Long Tian's eyes glistened, centuries of composure completely abandoned. "Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I should have found Kailani sooner. Tell her I love her. Tell her to hold on, that I'm coming for her."
"I will, Father. And I'll tell Kailani too, that we've been searching for her all this time. That we never stopped looking."
With that, Long Chen severed the connection. The projection flickered and died, leaving him alone in his apartment with only his racing thoughts and mounting fear.
He didn't waste another second.
Long Chen grabbed his phone, shoved it in his pocket, and bolted for the door. His sports car keys were already in his hand, the familiar weight grounding him as his mind spun through worst-case scenarios.
His mother, who could barely lift a cup of tea, had somehow found the strength to leave her deathbed, transform into human form, cross realms, and travel to the surface. All for one chance to see the daughter she'd thought lost forever.
