I bolted upright in bed like a tightly compressed spring, my chest heaving with terror. My eyes stared wide into the pitch-black void, beads of sweat racing down my forehead and soaking a patch of my pillow. Shaking, I wiped my face with my hand, trying to suck in every gulp of air to calm my frantic heartbeat.
( That nightmare... what on earth was it a premonition of? ) - The question kept hovering in my mind without end.
I glanced around Room 109. Everything was still submerged in absolute silence, a stillness so profound that I could clearly hear the ticking of the clock. It seemed to be the middle of the night, but the sense of security from this "familiar" room felt significantly diminished after that shattered dream.
I intended to lie back down to find sleep again, but strange sounds echoing from the hallway made me snap wide awake instantly.
It was the low murmur of a man's voice, interspersed with the dry "clack... clack..." of approaching footsteps. A chill ran down my spine. In the dead of night, who would be wandering around and chatting at this hour?
I threw off the warm blankets and stepped onto the cold floor. Every movement was carefully calculated - slow and as light as possible to avoid making any sound. My heart pounded, eyes glued to the crack of the room door.
Those sounds seemed to be coming from the reception desk - the place where Yashu and I busily served customers every day.
I cautiously inched forward, gingerly opening the door just enough to slip out into the dark hallway. Since the wooden floor was prone to treacherous "creaks," I stood on my tiptoes, trying to eliminate even the slightest vibration in every stride.
As I neared the bar counter, the murmurs became distinct. There really was someone talking - and not just one, but two people! I quickly pressed myself against the floor, nearly crawling to hide completely behind the wooden counter, holding my breath to listen to the mysterious midnight dialogue.
In this "hanging by a thread" situation, I couldn't risk going back to call Yashu. Any tiny noise now could get us both caught, so I had to hold my breath and act alone.
I carefully parted the tall stacks of invoices and schedules on the counter, creating a gap just wide enough to observe the other side. And then, my heart skipped a beat when I realized that the deep, muffled voice belonged to none other than the manager, Ming.
A dark shadow slowly entered from the back door. It seemed Ming had been standing there waiting for this person for a long time. Under the dim lights of the night café, this secret meeting between the "kind" manager and the stranger exuded a highly suspicious aura.
My ears were strained to the limit, my chest tightening so much that I didn't dare breathe heavily, fearing that even a small sound would be enough to end my life right here.
-"You're too late." - Ming's voice dropped, cold and entirely different from his usual kind demeanor.
-"My apologies, I just had to attend a meeting of the Lord of Evernight." - The stranger replied in a raspy, thick voice.
-"It took much longer than usual this time."
-"I couldn't help it; the Yue Lord prolonged the meeting unexpectedly. But forget that, how far have you gone in collecting data for the Great One?"
-"It's coming along, but there's been no breakthrough yet." - Ming curled his lip, his tone slightly sarcastic - "I still don't understand why the Great One is so interested in that newcomer. Ah, speaking of which, you looked quite pathetic when he was chasing you."
-"Shut up!" - The stranger growled in frustration - "If it weren't for the restriction laws and the Great One's grounding order, I wouldn't have had to endure such humiliation. That newcomer... is truly more stubborn than I thought."
The back of my neck went cold, and sweat poured down. The "newcomer" they were mentioning was definitely me. But who was this powerful "Great One"? And what exactly were the motives of that organization called the Lord of Evernight? Everything was veering off track in a terrifying way.
-"By the way... have you been feeling the same thing as me?" - Ming suddenly lowered his voice; a deathly silence filled the air.
-"Hahaha! Of course!" - The stranger burst into a savage laugh - "I've known all along that there's a 'cute' little mouse eavesdropping since the very beginning!"
The icy voices of the two monsters made my heart nearly leap out of my chest. Without hesitating for another second, I lunged forward and bolted away from the coffee counter. Damn it! It turned out they had detected me long ago and were just waiting to toy with their prey. I should have been more careful, but now is not the time for regrets!