian Ye listened without a word, moving to the window. His shadow stretched and merged with the night before he leapt, vanishing silently into the streets below.
---
Back at the Informant Faction headquarters, God Eye's premonition had concluded. His pale eyes scanned the monitors, noting every movement, every change in the pattern of the city. "Take as many people as you can," he told the Misfit Faction, voice calm yet carrying undeniable authority. "But don't expect to win."
He turned and walked away, leaving them with the knowledge that every move from this point forward would be a test—of skill, strategy, and survival.
---
Lapis crest district, azure city greenhouse.
Lian Ye moved like a shadow across rooftops, observing the city below. Every streetlight, every patrol, every reflective window became part of his calculations. By the time he arrived at the greenhouse, he already knew the layout: where cameras were placed, where shadows would fall, and the blind spots that even the most careful guards overlooked.
He dropped silently into a shadowed corner, surveying the interior. The man responsible for the files moved nervously, unaware of the presence that had already breached the perimeter. He was one of the men in which Lian ye made the deal with. He had curly white hair, wore a black cloak which his ever other feature then held a small Manila folder this time it was bigger than the last one in which Lian ye had received. Lian Ye allowed the faintest distortion in the air—lights flickered, shadows bent subtly—but nothing that would reveal him fully. The man's attention was captured only for a moment; by then, Lian Ye had positioned himself, every movement precise, every step calculated.
"Hand over the remaining information," he said, voice soft but commanding, carrying an edge that brooked no refusal.
The man complied immediately, handing the files to Lian Ye. They had already made another copy to give to the Misfit Faction when the time came.
Lian Ye stepped back into the darkness, removing the effects of his subtle manipulations. The night reclaimed its silence, the city oblivious to the storm that had passed. From above, he observed as the Misfit Faction moved in, guided by God Eye's insight. They were unaware of his presence—but he ensured the path ahead was clear. One way or another, the information which he wanted to convey would reach those who needed it or he wanted it to reach.
And the hunt had only just begun.