"Ah..." Wenzhi let out a sharp, ragged groan, his hand flying instantly to his abdomen as a white-hot spike of pain shot through his core.

For a moment his mind was blank.

Then it came back.

Jiang Zhaohe, the glowing blue energy blade, the cold betrayal.

His eyes snapped open only to be blinded by harsh white lights overhead.

He squinted hard, breathing unevenly before his vision adjusted.

A cell.

The walls were smooth silver metal, seamless from floor to ceiling, the kind built for containment.

Wenzhi let out a heavy breath. "Fuck."

His eyes immediately caught the security camera mounted at the top corner, aimed directly at him.

His freckled face twisted faintly as he pressed one hand against the wall and forced himself upright, his other hand still clutching his stomach.

The movement sent a sharp stab of pain through him.

He grunted low in his throat.

The moment he took a step toward the sealed door, something dragged.

Heavy.....

Wenzhi frowned and looked down.

They were restraints on both his ankles this time. Cold black steel wrapped tightly around them.

He stared for a second. Then laughed under his breath. "Not again."

He dropped his pant leg and ignored the camera as he lifted his shirt instead.

Bandages. Wrapped tightly around his torso.

Wenzhi stared at it for a while and lowered his shirt.

Jiang Zhaohe.

That twist still felt unreal.

It almost made him more aware of how absurd this whole world really was.

It was really a badly written book.

But it made sense. Too much sense.

She had gotten close. Became his friend. And he had liked her.

He liked how sharp she was. How smooth she moved through problems.

How strategic. How she worried about him.

How she stayed....

That was the worst part.

She had done it well.

Wenzhi slowly turned his head.

And there, painted across the far wall was the symbol.

A single blood mark.

Old Blood.

So this was where he was.

He frowned.

But why was he alive? Didn’t they want him dead?

Wenzhi felt anger rise hot under his skin. He had gotten too comfortable.

But was that really a crime?

He was human. And it wasn’t his fault everyone around him seemed to be insane.

Still, keeping him alive was a mistake.

A massive one.

With a sharp exhale, he slid down the wall and sat on the cold floor, leaning back against the metal.

His breathing was shaky.

His stomach throbbed relentlessly, reminding him over and over that Zhaohe had stabbed him.

He wondered how long he had been here.

Hours? A day? Longer?

His thoughts drifted to Xinyuan.

Was he looking for him?

Had Old Blood gotten to him too?

Wenzhi frowned and pressed a hand over his face.

Why... Why did he feel so empty?

For weeks now, Xinyuan had been gone often, handling rifts, killing monsters as the esper he was.

There had always been distance between them.

But this felt different. This emptiness was louder, heavier like something had been torn away.

Had something happened to Xinyuan?

That thought made his chest tighten.

Without thinking, Wenzhi reached into his pocket for a lollipop.

His fingers found nothing.

He froze.

Empty.

His brows furrowed.

That was impossible.

He had four. He’d only taken two before going to the rift site.

"She must have taken them." he pressed a hand to his forehead just as the metal door slid open.

Footsteps entered.

A man in his late fifties walked in first, dressed in a sharp blend of traditional and modern tailoring. His greying hair was slicked back neatly, his warm brown eyes fixed on Wenzhi with unsettling calm.

Behind him followed two women in white coats, each holding tablets.

Wenzhi’s eyes narrowed.

"You’re finally awake, Lin Wenzhi." The man smiled faintly. "We were worried we might lose you."

His gaze dropped over Wenzhi’s body. "We didn’t expect Jiang Zhaohe to be so..." he paused.

His lips twitched. "Harsh."

Wenzhi said nothing.

That silence made the man nod like he had expected it.

"I came to speak with you."

Still nothing.

Wenzhi leaned back against the metal wall, his sharp grey eyes staring at him without fear, without interest.

Just cold.

The man gave a small amused scoff and stepped closer. "You know, Lin Wenzhi..."

He clasped his hands behind his back. "We have exceptionally strong men and women in our ranks. Relentless soldiers who fight, who serve. Hardcore military assets and elite assassins who don’t even possess an Esper mutation. Even those from the free factions."

