The ghost alley trembled behind them as Lian An, Wei Rong, Li Shen, and Fen Yu stepped out into the normal street again. The market noises returned—vendors shouting prices, children running, shopkeepers arguing over vegetables.
It was a world of sunlight and life.
But the four of them had just crawled out of darkness.
Fen Yu still clutched the Empress's sleeve, trembling from the fight. Wei Rong kept glancing behind, checking if the thief ghost dared return. Li Shen floated next to the Empress like a silent guardian.
Just as they were about to leave the alley completely, a cold wind swept across their backs.
Every ghost stiffened.
A woman stepped directly into their path.
She wore a long dark red robe embroidered with silver threads. Bones were tied in her hair—small charms rattling gently in the wind. Her eyes were unnervingly clear, like polished obsidian stones capable of seeing through skin, bone, and soul.
She smiled faintly.
"I have been waiting for you."
