"Hey! Stop right there!"
The shout cut through the haze.
Bao lay sprawled on the cold floor, unmoving. Blood trickled into his eyes, blurring his vision into a red, watery smear. Every breath felt heavy, distant—like his body wasn't fully his own.
"Quick, pick him up!"
A voice, close.
Too close.
Only then did Bao's vision begin to focus—slowly, painfully.
Shapes formed.
A room.
Not a cell.
A waiting area… or a guard barracks.
And the guards?
They were all down.
Unconscious.
Piled in the corner like discarded sacks.
What…?
"Where did he go?!" voices echoed from the hallway outside.
Panic.
They were searching.
Two strong arms grabbed Bao from beneath his shoulders and hauled him upright. His legs barely responded, wobbling uselessly beneath him.
His head lolled to the side.
A face came into view—blurred, indistinct.
Covered by a balaclava.
"Don't move!" another voice shouted from the doorway. "Stay right there!"
The air shifted.
Tight.
Charged.
Like a storm about to break.
"Drop him!" a guard barked. "Put him down and we won't shoot!"
Bao's ears rang.
His thoughts lagged behind reality.
"Throw him over my shoulder," a voice whispered beside him—low, urgent. "We run."
"But—"
"Just do it."
"This is your last warning!" the guard shouted. "Three—!"
Bao barely had time to react.
He was lifted—
Then slammed over someone's shoulder.
The impact drove the air from his lungs. Hard muscle pressed into his stomach, forcing bile up his throat.
Then—
A deep, vibrating hum filled the room.
The pressure in the air snapped.
WHOOOM—
A blinding blue beam tore through the space.
From Bao's upside-down perspective, he caught a glimpse of it—pure energy, ripping past them and disintegrating a metal locker into dust.
No heat.
No resistance.
Just… gone.
More beams followed.
Rapid.
Violent.
Screams erupted.
Footsteps thundered.
The world became noise.
And chaos.
Bao's vision swam, the impact to his head catching up with him. Everything blurred into streaks of light and shadow.
The last thing he heard—
CLANG!
Metal striking metal.
Then—
Darkness.
Cold.
Wet.
A shock ran through his body.
Bao gasped as water cascaded over his head, dragging him back from the void.
Light stabbed into his eyes.
Too bright.
He winced, squinting as shapes slowly emerged from the glare.
His body felt heavy.
Restricted.
He tried to move—
Couldn't.
His hands were bound behind his back.
A chair.
He was tied to a chair.
"Is he finally awake?" a female voice asked.
"I think so," a deep voice replied.
"Good. This should help."
A scent reached him.
Strong.
Bitter.
Familiar.
It cut through the fog in his mind like a blade.
Coffee.
Not just any coffee.
That coffee.
Bao's eyes snapped fully open.
Clarity returned in an instant.
And what he saw—
Made his breath catch.
Right in front of him stood the coffee shop owner.
Next to him—
Aika.
Ning.
Behind them, leaning silently against the wall—
Yan.
And in the corner—
Another figure.
Unfamiliar.
Watching.
Waiting.
Bao's pulse spiked.
His mind raced to catch up.
"What…" His voice came out hoarse. "What is going on here?"