Location: Shanghai, China – 1:46 AM
The city of Shanghai never stopped moving. The streets pulsed with life—a delivery scooter maneuvered between cars with elegance, neon signs flickered, and voices blended into a never-ending hum.
Xiào knew these streets well. Not by choice.
At nineteen, he was a delivery driver, navigating through the chaos of the city for scraps of money. No family, no future worth worrying about. As long as he kept moving, he didn’t have to think about anything.
But tonight, something felt off.
---
This was his last delivery of the day.
Xiào pulled up to the address. A narrow alley—too dark, too quiet. Even the neon glow from the main street barely reached this far.
He glanced at the delivery box strapped to his scooter. A normal order, just like the hundred before it. But why did this one feel different—like something was watching him?
Shaking off the unease, he grabbed the package and stepped forward.
The streetlights started to flicker.
A chill crawled up his spine. The alley seemed to stretch unnaturally, as if space itself had shifted. He turned his head sharply. Nothing.
Then suddenly, a voice behind him—
"You shouldn’t be here."
Xiào spun, fists up.
A man stood there, clad in a black overcoat. Sharp eyes, slicked-back hair, and a presence that felt completely out of place. Not a cop. Not a thug.
Xiào narrowed his eyes. “What do you want?”
The man didn’t answer. His gaze shifted past Xiào, toward the darkness behind him.
Xiào followed his eyes—and his stomach dropped.
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Something was there.
At first, it was just a distortion, like heat rising off pavement. Then, it stepped forward.
A towering figure, shifting like liquid shadow. Its body had no form, no clear edges—just a mass of twisting darkness. And its face—
There was no face. Only a void.
Xiào’s breath hitched. The air felt heavy, pressing down on his chest.
Then, it moved.
Faster than anything that size should.
Xiào barely had time to react. His body screamed at him to run—but his legs wouldn’t move.
The shadow lunged.
Suddenly, he saw a flash of silver on the edge of his sight.
The man in the coat moved, his hand flicking through the air. A curved blade sliced through the darkness. The creature screeched, recoiling as glowing marks burned into its body.
The creature, at full speed, attacked the man.
The man didn’t hesitate. He stepped back, twisting his sword. With precise and practiced movements, he evaded the attack, plunging his blade into the creature’s abdomen. The creature tried to grab the man, but he stepped back, making distance between him and the creature before it could grab him.
But before he could steady himself, the creature pulled the sword out of its abdomen and threw it at him with incredible speed. He caught it masterfully, but before he could react, the creature had already escaped.
The man looked back at Xiào, who was still frozen.
The man in black asked him, “Are you okay?”
Suddenly, Xiào stumbled back, his mind reeling. What the hell was he fighting?
Silence filled the alley.
Xiào forced himself to breathe. His fists clenched. His body felt cold despite the fire burning in his chest.
"What the hell was that?" he finally asked.
The man wiped his blade clean. "A Malice," he said simply.
Xiào stared. "What?"
The man finally met his gaze. "You’re in danger, Xiào."
That set off every alarm in Xiào’s head. "How do you know my name?"
The man hesitated for a moment.
"Because we’ve been watching you."
Xiào’s hands clenched. "That’s not creepy at all."
The man sighed. "Listen. You don’t understand what’s happening, but you will in time."
Something about the way he said it made Xiào frown.
The man’s gaze was unreadable. "Who you really are."
The man pulled a small emblem from his coat—a metallic insignia etched with symbols Xiào didn’t recognize.
"This is the mark of White Lotus," he said. "A group that has protected humanity for centuries."
Xiào took a step back. "I don’t do secret societies, man."
A slight smirk. "That’s not your choice anymore."
Xiào scowled. "You can’t just tell me some monster attacked me and expect me to follow a guy with a sword."
The man’s expression darkened. "Xiào. You felt it, didn’t you? That thing—you saw it. A normal person wouldn’t."
Xiào hesitated. He had seen it.
And something deep inside him knew that wasn’t normal.
The man slid the emblem back into his coat. "You’re at a crossroads. You can walk away, pretend this never happened. But that thing? It won’t stop coming for you."
Xiào wanted to argue. Wanted to say it wasn’t his problem. But he knew—deep down—that he couldn’t ignore it.
The man turned. "When you’re ready for answers, come here. You will find me."
Then, without another word, he disappeared into the city.
Xiào stood there, his mind spinning.
He looked down at his hands. They were still shaking.
Something was changing.
And whether he liked it or not—he was part of it now.
To Be Continued…