The night pressed down on the city like a velvet curtain—heavy, muffling, expectant.
Amelia followed Master Xuan through a maze of alleyways until the streets opened to an old district she had never seen before. Lanterns glowed crimson overhead, their light shimmering across lacquered wood and carved beams. The air smelled of incense, sandalwood, and something faintly metallic—like old blood disguised beneath perfume.
"The Red Pavilion," Master Xuan said quietly. "A sanctuary for some. A hunting ground for others."
Kael walked slightly behind Amelia, silent, his hand resting loosely on the hilt of his blade. She sensed the cold fire beneath his calm—the Slayer in him, the darkness he kept leashed.
Inside the pavilion, masked attendants moved with the grace of dancers. But Amelia noticed it immediately: their shadows didn't match their bodies. Some flickered wrong. Others split into two.
Demonic taint. Hidden. Controlled.Her pulse tightened.
A woman emerged from behind a silk screen, her steps soft, deliberate. She wore a crimson robe embroidered with golden serpents, and her face was covered by a porcelain mask shaped like a serene smile.
"Welcome, honored guests," the woman said. "The Pavilion rarely receives visitors of your… spiritual weight."
Master Xuan's expression remained unreadable. "We seek information."
"Information," the masked woman echoed with a lilting laugh. "Always costly."
Kael stepped forward, voice low and edged. "We're not here for games."
Amelia placed a hand on his arm—light, grounding.He stilled instantly.
The masked woman tilted her head, the gold serpents shimmering. "Ah. So the Slayer bows for only one voice." Then she turned toward Amelia. "And you… you carry a fate both ancient and cursed. The Yin debt of your mother runs through your veins like poisoned silk."
Amelia's breath caught.
Master Xuan's voice grew sharp. "Speak plainly."
The woman lifted her hand, tracing a pattern in the air. The lanterns above them flickered, and a ripple of energy pulsed through the pavilion.
A vision materialized—Amelia's mother, kneeling in a dark chamber, her hands glowing with stolen demonic light. Behind her stood another woman… the same woman from Vincent's past. The one who had taken power that was never meant to be touched.
"She made a pact," the masked woman said softly. "A pact that guaranteed her child would be born with a fractured lifespan. A karmic price for forbidden strength."
Amelia felt her heartbeat slow, heavy, sinking into her ribs.
Kael's jaw tightened so sharply she thought he might break his teeth. "Tell me her name."
The masked woman's smile darkened. "Information costs."
The temperature dropped instantly. Shadows curled around Kael's boots.
But Amelia stepped closer, lifting her chin. "What do you want?"
The woman's mask leaned forward, inches from Amelia's face.
"Your memory of the day you died."
Master Xuan stiffened. "Absolutely not—"
But Amelia didn't flinch.
"If it brings me closer to the truth," she whispered, "you can have it."
Kael's hand closed around her wrist—tight, trembling. "Amelia. No."
Their eyes met. His fear was raw, unguarded.Her resolve was firmer.
She pulled her hand free.
"I choose to pay."
The Pavilion responded instantly. The lanterns dimmed. Silk curtains fluttered without wind. Shadows circled like serpents ready to strike.
The masked woman extended a single, pale finger.
"Then, Amelia Gao… step into the pact."
And the room fell into darkness.