The strange, suffocating chill finally faded the moment Lucien and Jamie turned the corner.
It wasn't dramatic. There was no sudden release, no visible boundary. But Lucien felt it clearly—the invisible weight that had been pressing against his senses simply… loosened.
Only then did he realize how tense his body had become.
He exhaled slowly, drawing in a deep breath as if clearing something lingering in his lungs.
"…Even taking a walk isn't safe anymore," he muttered under his breath. "Freedom really does come with consequences."
His tone carried a hint of dry sarcasm, but his thoughts were anything but relaxed.
What he had just seen—no, what he had just felt—was not something ordinary.
That child…
There had been no obvious signs at first glance. No distortion, no grotesque aura leaking out into the surroundings. Anyone else would have seen nothing more than a quiet, slightly odd child standing alone at a crossroads.
But Lucien knew better.
That wasn't a child being haunted.
That was a vessel.
A temporary container.
Something had been placed inside it—something that didn't belong.
And worse… it was stable.
Most possessions were chaotic. Imperfect. The invading entity would struggle against the host, leaving behind traces—emotional fluctuations, physical anomalies, disturbances in the surrounding environment.
But this?
This was clean.
Controlled.
Deliberate.
Lucien's gaze darkened slightly as the realization settled deeper.
Whoever—or whatever—was behind this wasn't just powerful.
It was precise.
Even under the blazing midday sun, when yang energy should have suppressed such things, that presence had shown no discomfort at all.
No hesitation.
No weakness.
Compared to it… entities like Mary Shaw or Freddy felt almost crude.
That thought alone was enough to send a faint chill down his spine.
"Lucien?"
Jamie's voice pulled him back.
Lucien blinked once, his expression smoothing out.
Jamie was watching him carefully now, concern evident. "You've been quiet for a while. Something wrong?"
Lucien didn't sugarcoat it.
"Yes."
The single word was enough to change the atmosphere.
Jamie's posture stiffened slightly. "What kind of wrong?"
Lucien glanced back—just briefly—toward the direction they had come from. Then he looked forward again.
"Don't come to this area anymore," he said calmly.
Jamie didn't laugh.
Didn't question it immediately.
After everything he had witnessed, he knew better than to treat Lucien's warnings lightly.
"…Something's here?" he asked.
Lucien didn't answer verbally this time.
He simply nodded.
That was enough.
Jamie's expression grew serious, and for once, he didn't push for more details.
The silence that followed was heavier than before.
This wasn't like the theater incident. Back then, even in danger, Lucien had carried an unmistakable confidence—a sense that everything was under control.
But now…
Something was different.
That slight crease between Lucien's brows hadn't disappeared.
Jamie noticed.
And that alone was enough to make him reconsider everything.
The street behind them—just minutes ago, an ordinary part of the city—was now firmly categorized in his mind as a place he would never willingly return to.
"Should we… head back?" Jamie asked after a moment.
There was hesitation in his voice.
Lucien shook his head.
"It's fine," he said. "It can't act freely yet."
That was the key point.
Whatever that thing was—it was still restrained.
Dormant.
Or perhaps… observing.
Lucien wasn't sure which was worse.
But either way, it wasn't something he intended to confront head-on.
Not yet.
"Let's go," he said simply.
Jamie nodded, falling into step beside him again.
Outwardly, things returned to normal.
Conversation resumed. The tension faded from Jamie's tone. To him, the situation had already been resolved in the simplest way possible:
There was danger → Lucien noticed it → Lucien chose not to act → therefore, it wasn't something they needed to worry about right now.
Straightforward. Efficient.
Trust, in its purest form.
But Lucien's mind was anything but calm.
As they walked, thoughts continued to surface, one after another.
Simple talismans wouldn't be enough anymore.
That much was clear.
The enemies he was beginning to encounter were no longer limited to restless spirits or vengeful remnants. These were entities with awareness, intent… and structure.
If he wanted to survive—no, if he wanted to stay ahead—he needed stronger methods.
His fingers flexed slightly at his side.
The Five Thunder Talisman…
The thought came naturally.
Among the various Taoist techniques, thunder methods were considered the most destructive against evil entities. Pure yang energy. Absolute suppression.
If anything could directly counter something like that presence…
It would be thunder.
But creating such talismans wasn't simple.
It required materials.
Preparation.
Precision.
And—
Money.
Lucien's lips curved faintly.
At least that part was no longer a problem.
Lightning-struck wood…
A proper ritual blade…
Higher-grade talisman paper…
The list began forming in his mind almost instinctively.
Behind him, Jamie was still talking—something about restaurants, plans, and evening arrangements—but Lucien only half-listened.
Until one particular sentence caught his attention.
"Speaking of which… aren't you meeting Annie tonight?"
Lucien blinked once.
Right.
Dinner.
For a moment, the supernatural chaos faded into the background.
Jamie grinned. "We should get you a car."
Lucien gave him a flat look. "A car?"
"Yeah," Jamie said, as if it were obvious. "You can't just show up like this."
Lucien raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Like…" Jamie gestured vaguely. "Like a normal guy."
Lucien almost laughed.
"Traffic alone is enough reason not to," he replied. "Half the time, you'd be stuck on the road."
"That's what I thought too," Jamie said immediately. "Before I got my first car."
His tone shifted—becoming strangely passionate.
"A car isn't just transportation. It's freedom. When you're behind the wheel, it feels like the whole world is open to you."
Lucien glanced at him sideways.
"You missed your calling," he said dryly. "You should've been a salesman."
Jamie ignored that completely.
"You really don't want to make an impression tonight?" he pressed.
Lucien didn't answer right away.
Instead, a different thought surfaced.
Clothes.
Formal ones.
He paused slightly.
Aside from the old suit he wore years ago… he didn't actually own anything suitable for an occasion like this.
That realization was… inconvenient.
Jamie noticed the shift in his expression and immediately leaned closer, pulling out his phone.
"Oh, and look at this."
He showed Lucien the address.
"The restaurant they picked? High-end. Private. No paparazzi. No random interruptions."
Lucien glanced at the screen, then nodded once.
Not bad.
Meanwhile—
Across the city—
Inside a moving car—
Annie sat in the back seat, unusually quiet.
Rachel, driving, kept glancing at her through the rearview mirror.
"You've checked your reflection five times already," Rachel said lightly. "Relax. You look perfect."
Annie hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"I did my research," Rachel replied confidently. "Your makeup, your outfit—it's exactly the kind of style East Asian men tend to like."
Annie blinked. "Wait… how do you even know that?"
Rachel coughed lightly.
"…I used to date a Chinese guy."
Annie stared at her.
"…You never told me that."
Rachel waved it off. "That's not the point."
She turned the steering wheel smoothly, her tone becoming more serious.
"What matters is tonight."
Annie looked down at her hands.
Rachel continued, "Someone like Lucien… he's not lacking anything. Money. Ability. Connections. People like that don't chase after others."
She paused briefly.
"If you want to stay in his world… you need to take the initiative."
Annie's fingers tightened slightly.
"But…" she started, then stopped.
Rachel sighed inwardly.
That hesitation.
That uncertainty.
It wasn't normal.
Not for Annie.
This wasn't just unfamiliarity with taking initiative.
This was something deeper.
Something that had changed.
Rachel's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly.
What exactly happened in that dream…?
Was it really just the so-called suspension bridge effect?
Or something more?
She didn't have the answer.
But one thing was certain—
The Annie sitting behind her now…
Was no longer the same as before.