His eyes sharpened. "And all of them have profiles."

He tilted his head. "But you..."

He smiled. "A B-rank guide. Twenty-six years old. Lived a quiet life in Yanjing City with his grandmother before a late awakening, only deciding to seek greener pastures in the Halo guiding center after her passing."

He chuckled. "You are ordinary. Painfully ordinary, Lin Wenzhi."

Wenzhi’s expression didn’t change.

"I have personally watched Guides of your caliber drop dead from the sheer neural shock of simply touching an SS-class Esper. But you..."

The man scoffed with amusement again, leaning down slightly to look into Wenzhi’s face. Up close, those warm brown eyes looked significantly deeper, darker, and entirely devoid of human empathy.

"You... You are the most difficult person I have ever encountered. A slippery little pest. Ambitious enough to actually think..."

He suddenly broke into a loud, booming laugh, as if he were recalling the funniest joke he had ever heard in his entire life. "You created your own faction. You went so far as to forcefully merge with the Rift Bureau. You are actively building an entire underground city."

He abruptly stopped laughing and began to clap, his hands making sharp, echoing smacks in the tight room. He glanced back at the two researchers, tilting his head as if expecting them to join in.

The women didn’t clap. They just stared down at Wenzhi like he was a bizarre, fascinating anomaly. A specimen they couldn’t wait to dissect and map out on their tablets.

Wenzhi bit the inside of his lip. Hard.

He knew exactly what kind of danger this was.

The man smiled. "I am a big fan of yours, Lin Wenzhi."

He spread his arms. "A very big fan."

His voice softened. "Everyone in the high commands can’t stop talking about you. You are incredibly popular now, not just as Shao Xinyuan’s Guide, but as the Lin Wenzhi."

The man sighed, sounding almost regretful. "It’s a shame you have to die."

He looked genuinely disappointed. "Under different circumstances, I would have gladly made you my protégé. My successor."

His smile faded. "But unfortunately, you..."

His gaze darkened. "...are a liability."

Wenzhi still said nothing. He just sat there, his icy grey eyes pinned to the older man.

The silence stretched, heavy and stubborn, until the man’s posture stiffened. He stood up straight and let out a sharp sigh. It was obvious he had been fishing for a reaction. Perhaps a plea, a stutter, a spark of fear but Wenzhi didn’t give him a single crumb.

"You have absolutely no history that explains the skills you possess," the man said. "No battle history, no formal combat training, nothing. Yet you are a remarkably efficient field guide. Merciless, even."

He smoothed down the front of his jacket. "If you must know, Shao Xinyuan isn’t aware that you are here. But I am certain he will figure it out soon enough. Before he arrives, why don’t we catch up?"

"You are his father, aren’t you?" Wenzhi said dryly.

The lingering amusement on the man’s face vanished instantly, wiped away as if Wenzhi had just handed him a massive, unforgivable insult. His jaw tightened. "You really are quick."

"Mmh." Wenzhi exhaled through his nose. His fingers pressed lightly against his bandaged stomach.

"So this is the plan?" He looked up. "You kill me so you can break into his mind properly."

His eyes narrowed. "So you can fix the world. The grand plan."

"That arrogance is going to put you in a miserable position, Lin Wenzhi," the man hissed, his voice dangerous. He took a step back toward the exit. "Just sit here and wait. You don’t have to think about anything anymore. And be very careful not to do anything stupid. Those restraints are programmed to kill you."

The man turned on his heel and marched out of the cell. The two doctors paused, their eyes lingering on Wenzhi for a heavy, silent moment as they tapped notes into their tablets.

They didn’t say a word to him, and Wenzhi didn’t give them a glance.

A second later, they followed, and the heavy metal door slid shut.

The moment he was alone, Wenzhi let out a heavy, ragged breath, pressing his fingers hard against his temples.

The cold reality settled in. The old blood was worse than the CEA. Way worse. And he had just met Shao Xinyuan’s biological father.

Wenzhi lowered his hands, staring at the locked door, a dark, dangerous smile pulling at the corner of his lips as the rage in his chest solidified into pure spite. He closed his eyes.

"Fine," he whispered into the empty room. "Let’s all be insane."