Swiftly turning to my side, I narrowly avoided a meticulous swing of a sword, its sharp edge cutting through the air just inches from my neck. With equal precision, I cleaved my last adversary in two with my blade. The metallic sound resonated faintly, mimicking a droplet of water that exploded into a powerful burst of wind. The eruption of energy resonated for miles, falling on deaf ears, except for one individual.

“What have you done?” Ming Yi asked, falling to his knees in despair. He stared at me with an utterly broken expression, taking in the sword drenched in blood in my hand.

Wind blew through our clothes and hair, carrying the rotting stench of decaying corpses from the burning field around us. The bodies belonged to Ming Yi’s village. For him to feel wronged, I understand.

When I didn’t respond, Ming Yi’s face distorted with anger. “Zhen Xue!” he shouted, choking back a sob. “Why?! Why have you done this?! When have I wronged you?!”

For a moment, I saw the orphaned boy I sheltered. How he fought with immense bravery to remain by my side, always striving to excel for my sake. I thought I’d grown numb for good after taking so many lives, but upon hearing his last words, I discovered a pain worse than the hundred blades protruding from my back. “I’ve tried,” I said, taking a step towards him, my voice raw. “Believe me, I’ve tried so many times to save you, but each time, you still choose the same path.”

His dark clothes soiled with blood from the nearby bodies as he watched me in confusion, green eyes perceiving me with hurt.

“It’s not a matter of what you’ve done, but what you will do,” I said, taking the last step to reach him. The sword tightened in my grasp, thinking of the events that have yet to unfold. “The alternative is a future I never wish to bear again.”

He was shaking, unable to rise to his feet. Every word I said seemed to drive a nail into his desperate hope that I’d change my mind. That maybe I’d take his hand, leaving this chaos behind and return to our peaceful life before the slaughter, but the dead from his village will forever stain my hands.

Ming Yi didn’t want to face reality.

I’m not the same person he once knew, and he’s not the same little kid I found doing parlor tricks on the streets. We’re both grown adults with different mindsets and goals we want to achieve. However, he sees me as his friend, but I see him as my enemy.

As I subtly shifted, the swords in my back twisted, sinking further into my bones. The taste of blood lingered in my mouth as I fought to suppress a cough, a stark reminder that I wasn’t long for this world. With my sword hovering over Ming Yi, he didn’t move, as though willing to accept whatever fate I’d give him.

“I’ll try again,” I said, putting the sword through myself instead.

Ming Yi’s eyes widened, catching me as I fell. He cried, pulling the swords from my body, hands fumbling as they seized the metal.

“No matter how many times it takes…” I mumbled, vowing against his quivering chest. A flash of metal hurtled over towards us, Ming Yi too distracted to notice. Slowly closing my eyes, I whispered with my final breath, “There has to be a future where we can both survive.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

“You’re going to get yourself killed one of these times,” Aelius reprimanded softly, looking over my disheveled appearance in the aftermath of outrunning another rampant spirit through the streets of London—the place I moved to after my college graduation in China.

Not in the mood to be lectured, I leaned my back against the brick wall to catch my breath and ignored him. Only high-level spirits can take on an appearance, but this one had followed me around in the shape of a glowing ball of light. My hands clenched at my sides that this spirit wasn’t the one that killed my family, either. The day they died two years ago, I remember the house set ablaze, a flash of long white hair on a youthful figure as they consumed the souls of my siblings. My older brother, Zhen Zhi, told me to run. I went to get help, but by the time I returned, the figure was already gone. I was lucky to even speak with Zhen Zhi in his last moments.

Aelius folded his arms, seeing that his countless attempts to dissuade me weren’t going anywhere. His police badge glinted in the moonlight as he shifted from the movement. “Are you really going to make me put you in jail for the night so you’ll learn your lesson?”

“Given you have no legit reason to be following me around, and seem to know about spirits,” I added. “I’d say you should join me. It’d be a spectacular evening of paperwork and the chief of justice trying to figure out why one of his officers locked themselves away, don’t you agree?”

Aelius looked physically unwell at the suggestion.

I smiled at him placidly, removing myself from the wall. “Splendid,” I said with a chipper voice. “I’m glad you think so, too.”

“Zhen Xue,” Aelius said, inhaling sharply. He sighed, changing his mind. “Keep yourself safe, otherwise I won’t have anyone to enjoy my cooking.”

“That alone would be a crime,” I agreed. Briefly patting his shoulder in farewell, I ventured out into the night.

I crossed a couple of streets, minding the traffic lights as I passed. Entering through the ivory colored door, I was soon standing in front of a booth at the popular bar, Tabby’s Witch Experiment. I recognized my friends immediately, but the last person was unexpected.

I pointed my feet towards the exit almost instinctively. My body was sweating, engulfed by my over sized jacket. Worry filled my mind that if this man found out I wrote about him, he would consider it disgusting. A ridiculous fear perhaps, but I was ready to abandon the entire project should that happen.

Li Wei smiled softly in a way of greeting. Under the amber light, he looked ethereal, breathtaking, exotic. His fur coat shifted as he leaned forward enough so that only I could hear him. “There’s actually two ways to leave this building,” he said.

I knew I was staring too long, but he was perfect, down to the shine of his golden locks. The thought of pulling out my notebook and writing about him in more detail was overwhelming. My friends seated at our table, Xiao Yu, and Jie Bai, were conversing on their own, so I took the bait. I leaned back in my seat with a vague smile. “Just two? I thought there were three.”

Li Wei looked nervously at the prospect, studying the room for further inspection. “You can’t possibly mean through the window.”

His reaction was so enthralling, I almost didn’t want to reveal the answer. I tapped my foot against the floorboards, drawing his attention to the floor and the basement few knew about.

