The city was alive.
It pulsed like a restless beast, its neon veins glowing through the veins of the streets. The sharp honk of taxis mixed with the chatter of strangers, and vendors selling grilled skewers called out above the roar of engines. To most, this was ordinary. To Lin Xinyi, it was noise she'd learned to live with.
Tonight, however, the city felt different.
The rhythm of footsteps on the pavement sounded hollow, every echo bouncing back sharper than it should have. Her thin cardigan did little against the breeze sweeping down the street, and she tugged it tighter, as though it could shield her from the unease crawling over her skin.
Her shift at the café had dragged longer than usual. She should have been exhausted, ready to collapse into bed the moment she reached home. Instead, her nerves were strung taut, like an instrument waiting for the wrong note to shatter it.
Something was watching her.
Her phone weighed heavy in her pocket. She resisted the urge to call someone—anyone. It was just her imagination, she told herself. She was being silly. The street wasn't deserted; there were still cars, a few people crossing at the far end. Nothing unusual.
And yet…
She slowed as she passed a narrow alley she'd never noticed before. Wedged between two tall buildings, it shouldn't have been possible for a shop to exist there, but one did. A mirror shop, its name painted in faded gold script across a wooden sign that creaked in the wind.
The shutters should have been down at this hour. Instead, a dim golden light seeped through the cracks.
Her feet carried her closer before her mind could protest.
The display window was cluttered with mirrors of every size: oval ones with bronze frames, tall ones cracked down the middle, and a handheld mirror so polished it gleamed like water. But what froze her wasn't the mirrors. It was her reflection.
She should have seen only herself—tired, messy ponytail, café apron still slung over her shoulder. Instead, her reflection smiled.
Xinyi's lips were parted in shock, not curved upward. Her hands were gripping her cardigan, not resting calmly by her side. Yet the girl in the mirror looked serene, knowing, her eyes glinting like she carried a secret.
The reflection's mouth moved.
"He is coming."
The voice wasn't spoken aloud. It reverberated in her skull, soft but undeniable, curling like smoke around her thoughts.
Xinyi staggered back, a gasp tearing from her throat. The heel of her shoe caught on the pavement, and she barely managed to keep from crashing into the ground. When she blinked, the mirror showed nothing unusual. Just her—pale and trembling.
"What… what was that?" Her voice sounded small in the empty street.
Her heart hammered, each beat slamming into her ribs like a warning. She looked around, searching for someone who might have seen. But the street was empty, save for a lone lamppost flickering weakly above.
I'm losing it.
She reached for her phone, needing the distraction of light, a familiar voice, something. But the second she unlocked the screen, her stomach dropped.
A message notification glowed.
From an unknown number.
// You cannot run from destiny.//
Her hands went cold.
The phone slipped, clattering against the concrete with a sound too loud in the silence. She stared down at the glowing screen as her chest tightened, breath shallow.
"Xinyi?"
She froze.
The sound of her name spoken in that familiar tone cracked through her panic like sunlight breaking a storm. She turned sharply, relief surging when she saw the figure jogging toward her.
Shen Liang.
He was dressed casually, dark hoodie, sneakers, his hair falling into his eyes in a way that always made him look boyish despite being twenty-one. His smile was easy, warm—the kind that made people trust him instantly.
"What are you doing standing out here in the dark?" he asked, concern etched into his features. Without hesitation, he slipped off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. "You'll catch a cold."
Xinyi exhaled, the breath shaky. Shen Liang had always been like this—caring, protective, the kind of presence that felt like home. He was her best friend, her anchor in a life that often felt too heavy.
Still, her hands trembled as she clutched the jacket tighter.
"I… I thought I saw something." Her voice cracked despite her attempt at calm. "In the mirror."
Shen Liang followed her gaze toward the shop. His brow furrowed. "Mirror shop? I don't see—"
He stopped. The alley was empty. No glowing light. No gold-lettered sign. Just a dark stretch of wall.
Xinyi's blood ran cold. "It was right there. I swear it was."
Shen Liang's frown deepened, but he forced a smile, reaching to ruffle her hair. "You're exhausted, Xinyi. Probably imagining things after working so late. Come on, I'll walk you home."
She wanted to believe him. God, she wanted to. But the words from the mirror clung to her mind.
He is coming.
Her phone buzzed again in her pocket. She didn't dare look.
As they walked side by side, Shen Liang filled the silence with chatter—updates about his classes, his annoyance at the professor who kept assigning pointless projects. Normally, she'd laugh, roll her eyes, feel the easy comfort that always existed between them. Tonight, though, every word slid past her, unable to penetrate the storm in her chest.
Finally, when they reached the gate of her apartment building, Shen Liang stopped. His expression softened, eyes gentle. "Xinyi… are you okay?"
She opened her mouth to say yes. To lie. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, her throat tightened, and she just shook her head.
Shen Liang's gaze lingered, his hand almost lifting as though he wanted to cup her face, then falling back hesitantly. "Get some rest. I'll check on you tomorrow, okay?"
She nodded mutely, forcing a weak smile.
When he left, she stood alone in the quiet night. Her phone buzzed once more. With trembling hands, she pulled it out.
Another message.
// The mirror never lies. He is already closer than you think.//
Her stomach dropped. She looked up sharply, heart pounding, eyes darting to the shadows beyond the gate. For the briefest moment, she thought she saw—
A figure.
Tall. Still. Watching.
And then it was gone.
Her blood turned to ice.
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