The sun was up before Lin Hao realized he had stayed awake all night. He sat in the armchair by the door, the serpent figurine resting on the table beside him. It had cooled to normal temperature, but the faint red glow still lingered in his memory. He stood and walked to the window. The street below looked ordinary. People walked to work. Cars drove past. No one seemed to be hunting for ancient power or hidden artifacts. But Lin Hao knew better. The danger was not always visible. He went to the kitchen and started the kettle. The sound of water boiling felt like something normal, something that belonged to the life he was trying to protect. His mother came out a few minutes later, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She looked at him, then at the kettle, then back at his face. "You're up early," she said. "Or you didn't sleep at all." "I rested," he said. "Just thinking." She poured water into mugs and set them on the table. "Something is happening, Hao. You're gone late. You're back

The day dragged on. Lin Hao stayed close to home, helping his mother and checking on Xiao Man throughout the morning. He kept the stone disk hidden in its box under his bed, and the serpent figurine stayed in his pocket, a quiet, constant weight against his leg. Every time the phone rang, he reached for it before he remembered no message would come until night. Late in the afternoon, his phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number. Just an address, a time, and four numbers. No name. No explanation. He memorized the details, then deleted the message and cleared the history. He waited until his mother and sister were settled for the evening. He told them he was going out to meet someone about a job, and he would be back late. He packed a small flashlight and a bottle of water, and slipped the disk and figurine into separate inner pockets of his jacket. He took two buses and walked the last twenty minutes. The storage facility was on the edge of an industrial park, surrounded by empt

Lin Hao kept to the trees until the ruins were out of sight. He walked steadily, winding through the undergrowth until he reached a narrower path that ran parallel to the main road. He stopped once to look back, but there was no sign of pursuit. No one followed him into the trees. He circled wide, coming out on a different road several miles away. He waited ten minutes for the bus, watching every car that passed. None of them slowed down. None of them matched the white pickup. The bus was nearly empty. He sat near the front, keeping his eyes on the street ahead. He thought of the two men with their scanning devices. They had not been there to restore anything. They had been there to detect energy. Exactly the kind of energy he had activated. He got off three stops early and walked the rest of the way home. He checked the building from across the street before going in. Nothing looked out of place. No unfamiliar cars. No strangers loitering near the entrance. He unlocked the door

The night was dark when Lin Hao left the apartment. The sky was overcast, the moon hidden behind thick cloud. He took the bus to the north gate stop, sitting near the window, watching the streetlights pass in a steady line. He got off and walked to the alley that led to the tunnel entrance, keeping to the shadows, checking behind him at every turn. Hale was already there, standing near the gated opening, dressed in dark clothes. He held a small flashlight pointed down at the ground. He looked up when Lin Hao approached, then glanced quickly at the street behind him. "No one followed," Lin Hao said quietly. "Checked three times on the way over." "Same here," Hale said. "But we still don't know if they're watching the entrance. Keep your light off unless you absolutely have to. And keep your voice down. Sound carries differently down there." He shone his light briefly on the gate. The padlock was rusted, the hasp bent open. Hale pushed the gate just enough to slip through, then pul

The footsteps grew louder, coming fast down the corridor. Lin Hao looked at Hale, then at the man standing by the table. "Stay out of sight," Lin Hao said to him. "If they see you helping us, they won't ask questions." The man nodded and ducked behind the console just as the door burst open. Three men rushed in, all holding flashlights and heavy batons. They scanned the room, landing immediately on Lin Hao and Hale standing by the generators. "Shut it down!" the first man shouted. "Get away from the equipment!" Hale stepped forward slowly, his hands up. "The equipment is damaged. If you force it now, you risk a total failure. We came to warn you." "Back up," the man said, ignoring him. He raised his radio and spoke quickly into it. "Intruders in the basement chamber. Send backup and lock down all exits." Lin Hao stood still, his hand resting near the serpent figurine in his pocket. Fighting their way out past three men would be hard enough. If more arrived, they would be trappe