"So, it really was true?"
I stared at the men who'd already bolted outside. Most looked desperately poor. I stood silent in the room as John Chou came in, tossing a small knife he'd found in Xu Fu's bedroom onto the blood-slick, sticky floor.
"Sorry, I can't just stand by and watch."
"Suit yourself. But brother, unless you cover every detail, forget it. If that guy wakes up tomorrow and finds his prey missing, and remembers being drunk last night, he'll put it together and come after you. You have too much on your plate—can you really keep an eye on Rachel Lan all day, every day?"
I swallowed, grinding my teeth as I glared at Xu Fu, sprawled drunk on the floor. I wanted to kill him right then. This man, pure evil inside, hadn't changed at all—even after being reborn in darkness.
"Then what do we do?"
"That's why I'm setting things up. This guy's cautious, brother. Don't leave tracks in the room. If he asks tomorrow, just say you took him downstairs and left. Got it?"
I grunted. John Chou casually stamped out footprints of different sizes around the room. Even if Xu Fu couldn't remember the past, he was sharp enough to notice the smallest change.
After a while, when John Chou finished, we drifted out of the room and into the woods behind the apartment building. It was a park, now completely deserted.
"When did you remember?"
"It's starting?"
I let out a surprised sound, staring at John Chou. He searched for my hand and I followed him. Soon, we arrived at a sloping hillside surrounded by three-story standalone buildings. John Chou led me into a small building with lights on the second floor. The courtyard was meticulously tended, with flowers and grass blooming beautifully.
I could hardly believe my eyes as I watched John Chou. I never imagined he would do something like this.
"Isabelle?"
I called out softly. Isabelle Frost sat dazed in her wheelchair, silent. John Chou walked over, used a needleless injector to give her water, then covered her wide eyes with a piece of cloth, hugged her, and carried her out of the living room into the bedroom, turning off the light. Every movement was so careful, as if afraid of hurting Isabelle.
"I never thought you'd be so gentle with a woman," I said.
The moment I spoke, John Chou's face darkened. Then he chuckled and sat down on the sofa, tossing me a bottle of liquor. I took it and drank, and he pulled out another bottle for himself.
"Brother, let's not joke about this. My foolish little sister—no matter what, she's still my sister. When she resisted that ritual, the soul forged for her lost part of its strength. That's why now she can't walk or speak. Those forged souls are like dried-up rocks, clinging to her ghost, becoming impossibly tough. I've been thinking for five months, but I still can't figure out a solution. After all, you're still fighting for your little happiness at the shop, aren't you?"
John Chou's words had a teasing edge. My face warmed and I took a sip of liquor.
"Enough about that, John Chou. How did you remember? Normally, that's almost impossible, right?"