The Cyber Ascension
Chapter 2: The Ruthless Shadow
After that night in the park, Jin Yuan returned to his dimly lit apartment, sitting alone on the worn sofa. The flickering glow of the television painted his pale face in shifting shadows. News of disappearances and chaos filled the room, but his expression remained unreadable.
> "In the United States, particularly New York, reports continue to rise. Young people have been vanishing during the night without a trace. Even special agencies have failed to uncover any leads," the anchor announced.
Jin Yuan exhaled softly, leaning back.
"Huh. Another one."
He checked his phone. The clock read 11:30 PM. A faint smile curved his lips.
"Interesting… let's see who it is this time."
But then the pain hit him — sharp, stabbing, sudden, like needles piercing his skull. Memories flashed before his eyes: a woman's gentle hands feeding him breakfast, a mother's voice calling his name, a life he had never lived, love he could not have.
He gritted his teeth, fingers digging into his hair.
"No… I'm only nineteen. I never married anyone."
He stood abruptly, pacing. His voice trembled.
"My parents died when I was nine… in that accident. Then who… who are they?"
The walls seemed to close in, heavy with silence. With a measured calm, he picked up his phone and made a call.
"Yo," he said. "Book me a flight to New York. Tonight."
"Right away, sir. Is something wrong?"
"No," he replied sharply. "Just curious about these disappearances. Let's see what's really going on."
He ended the call and leaned back. Outside, headlights cut through the night as his car moved like a shadow across the wet streets. He wore his black suit unbuttoned at the collar, white shirt beneath, his massive katana gleaming faintly beside him.
"New York… people vanishing at night. Maybe I'll find someone useful… or maybe the one I've been waiting for," he murmured, eyes glinting under the streetlights.
The skyline spread before him, alive yet oblivious to the predator above. A single figure perched on a rooftop, one leg dangling over the abyss. The wind howled around Jin Yuan as he merged with the shadows — a living specter in black.
"Heh… this time, I'm excited," he whispered.
---
The clock struck 12:03 AM. Silence enveloped the city. Jin Yuan checked his pocket timer, scanning the streets. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced his head, fragments of memories shattering like glass. He clenched his fists, forcing them back.
"Useless memories… everyone betrayed me… none of it is real."
He leapt from the rooftop, landing silently on a lower building, then vaulted higher, moving with preternatural grace across the city. Below, a girl with pink hair jogged through the empty streets, her hoodie bouncing lightly. A small fragment of life in a dead city.
Jin Yuan observed her coldly, detachment in every movement.
"Just out for a late workout… nothing strange so far."
He rested one hand on his blade.
"Seems the rumors were false… disappointing."
Then she vanished. Only a discarded water bottle remained.
"She… disappeared? No… maybe the rumors are real."
Without hesitation, Jin Yuan dropped to the street, landing silently. He listened. The faint echo of footsteps reached his ears.
"Where are you going?" he muttered, eyes narrowing.
A chase began. His coat flowed like liquid shadow behind him. The footsteps led him to an alley where three men dragged the girl through the darkness, her wrists bound like prey.
Jin Yuan exhaled slowly.
"Die."
With inhuman precision, he unsheathed his katana, hurling it through the chest of the man in the rear. The sound of metal slicing flesh echoed sharply. The remaining two men raised their weapons, but Jin Yuan moved like a predator — every step measured, every strike lethal. Within moments, silence reclaimed the alley.
> "What a pity," he murmured, dusting his gloves. "Can't even land a hit."
He turned to the girl, kneeling to untie her wrists. Her eyes were wide with fear, but she found a flicker of reassurance in his calm, unreadable face.
> "Th… thank you," she stammered.
"Hm," he replied, expressionless.
"What's your name?"
"Emily… Emily Hina."
"Hm. Yuan. You can call me Yuan."
"Yuan…" she whispered.
He rose, scanning the empty streets, lifeless bodies, and the faint red glint of blood in the moonlight. Somewhere above, a blinking security camera observed silently — but Jin Yuan didn't notice.
He melted back into the shadows, a ghost in the neon-lit city, leaving only questions and fear behind.
---
The predator was patient. The city was his playground. And somewhere in the dark, answers — and perhaps the one he had been waiting for — awaited.
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End of Chapter 2: The Ruthless Shadow