Li Wei’s eyebrow raised, growing suspicious. “In a place like this?”

I nodded with some satisfaction that I knew something that he didn’t. “Tabby’s Witch Experiment has another business underground,” I said offhandedly. “One less known to the public for... Let’s just say, less ethical practices.”

Li Wei’s eyes widened. He leaned across the table, whispering lower than before. “You don’t mean...”

“Indeed,” I said, playing along with our theatrics. “They sell the magical mushroom.”

“Unbelievable,” Li Wei said, scoffing with a wave of dramatics. “Right in the middle of town?! They clearly don’t have principles.”

“I know, right? They already get a lot of business from the bar, but I guess that’s corporate greed for you. Once they’ve had a taste of cash flow, they can’t get enough.” The words rolled off my tongue as I became more comfortable with Li Wei. He was staring with an unreadable smile, one that postponed the realization my feet were no longer pointed towards the door.

Li Wei turned to me with admiration, saying under his breath, “Thanks for coming tonight. Without you, I fear my evening would’ve been most uneventful.”

I laughed at his compliment, feeling a bitter pang in my chest as the reality of the situation came back into focus. “You must have lived a dull life,” I said. “I’m not that interesting.”

“On the contrary,” Li Wei said with a soft smile. “You are the most fascinating person I have ever encountered. Shall we get out of here?”

My thoughts vanished as my gaze lifted from the table, questioning if I had misheard him. For our conversation to reach such an awkward end couldn’t have been worse. My friends appeared to stop talking long ago. I found Jie Bai was watching us while sipping on his yellow drink.

Xiao Yu squinted at his phone, not giving a damn about anything other than himself. I’m sure he was checking his follower count again, oblivious to the fact he was doing me a favor.

The waitress returned with my drink, a yellow liquid in a shot glass. She also left another much taller drink in front of Li Wei. It was clear and bubbling like mineral water, with a lemon hanging from the top rim of the glass.

Li Wei passed it to me without a second thought, giving a reassuring nod at the glass. “It’s not alcohol, don’t worry.”

For the second time tonight, Li Wei left me unable to comprehend his motives. I found myself puzzled, quietly mulling over why he’s been kind to me. Before I could think of a response, my attention flew back to the table.

My blood ran cold as Jie Bai grabbed my hair and pulled my head back enough to open my mouth, creating the perfect chance for Xiao Yu to lean over the table and dump half the alcoholic drink down my throat. A shattering noise soon erupted throughout the restaurant, loud enough to make the distant chatter grow quiet.

The scene distracted Jie Bai, allowing me to pull away, choking and teary-eyed. It was then I realized Li Wei had casually slapped Xiao Yu’s wrist, sending the shot glass flying into the wall. Xiao Yu glared at him, fists clenched at his sides. “Are you crazy?!”

Li Wei’s smile held both sweetness and venom as he retorted, “And here I was going to ask the same about you. Let’s resolve this like adults, shall we?”

I watched as Li Wei clasped his hands together with delight and revealed a brighter smile. He grabbed Xiao Yu by the scruff of his clothes, pulling him back into his seat. “Waitress!” he shouted. “We’ll take six more shot glasses. Oh, and the check!”

Li Wei made sure Xiao Yu finished every drink, leaving him near unconscious before sliding the check to Jie Bai and making our way out the door.

I was laughing so hard that I almost forgot about the whole incident. The world spinning before me, I stumbled toward the path that would lead to my house.

Not leaving my side for a second, Li Wei held his hands behind his back with graceful posture as he followed along.

Snow was falling around us, coating the ground in a thick white blanket. Looking up at the night sky, hands resting behind my head, I sighed contentedly for a rare occasion. Cold snowflakes gently fell against my lashes and bare skin. “What’s it like being a teacher?” I asked. “Doesn’t it get stressful?”

Li Wei laughed, and I swear it was the most soft, serotonin inducing sound I’ve ever heard. “Sometimes,” he admitted. “But I think it’s a wonderful job. To give people knowledge is a rare blessing.”

While I was listening to him talk about his job a bit more, he sounded like he genuinely loved his job, and that knowledge oddly made me happy. Li Wei could be the first real friend I’ve ever had. He seemed like the type that would enjoy cozy atmospheres and sharing coffee over a good book. I was about to voice my thoughts when a man with long white hair peered at us from a distance. There was an aura of mystery surrounding this person, accentuated by his pale features and subtle smile.

There was no doubt in my mind that he was the one who killed my family.

He stepped backwards, enticing me to follow.

The blatant provocation pushed my restraint over the edge, propelling me forward to chase him. It was half-past one in the morning and all was eerily quiet, except for the occasional light howl of the wind and our rugged footsteps in the snow-covered streets.

As the white-haired man was getting closer, I noticed my body had shrunk and transformed into that of a child, but I didn’t linger on the thought. He was so close I could almost feel him in my grasp, forcing him to the ground with my hands around his throat.

In the blink of an eye, he hopped into the carriage waiting for him, shutting the door between us just as my fingertips grazed his shirt.

I jumped off the ground, slamming into the person handling the reins as the carriage took off at alarming speed. The boy’s eyes widened as I shoved a hand over his mouth to quiet him.

The carriage took a sharp left turn, narrowly avoiding the cliff as the road abruptly ended. From this height, one can see for miles and witness the golden lanterns floating among the stars, lights flicking from the city below as locals enjoyed the festivities.

I let out a feeble laugh, realizing that the spirit ended up in the one place I knew better than the modern world.

Ming Yi, the young male lead from my story, lowered his head from my side. “Dianxia,” he mumbled. “Allow me to serve you.”