CHAPTER 334: CHAPTER 334; COME ALONE OR EVERYONE DIES

Before Tang Fei could answer, the light flickered again, hard this time, and the mirror rippled like water.

Now it showed Tang Fei herself, her face streaked with tears, cradling a baby she didn’t recognize. The reflection of her own soft sob echoed faintly through the air, distorted, like a memory warped by time.

Then, there was silence. Total silence...

Everything stopped.

The lights steadied, the air thickened, and for a long moment neither of them moved. The mirror slowly cleared, revealing only their true reflections once more, two pale faces, eyes wide, the echo of fear still trapped between them.

Tang Fei’s breath trembled as she tried to steady herself. The silence pressed against her ears, heavy and damp, carrying the faint scent of wet marble and something metallic beneath it.

She lowered her gaze and suddenly froze.

Right beside her hand on the counter was a print... Small, wet, and still glistening faintly under the harsh white light.

It was a child’s handprint.

Neither of them spoke. Twilight’s chest rose and fell quickly, her eyes locked on the mark, while Tang Fei stood utterly still, her heart pounding loud enough that it seemed to fill the entire room.

Twilight’s voice broke the silence at last, so soft it barely carried past the breeze, "Momma... that wasn’t real, right?"

Tang Fei looked up, meeting her reflection’s gaze. Her pulse still thundered in her ears heavily, "Maybe not," she whispered back still tensed and conflicted, "but it felt so real."

The lights flickered once, just enough to stir the shadows and make the air feel strangely colder. For a heartbeat, barely longer than a breath, Tang Fei thought she saw something move in the mirror. A shape, dark and indistinct, standing just behind her, watching in silence.

Her breath hitched, and she spun around, heart pounding so hard it felt like it might break through her ribs. But there was nothing, only the quiet line of empty stalls, the faint hum of the lights above, and the soft echo of her own breathing filling the room.

Twilight’s hand found Tang Fei’s arm, her grip tight and grounding..."Let’s go," she said quietly, her tone steady, but edged with a warning that left no room for argument.

Tang Fei gave a faint nod and gathered herself, forcing her steps to stay even as they crossed the tiled floor. The door slid shut behind them with a soft hiss, the sound final in a way that made the air feel heavier.

In the mirror, for a breath longer than it should have been, her reflection lingered, eyes wide, searching the glass, before it slowly faded away.

The corridor met them in silence. White walls, black marble floors, and the constant hum of overhead lights stretched ahead, sterile and endless.

Tang Fei’s heels clicked softly against the tiles, the sound too sharp in the quietness. Twilight stayed close, scanning each corner as they moved, her hand hovering near the blade hidden beneath her sleeve.

Then, as they reached almost the middle of the hallway, a sound broke through the stillness.

A cry.

It came softly at first, like the wind brushing against a windowpane, then grew clearer, it was a child’s voice, thin and trembling.

"...Momma..."

Tang Fei stopped where she stood, her heart tripping painfully in her chest. The voice was small, uncertain, yet achingly familiar. Twilight turned sharply, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the hallway, "You heard that too, right?" Her tone was low, measured, but it carried an edge of disbelief.

Tang Fei didn’t answer. She was already moving, her steps quick and silent as she turned back toward the washroom. Twilight followed immediately, her movements sharp, precise, the air between them charged with unease.

The door slid open again with its quiet mechanical sigh. Everything looked the same, the polished mirrors, the steady lights, the faint citrus scent hanging in the air, but the silence inside felt wrong. Too dense and too alive.

Tang Fei’s gaze swept across the stalls. They were empty, still, yet something about the room’s quiet felt watchful. Then she noticed the narrow glass door at the far end, the one leading to the balcony overlooking the east wing.

She hesitated only a second before stepping toward it, her movements careful. Twilight stayed beside her, tense and ready. The door creaked as Tang Fei pushed it open, letting in a rush of cool air and the faint sounds of life outside, the murmur of distant voices, a car horn, the rustle of leaves.

Then she froze.

Across the courtyard, on the rooftop of the opposite building, stood a small figure. A child, same height, same dark hair, even the same tilt of the head. For an impossible second, Tang Fei’s heart stopped. It was Minghao.

But Minghao was still inside with Huo Ting Cheng.

The little girl stood motionless, her pale face turned toward them, the wind tugging gently at her dress. Her lips moved too, but far away for Tang Fei to hear, yet deep down she knew what the child was saying.

Momma.

The word echoed soundlessly through her mind, tightening something deep in her chest. Then her gaze shifted, and her stomach dropped.

Behind the girl, three students in Phoenix Academy uniforms stood in a straight line, their faces streaked with fear. Their arms were bound, their bodies trembling. And strapped to each of their chests were metallic vests blinking faintly with red lights.

Bombs.

"Twilight...." Tang Fei’s voice came out rough and unsteady. She didn’t finish the thought as the instinct took over. She grabbed Twilight’s arm and pulled her back inside, slamming the balcony door shut.

Her heart pounded wildly, the echo of that child’s stare burning behind her eyelids.

"Momma, what did you see?" Twilight’s voice was sharp, trained, but a tremor of dread ran beneath the calm.

Tang Fei opened her mouth to answer, but instantly froze.

On the mirror, something was forming. Slowly, faintly, as if being written from the other side of the glass. Letters appeared one after another, the strokes wet and red, gleaming under the harsh light.

[COME ALONE.....

OR EVERYONE DIES]