Three days passed.
The peace Shi Mu had fought for—earned, even—held.
No whispering walls.No lingering spirits.No flickering lights or messages from beyond.
For the first time since arriving at this school, the air felt normal.
Almost too normal.
That morning, she was in the library, flipping through old student rosters. It was supposed to be routine—cross-referencing names from the spiritual registry the school quietly kept hidden.
She didn't expect anything strange.
But then she noticed something.
Or rather—the absence of something.
"Fu Yunshen's name isn't here," she said aloud, fingers tapping the column where it should have appeared.
Zhou Zhi, who had been flipping through a snack guide in the corner, perked up.
"Didn't he transfer in this year?"
"He did," she said, frowning.
"But he's not listed in last year's records either," she added, flipping to the prior term.
"Okay, so what—you think he's a ghost?" Zhou Zhi joked, laughing nervously.
Shi Mu didn't laugh.
She kept digging.
Ten minutes turned into an hour.
She searched through dorm assignments, class registrations, even the teacher logs.
Fu Yunshen was mentioned only once—
In a counselor's note, dated just before she arrived.
"Subject exhibits high spiritual sensitivity. Monitor closely. Clearance granted."
No admission letter.
No full name.
No family contact.
Nothing else.
Just that note.
Shi Mu leaned back in her chair.
Her heartbeat wasn't fast, but it wasn't steady either.
"Clearance granted…"
What did that mean?
That evening, she returned to her dorm.
Fu Yunshen was waiting outside again, casually leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets.
"Library run?" he asked.
She nodded.
"You okay?"
Another nod.
But something in her gaze was searching now.
He noticed.
"You found something," he said.
"Not exactly," she replied.
"Then what?"
She looked at him, calmly.
"You're not in the official student list."
A pause.
Then—
"I know," he said.
[System Notification]
Unknown Identity Confirmed – Target's Spiritual Classification: Restricted
Brotherhood Value +110 (Unveiled Truth – Trust Maintained Despite Omission)
Current Total: 3,105 / 1,000,000
Shi Mu took a slow breath.
"I'm not asking you to explain now."
Fu Yunshen tilted his head.
"But I will," he said. "When it matters."
She nodded once.
And then, without another word, unlocked her door and stepped inside.
Not afraid.
But no longer sure—
who exactly was watching over whom.