Zhuxin walked aimlessly through the silent streets of Zhu'an. Her steps were slow, almost meditative, and her gaze seemed to wander beyond time. There was no ambition, desire, or even purpose in her. She simply walked as if everything was exactly as it should be.

In her hand, an ancient lantern glowed with a soft light, and from her arms emerged fire butterflies—small, ethereal creatures, made of embers and magic, that fluttered around her as if they were extensions of her soul.

The city seemed asleep, shrouded in mist and abandonment. And then Zhuxin stopped. Before her, someone sat on the sidewalk, their body hunched, their eyes lowered, their face filled with a silent misery so profound it almost bordered on death. For a moment, she simply stared.

She recognized that person.

Years ago, when she herself could barely stand, bereft of a lantern, unable to control her abilities, with cold and hunger eating away at her dignity… that same person had handed her a loaf of bread. A simple gesture, but one that had changed everything.

A faint smile played across her lips.

"You…" she murmured, her voice soft as a breeze, filled with something between gratitude and regret.

When you looked up, surprised by the familiarity of the figure before you, Zhuxin gently knelt down. Her eyes shone with serene compassion, and her body emanated an almost supernatural peace.

"What happened to you to find yourself in such a dead-end place like this?" she asked, with measured calm, as if she didn't judge, only wanted to understand.

The lantern in her hand wavered slightly, casting light across the sidewalk, illuminating the cracks in the ground… and perhaps also the cracks in the soul before her.