The last of the patrol boats slid across the black waters of Marina South Pier, its searchlights cutting silver arcs like divination knives. The city behind pulsed with magic and neon, a living beast of chrome and spirit-glass. But beyond that glow, Lazarus Island crouched in the mist like a ghost—watchful, quiet, forgotten by most, feared by those who remembered.
Alex Lim stood at the quay’s edge, collar turned up against the wind, hands in his coat pockets. The silver lion of the Ninth Precinct glinted dully on his chest, no longer a badge of pride but a tether. A reminder of what he’d traded to stay inside the game.
Footsteps clicked behind him, crisp but unhurried.
“You always pick the most dramatic backdrops for brooding,” Dario said, coming to stand beside him.
Alex turned just enough to catch him in the corner of his eye. The dhampir looked sharp despite the late hour—blazer fluttering slightly in the sea breeze, sunglasses tucked into the collar of his shirt.
Alex didn’t look over. “You’re early.”
“You said ‘urgent,’ not ‘on schedule.’”
Alex exhaled slowly. “Because it is.”
Before he could elaborate, another set of boots approached. Jin Wei jogged up, half-saluting.
“Inspector Lim. No change from the wards. Still stable. No confirmed spirit breaches, though... something’s watching. It feels like the whole island’s holding its breath.”
Alex nodded once. “Report back. Keep the patrols thin. No aggression unless provoked.”
Jin hesitated. “Commander Zhan gave different orders.”
“Zhan’s not standing here,” Alex said, voice flat. “I am.”
Jin swallowed and backed off with a salute. “Yes, sir.”
Dario stepped beside Alex, gaze locked on Lazarus.
“Why are you watching Lazarus Island?”
“I am confident Kai would be contacted by the Hollow Fang. Plus Zhan has a meeting with Lazarus Island in a few days.”
“Zhan’s playing a long game,” Dario said. “And he’s willing to sacrifice a few pawns to provoke a checkmate.”
Alex didn’t argue. He just stared at the island, lips pressed in a thin line. “You heard about what happened with the Ghost Lanterns after the Bukit Brown incident? Now the Frangipani and the Lanterns are slaughtering each other in alleys and shrines. The Pale Curtain’s growing thin. And Zhan’s letting it happen.””
“Because it weakens them both,” Dario said. “Bleeds the city dry until he’s the only one with any power left.”
Alex’s brow creased. “You hear from Kai?”
Dario nodded. “He’s in. Full commitment. Said no more waiting.”
A tight smile curved at the edge of Alex’s mouth. “Then maybe we have a shot.”
Dario’s expression was unreadable. “Or we’re already knee-deep in the storm.”
Alex’s eyes drifted back to the island—just a silhouette now, hunched in the fog.
“With Hollow Fang out there?” he said softly. “We never left it.”
In the distance, lightning flashed over Lazarus—no thunder, just light. The kind that meant something was stirring. Watching.
Alex’s phone buzzed.
He didn’t need to check the screen. He already knew.
Alex stepped away from the railing, slipping into the shadows beneath a rusted lamppost. The distant hum of city traffic filtered in as he answered.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Tell me you’re calling with good news, Lim,” came Aria’s voice—dry, worn, and already impatient.
Alex ignored her tone. “I got Mei’s test delayed a few months,” he said quietly. “Tell me you’ve handled her exit.”
There was a pause on the line. Then Aria replied, “I’ve got a way out. But it’s risky.”
He exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. The headache that had been simmering now bloomed behind his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder, lowering his voice.
“Of course it’s risky. Nothing with you is ever simple.”
“That’s why you love me,” she said, a teasing lilt in her voice.
“That’s why you give me migraines, Ouyang.”
She laughed, but it rang hollow—brittle around the edges. The sound made something twist in his gut.
He turned and leaned against the cold steel railing. The city glowed behind him, distant and uncaring. The water reflected it all like a broken mirror.
He’d been walking a tightrope with Aria for months. Mei was the price of that fragile truce. In return for keeping the girl off the Ninth Precinct’s radar, Aria had fed him information from Lazarus Island. At first, she’d resisted—Aria didn’t take kindly to blackmail—but Alex had been persuasive.
She’d understood the stakes. Eventually, she’d agreed. Begrudgingly.
But the delay wouldn’t hold forever. Sooner or later, Mei would be tested. And once they confirmed her power, the Ninth Precinct would move fast—and without mercy.
“Tell me,” Alex said, voice clipped. “What’s your plan?”
“Cargo freighter. Leaves for Malaysia at dawn. No records, no questions. If she’s on it, she’s gone before anyone knows.”
Alex frowned. “And?”
A beat.
“The ship belongs to Varela & Co. Rare Tomes.”
Silence stretched between them.
“You’re kidding,” he said flatly.
“I know what I’m doing.”
“No, you don’t,” he snapped, pushing off the railing. “Renzo Varela’s in bed with the Scarlet Frangipani. You really think he’s doing this out of kindness? If they figure out who Mei is, they’ll sell her before she’s even out of Singaporean waters. Plus they are at war with the Ghost Lanterns.”
“I’ve got it covered,” Aria said. “Fake papers. Mundane disguise. She’ll slip through like any other stowaway.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
Silence.
Alex ran a hand through his hair. “This is a mistake.”
“You have a better idea?” Aria shot back, frustration bleeding through the static. “Because time’s up. You bought her a few weeks. That’s it. You and I both know what happens when the Ninth Precinct gets hold of a powerful witch.”
He did. He’d seen it too many times—collars, registration, surveillance. And if the magic was too volatile? A collar became a cage. A sentence. A disappearance.
“She’s just a kid,” Aria said, her voice softer now. “She doesn’t deserve this.”
Neither did you, he thought.
The words almost came out. He wanted to say it. Wanted to remind her she knew better than anyone what the Precinct did to people like Mei—because she had been one of them. Aria and her twin brother, the infamous Ouyang duo. Robbing banks, hacking sigil-locked vaults, dancing on the edge of the law—until they got caught.
Her brother vanished. Aria survived. But survival came at a cost.
She buried it under charm, sarcasm, and smoke. But Alex had always seen the cracks.
“You’re sure about this?” he asked, quietly now.
“Yes.”
He didn’t like it. But he didn’t have a better option.
Not yet.
He sighed, rubbing his temple. “Fine. But if anything goes wrong—”
“It won’t.”
“You always say that.”
“And I always manage.”
Her voice was lighter, but it didn’t ease the knot in his chest. Not this time.
“You’re pushing too hard,” he said, his voice gentler now.
Aria let out a dry laugh. “I’m just playing the hand I was dealt, Alex. Like always.”
“Then let me deal you a better one.”
She didn’t answer.
