The city lights flickered like stars trapped beneath the surface of the earth, their glow casting long shadows down narrow alleys and onto cracked pavement. Li Mei urged her black horse forward, weaving through the winding streets with focused urgency. Her target was close. She could feel it.
Earlier that night, she had been following a cold trail of whispers and hidden clues, tracking down a trafficker who had eluded justice for far too long. He was one of the names on her personal list—dangerous, slippery, and responsible for countless ruined lives. And now, she was closing in.
But then—gunshots.
Sharp. Loud. Echoing across the city like thunder.
They came from the city center.
Without hesitation, Li Mei pulled the reins and turned. Her horse galloped at full speed, hooves striking the pavement like war drums. As she neared the source of the noise, a crowd had already gathered, their panicked voices blending into a chaotic murmur.
She saw them pointing upward. To the rooftop of a tall department store.
There he was.
The man she had been hunting for months—Jiang Rui.
He stood at the edge of the roof, one arm wrapped tightly around a trembling girl who couldn't have been older than thirteen. Her eyes were wide with terror, and her knees buckled under the pressure of being held so close to the edge.
"Shadow!" Jiang Rui's voice boomed across the city square. "I know you're here somewhere! You've been following me, haven't you?! Then come out! Or this girl takes a dive!"
Gasps echoed from the people below.
Li Mei's eyes narrowed beneath her mask.
He wanted her to show herself. But not like this. Not on his terms.
She dismounted quietly and moved around the back of the building. Her body moved like liquid shadow—silent, agile, efficient. Pulling a special glove from her belt, she slipped it on. The glove was fitted with thin, retractable claws—designed for climbing.
Without hesitation, she dug the claws into the wall and began to scale the side of the building. Her limbs ached with the effort, but she never slowed. The girl's cries echoed above, and Li Mei moved faster.
Reaching the rooftop, she hoisted herself up and crept silently along the surface, staying low behind vents and utility boxes. Jiang Rui hadn't noticed her yet. He was too busy pacing near the edge, dragging the terrified girl along with him.
"Where are you, Shadow?" he barked. "Come out and face me! You ruined everything!"
Li Mei was close enough now to see the sweat dripping down his face, the crazed look in his eyes. He was dangerous. Desperate.
She waited for the right moment.
Then—she struck.
With a sudden movement, she lunged forward and grabbed Jiang Rui from behind, yanking him away from the girl. He snarled and twisted, breaking free. His fists flew, and Li Mei blocked each blow with precision.
But he was good.
Trained.
He landed a brutal kick to her side that sent her sprawling across the rooftop. Her breath caught in her throat as pain surged through her shoulder—pain she hadn't noticed earlier.
The girl shrieked as Jiang Rui grabbed her again.
"I warned you!" he shouted, his voice trembling with rage.
He pushed the girl toward the edge—and over.
"No!" Li Mei cried, forcing herself up despite the agony in her arm.
She dove without thinking, her body sailing off the rooftop after the falling girl.
In midair, she reached out—fingers brushing against fabric—and caught the girl by the wrist.
Gravity pulled them both downward.
Li Mei's heart pounded. One wrong move, and they'd both crash into the pavement.
But she had one chance.
From her belt, she pulled a slim, coiled steel wire and flicked it out toward the nearest tree. The tip hooked around a thick branch, and the tension slowed their fall just enough. They swung like a pendulum before landing hard in the grass below.
The crowd screamed, then gasped in astonishment.
Li Mei cradled the girl, who was sobbing but unharmed.
"It's okay," she whispered, brushing the girl's hair from her face. "You're safe now."
She stood, still shielding the girl, and looked up at the rooftop—but Jiang Rui was gone.
Vanished.
Her jaw clenched.
"Coward," she muttered under her breath.
From a distance, someone was watching.
Zhao Wei stood in the shadows of the street, his heart still pounding from what he had just witnessed. After taking Lu Chen home, something had pulled him back out into the city. A feeling. A question that refused to leave his mind.
Who was Shadow?
And now… now he had seen her.
And the way her mask shifted just slightly when the wind caught it, revealing a glimpse of the face beneath.
It couldn't be.
Could it?
"Li Mei…" he whispered.
Down in the square, she hadn't noticed him. She was too focused on the girl. But something else caught her attention now—an ache in her arm.
She touched her shoulder and felt the warmth of blood beneath her suit.
The kick earlier had torn the skin, and the pain was growing.
Damn it, she thought.
Li Mei helped the girl over to the police officers who had arrived on the scene. Without waiting for questions, she vanished into the shadows, blending into the dark like a phantom.
She reached her horse, climbed on, and rode off toward the hidden safehouse she used when injured.
Zhao Wei didn't follow.
Not yet.
But something deep in him had shifted.
This wasn't over.
Inside the small safehouse nestled on the outskirts of the city, Li Mei peeled away the black suit, wincing as the fabric tugged against the wound on her shoulder. She sat in front of a mirror, cleaned the area with antiseptic, and wrapped it tightly in bandages.
The pain was sharp, but it was nothing compared to the frustration boiling inside her.
Jiang Rui had escaped again.
She slammed her fist against the counter.
"I was so close."
Her reflection stared back at her—half of her face hidden behind the mask, the other half tired, bruised, and filled with a fire that refused to die.
Outside, the wind howled through the trees.
She knew the hunt wasn't over.
And neither was the mystery that was beginning to take shape in Zhao Wei's mind.