Hei Zhen stood beside the large window, a glass of wine resting loosely in his hand. Below, Misfit Faction members moved about their daily routines, unaware of the storm slowly gathering above them.
He took a slow sip before letting out a quiet sigh.
"...He actually went against me."
His voice was calm, almost emotionless.
Setting the glass down on the table, he was met by a knock at the door.
"Come in."
The door creaked open.
Lian Ye stepped inside.
His head remained lowered as he absentmindedly rubbed the lotus brooch between his fingers. There was something unusual about him today.
Hei Zhen noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Silence lingered for a moment before Lian Ye finally spoke.
"...I've been noticing strange things."
His voice was low.
"My memories... they keep becoming fragmented."
He tightened his grip around the brooch.
"I keep seeing things... places... conversations..."
He frowned.
"...Memories that aren't mine."
Hei Zhen listened quietly, saying nothing.
"...And they feel real."
Before Lian Ye could continue, Hei Zhen interrupted.
"...Is that the only reason you came here?"
The room fell silent once more.
Lian Ye didn't answer immediately.
His fingers clenched tighter around the lotus brooch.
Then, in a slightly shaky voice, he asked,
"...Do I really have to kill them?"
Hei Zhen picked up his wine once again.
Without answering immediately, he walked past Lian Ye and stopped behind him, looking through the window at the people below.
"They're still working..."
"They're still laughing..."
"They're still living..."
Taking another sip, he finally spoke.
"As for your first problem..."
"...once you complete the task I've given you..."
"...it'll resolve itself."
He paused.
"As for the second..."
"...sometimes..."
"...you have to forge your own resolve."
Lian Ye lowered his head even further.
Hei Zhen's voice remained calm.
"You do the fighting..."
"...and I'll fix the rest."
Without another word, he walked out of the room.
The door quietly clicked shut.
...
Lian Ye remained seated in silence.
His expression held no fear.
No anger.
No sadness.
Only exhaustion.
After a long while, he let out a slow breath.
"...What was I even worried about?"
His voice barely rose above a whisper.
"...I've killed before."
"...This is no different."
He closed his eyes.
"...Besides..."
"...he'll fix it."
A pause.
His grip on the brooch loosened.
"...He'll..."
"...fix it?"
The instant the words left his mouth—
Everything changed.
...
Fragments.
Broken images flashed before his eyes.
An unfamiliar place.
Shattered streets.
A clear night sky, with multiple stars,
Then...
That figure.
The same hooded figure he had seen after killing Bai Qiren.
The rough black cloak concealed almost everything.
The face remained blurred.
Yet...
This time...
It was clearer.
Not enough to recognise.
Just enough to make out the outline beneath the hood.
The eyes...
Still carried that same indescribable emotion.
Lian Ye couldn't explain it.
Pain.
Regret.
Hope.
It was all there.
His vision slowly turned crimson.
The hooded figure was kneeling beside him.
Then, in a quiet voice...
"...I'll fix this."
Immediately—
Tick...
Tick...
Tick...
Dozens of clocks echoed through the darkness.
Some ticked rhythmically.
Some chimed softly.
Others rang endlessly.
Their sounds overlapped until they became impossible to distinguish.
Lian Ye's eyes suddenly snapped open.
He found himself slumped over Hei Zhen's desk.
His breathing was uneven.
"...I..."
He slowly pushed himself upright.
The room was empty.
Silent.
As though nothing had happened.
Lian Ye looked down at the lotus brooch resting in his hand.
After staring at it for a long moment...
He quietly left the room.
---
Walking along the rooftop, Lian Ye came to a slow stop, his gaze fixed on the endless sky above Aurora Heights. A cool breeze swept past him, carrying with it the scent of rain and the distant sounds of the city below. Yet none of it reached his mind.
His thoughts refused to settle.
In only a few hours, he would be leading an attack against the Misfit Faction.
The thought replayed itself over and over in his head, refusing to leave no matter how hard he tried to focus on something else.
Lost in thought, he didn't notice the footsteps approaching until a hand rested gently on his shoulder.
Lian Ye instinctively turned around.
Standing behind him was Hei Zhen.
He looked...different.
Not by much.
It was subtle, almost impossible to notice at first glance. His usual indifferent expression had softened ever so slightly, making him appear...lighter. Almost as though something had finally eased the weight on his shoulders.
Looking directly at Lian Ye, Hei Zhen spoke in his usual calm tone.
"Change of plans."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"This time, I actually have a mission for you."
Lian Ye remained standing there, still processing what he had just heard.
Before he could respond, streaks of emerald suddenly spread across the night sky.
They appeared without warning.
Different shades of green danced across the night sky, twisting and flowing like living ribbons.
The Aurora Borealis.
It was a rare sight that occasionally appeared above Aurora Heights, and every single time it did, the city would fall silent just to admire it.
For a brief moment, both of them simply stared upward.
Only after several seconds did Lian Ye finally snap back to reality.
He looked toward Hei Zhen.
"So... what about Vice-Captain Tel Suyin?"
Without taking his eyes off the aurora, Hei Zhen slowly walked forward before sitting down at the edge of the rooftop.
His eyes remained fixed on the dancing lights above.
"I'll take care of it."
His voice remained as calm as ever.
"For now, I need you to head into Aurora Heights to deal with another issue."
A faint breeze passed between them.
"You'll soon meet the person who'll be accompanying you."
Lian Ye lowered his head slightly, thinking over everything that had happened.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
"What about Rin Shen?"
This time, Hei Zhen finally turned to face him.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"He'll be following too."
The smile remained for only a second before he added,
"Just don't die..."
"...that's all."
Silence returned to the rooftop.
Lian Ye simply stood there, his expression becoming increasingly complicated.
Only one thought echoed through his mind.
Has he lost his mind?
He looked at Hei Zhen one last time before quietly turning around.
Without another word, he stepped off the rooftop and made his way back inside.
A few minutes later...
The once noisy halls of the Misfit Faction had finally quieted down.
Only two figures remained standing in the corridor.
The first had snow-white hair and emerald-green eyes. He wore a loose black shirt tucked into equally dark trousers, giving him a simple yet elegant appearance.
Rin Shen.
Follower of the God Order member...
Venom.
Beside him stood another man.
His short but neatly combed blond hair carried a faint golden tint beneath the corridor lights, while his blue eyes seemed unusually sharp.
He wore a dark jacket over a plain shirt, paired with loose-fitting trousers that looked more suited for movement than appearance.
The moment Lian Ye stepped into the hallway...
Both of them looked toward him simultaneously.
Lian Ye walked over while quietly observing the unfamiliar man.
I've seen him somewhere before...
He narrowed his eyes.
That's right...
He was standing beside Tel Suyin the first time they saw me.
If I remember correctly... his ability allows him to track people through their footprints...
His train of thought ended abruptly.
A deep voice interrupted him.
"You really shouldn't try analysing someone to their face."
The man looked at him with a complicated expression, like as if looking down on someone.
His codename was Hound.
His real name...
Gu Yan.
He was the second follower serving beneath the God Order member...
God Eye.
Without waiting for a response, Gu Yan casually turned toward the end of the corridor.
"The others are waiting."
"Let's go."
As soon as he finished speaking, he began walking away.
Rin Shen silently followed beside him.
Lian Ye remained standing for another second before quietly whispering to himself,
"...Others?"
There was a trace of confusion in his voice.
Still...
He didn't stop walking.
After taking one last glance at the now silent hallway, Lian Ye followed after the two of them, disappearing into the corridor as the distant lights of Aurora Heights continued to flicker beneath the emerald sky.