The town at the academy's edge was alive with light and sound—street stalls lined the cobblestones, their lanterns casting warm orange glows, and the smell of garlic, chili, and fresh noodles filled the air. Gao Yang's eyes went wide the moment he spotted a stall with a tattered sign that read: OLD MA'S NOODLES – BEST IN TOWN (PROBABLY).
"Please tell me we're stopping there," he said, already pulling Lin Chen toward it. The cat in Lin Chen's arms—who they'd started calling Blank, for obvious reasons—meowed in agreement.
Old Ma was a stout woman with grey hair tied in a bun, stirring a huge pot of broth over an open fire. She looked up as they approached, her eyes narrowing at their academy-style shoes before softening when she saw Blank.
"Three bowls of noodles," Yu Qing said, setting down a few coins on the stall. "Extra egg for him." She nodded at Gao Yang, who beamed.
As Old Ma got to work, a young girl sitting at the stall—probably her granddaughter—stared at Lin Chen's blank badge. "You're from the academy," she said, her voice quiet. "But you don't have a Sequence mark."
"Just a blank slate," Lin Chen said, sitting down on a wooden stool. "Like my cat here."
The girl giggled. "My name's Xiao Mei. I want to go to the academy someday. I hope I get a cool Sequence—like Star Weaver or Mystery Seeker."
Gao Yang took a sip of tea. "Trust me, being a Storyteller isn't as cool as it sounds. You spend half your time trying to remember lines you're supposed to say."
Old Ma set down three steaming bowls of noodles, the broth bubbling. "Lines are overrated," she said, wiping her hands on her apron. "My noodles don't need a written recipe. I just make them how they feel right."
Lin Chen paused, looking at the bowl in front of him. That was exactly what he'd been trying to do—live without a written recipe. He took a bite, and warmth spread through his chest. It was better than any meal he'd had at the academy.
Just then, a group of men in golden robes walked down the street—academy enforcers, their badges marked Sequence 7: Order Keepers. Gao Yang tensed, reaching for the wooden staff at his waist, but Lin Chen put a hand on his arm.
"Wait," he said, pulling out his blank book. He wrote a quick line in his mind: Their eyes skip over us.
The enforcers walked right past the stall, their gaze sweeping over them without stopping. Xiao Mei's eyes went wide. "Did you… did you do that?"
"Just a little trick," Lin Chen said, taking another bite of noodles. "Nothing fancy."
After they finished eating, Old Ma waved off their offer of more coins. "Keep your money," she said. "Anyone who likes my noodles and takes care of a stray cat is welcome here. But… be careful. The academy's been sending more enforcers lately. They're looking for someone who 'disturbs the narrative.'"
"We know," Yu Qing said, packing up her bag. "That someone is us."
Old Ma raised an eyebrow, but she didn't look surprised. "I've lived here for fifty years. I've seen stories come and go. The best ones are always the ones that break the rules a little. There's a place to stay above the tailor's shop down the street—tell him Old Ma sent you. He'll keep you hidden."
They thanked her and walked down the street, Blank still curled in Lin Chen's arms. The tailor's shop had a broken sign that hung crookedly—CHEN'S TAILORING – WE FIX WHAT'S TORN.
Inside, a man with thick glasses was mending a robe. He looked up when they entered, his eyes lighting up when he heard Old Ma's name. "Upstairs," he said, nodding toward a wooden staircase. "Two rooms, clean beds. And… I've got something for you."
He pulled out a stack of plain grey robes—no badges, no marks. "For when you need to blend in. Even the best tricks don't work forever."
As they climbed the stairs, Gao Yang looked out the window at the academy in the distance. "You know," he said, "for people who are on the run, we're getting a lot of help."
"Because people are tired of the same old story," Lin Chen said, opening the door to one of the rooms. It was small, but cozy, with a window that looked out over the town. "They want something new. Something unwritten."
Yu Qing set down her bag and sat on the bed. "So… what's next? We can't hide here forever. The dark shadow you saw is still coming."
Lin Chen sat next to her, looking out the window at the stars. "First," he said, "we rest. Then… we find out what that shadow is. But we don't have to do it alone. Old Ma, Xiao Mei, the tailor—they're all part of our story now."
Blank jumped onto the bed and curled up between them. Gao Yang flopped down on the other bed, stretching. "Can we at least go back for more noodles tomorrow? Old Ma was right—they're the best in town. Definitely."
Lin Chen laughed—a real, full laugh that echoed in the small room. For the first time since he'd woken up as zero, he didn't feel empty. He felt… full. Full of friends, full of potential, full of pages waiting to be written.
The dark shadow was still there, yes. But so was the light of the lanterns below, and the warmth of the bed, and the promise of noodles tomorrow. And that was enough—for now.