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The elevator stopped on the sixteenth floor. Ziya looked at the figure before her, who was staring at Duan Xiuying with a fierce gaze, and trembled as she asked, "Are you... Duan Xiuying?" To her surprise, as soon as the question left her lips, the figure revealed a sinister glint in its eyes and extended blood-red claws, accompanied by a chilling gust of wind reaching for her. Zhou Chen focused his energy, causing the elevator doors to open automatically, watching as the claws approached.
Ziya felt herself being pulled uncontrollably toward the elevator door. Upon closer inspection, she realized that Zhou Chen was supporting her and guiding her out of the elevator, while confronting the figure. Just then, a cacophony of footsteps and heavy breathing echoed from the stairwell on the sixteenth floor, followed by Yuan Ye and Liu rushing out.
"Ziya, are you okay?" Yuan Ye exclaimed upon seeing Ziya's pale face and hurried over to her. Liu, however, hesitated and whispered something to another Liu nearby.
"Monster, show your true form," one of the Lius said, seemingly influenced by what the other Liu had said, as she waved an arm adorned with jade toward Ziya.
"Sure thing!" The other Liu replied, lowering her arm in confusion and turning to ask the Liu behind her.
"Ziya is fine; look, I'm right next to her," Yuan Ye said, somewhat exasperated by their behavior. A casual glance at the open elevator door revealed flickering lights inside, making him realize that there was something amiss within what appeared to be an empty elevator.
"There's something inside," Yuan Ye quickly told Liu.
As they spoke, the elevator doors began to close automatically. Ziya instinctively lunged toward it, her fingers brushing against the cold metal wall. Thinking of Zhou Chen inside, tears streamed down her face... but she couldn't voice her distress; instead, she stared blankly at the tightly shut doors.
"Ziya, it's good that you're okay; let's head down!" Yuan Ye comforted her. He also considered that perhaps whatever dark entity was present had retreated upon seeing them together, especially since Liu possessed a magical artifact.
The sixteenth floor was high enough to overlook the entire cityscape. None of them had ever been here together before, especially not as night fell. Reflecting on what had just transpired filled them with an inexplicable sense of dread.
"Ziya, did anything strange happen in the elevator?" Yuan Ye asked tentatively. Both Lius gazed at the twinkling city lights below like stars in a hazy sky. The fierce wind on the rooftop whipped against their faces, surrounding them with an eerie darkness as they noticed Ziya staring intently at a particular spot.
Ziya ignored Yuan Ye's question. Her brows furrowed tightly as she observed a faint purple mist drifting up from various places below the building. The mist seemed almost sentient as it slowly floated toward the structure, which appeared to act like a bottle neck designed to absorb it. Yuan Ye and Liu were unable to see this strange phenomenon; they followed her gaze but only saw an utterly ordinary scene.
Ziya was worried about Zhou Chen, unsure of his current situation. As this thought crossed her mind, a mist clouded her eyes, obscuring her vision. She felt an urge to rush downstairs to check on the elevator, and the group headed toward it. The double elevators remained unresponsive, leaving only the single elevator operational. A few of them stepped inside, fatigue evident on their faces, and a heavy silence enveloped the space.
"Have you seen Lao Ran lately?" Liu suddenly asked as they descended in the single elevator. Ziya understood the implications surrounding Lao Ran's situation, but the others shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t seen him.
Ziya wanted to share what Yuan Ye had told her about Zhou Chen, but given the strange circumstances they were in, she decided it was best to remain cautious and kept quiet. The elevator descended slowly, the silence thick with anxiety over the possibility of it stopping mid-journey. Once they exited the elevator, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
At the entrance stood a figure with their back to them, appearing anxious and sighing repeatedly. Ziya recognized her mother, Zi Anqing, and hurried over to see what was wrong. She called out softly, glancing nervously at Liu Haoming, who was smoking nearby.
"Anqing, why are you here?" Ziya wanted to check on Zhou Chen but felt unable to leave.
"Little ancestor, why wouldn’t we come? People finish work on time; you should be grateful we came to pick you up," Zi Anqing scolded gently while looking at her daughter’s slightly pale face with concern.
"Dad," Liu Haoming stood up upon hearing their conversation, his brows furrowed as he shot an irritated glance at Yuan Ye and the others.
"Let’s go home..." His tone was calm yet carried an air of authority that brooked no argument. Ziya stuck out her tongue at Yuan Ye and the others before being pulled away by Zi Anqing toward their car. After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and ran back to Yuan Ye.
"Yuan, there’s still someone in the elevator; can you check on them?" Anqing and the others looked at Ziya in surprise at her request. Yuan Ye nodded in agreement and promised to look into it. As Ziya watched their car leave through the gate, she glanced back at the closed elevator doors and shook her head uncertainly.
"Liu, do you want me to give you a ride or what?" Yuan Ye offered since he knew it wasn’t safe for a woman to be alone outside.
"Uh... never mind; I’ll walk myself! My car is parked over there," Liu replied as she remembered she hadn’t locked up her office yet and headed toward Zhang, the Chief Editor's office.
"Liu, you must be starving! The cafeteria is probably out of food by now. How about I lend you some money to buy a cup of instant noodles?" Yuan Ye suggested as he noticed Liu lost in thought while glancing toward where she had been heading. He quickly arranged for her to grab something to eat.
"No way, how can I take your money? I have snacks in my lounge. Alright, I'm going to buy a tube of toothpaste and see if there's anything else I need," Liu said as she walked toward the door. Suddenly, her phone rang; it was Cui Er calling her, so she stepped aside to answer the call.
As Liu went to close the office door, she realized the corridor was pitch black. Muttering to herself about who turned off the lights, she walked through the dark hallway, still shaken from earlier. It felt as if the shadows were filled with demons, making her uneasy, her hair standing on end. She wanted to scream but felt too embarrassed. Reflecting on her earlier awkwardness with Yuan Ye, she sighed quietly and continued to feel her way forward.
Liu sensed she was almost at the door when something tripped her foot. Instinctively, she crouched down and reached out to touch whatever it was. Her fingers brushed against fabric, and when she moved up a bit, she felt something cold. She couldn't help but scream, "Oh my god… ah…"
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