Lin Yuer stared at the threatening message until his vision blurred.
"We know you're alive, Phantom. We're coming for you."
The Master. After three years, somehow he knew.
His hands shook as he deleted the message. Then he pulled out the burner phone he kept hidden in a loose floorboard—old habits from his Phantom days.
He texted Shen Rui's private number.
Lin Yuer: [Got a message. From "The Master." He knows.]
The response came in seconds.
Shen Rui: [Shit. When?]
Lin Yuer: [Just now.]
Shen Rui: [Don't panic. They don't have your location yet or they'd have acted already. This is psychological warfare. Trying to flush you out.]
Lin Yuer: [What do I do?]
Shen Rui: [Nothing. Act normal. Go to school. Live your life. I'll monitor chatter in the underground. If they make a move, I'll know.]
Lin Yuer: [And if they find me?]
Shen Rui: [Then we handle it. You're not alone this time, Phantom. Remember that.]
Lin Yuer set the phone down and took a shaky breath.
