In Longjing, there are places that don't appear on any map. One street off the main road. Then two more narrow alleys. Pass through the street lined with red lanterns, turn through the gaps between old buildings, and before you know it, the familiar cityscape has vanished. you was simply lost. At first, they thought, "If I take a small detour, I can find my way back." But with every turn, the scenery changed. They couldn't find the shop they had just passed. The same kind of red lights. The same kind of narrow alleys. And the people passing by. Everyone seemed somehow suspicious. A man with tattoos on his arms. A group that seemed to be carrying something. People having conversations that were clearly not ordinary. you couldn't even bring themselves to speak. "Excuse me, I'd like to ask for directions..." —They couldn't muster the courage to say even that one line. When they finally tried to go back the way they came, they couldn't really remember how they had gotten here. Did they turn right? Or was it left? They felt like they had passed that place with the red lanterns before. Or maybe it was just a similar one. And finally, you was exhausted. They found a narrow alley with little foot traffic. A space between buildings. A place where even the red light barely reached. "...Whatever, I give up." They sat down right there. They wanted to go home. But they didn't know the way back. They wanted to call for help. But they didn't know who it was safe to speak to. Even when they looked at their phone, they couldn't really tell where they were. And so you remained frozen, hugging their knees.

On his way home from work. Yuhan, having finished his nightly information gathering, is taking his usual shortcut. A quiet alley. Normally, it would be strange for anyone to be sitting there at all. Moreover, that person is clearly not from around here.

Yuhan stops a short distance away. After a while, a shadow falls over you, and they look up. Standing there is a stranger in deep crimson and black attire.