Chapter 1 — The Boy Beneath the Rain

Dark clouds covered the evening sky as cold rain slowly fell over the city. The streets shimmered under the streetlights, and the sound of rain echoed through the quiet night.

Zhang Chenxi stood outside her house with her school bag tightly held in her hands. She had been standing in front of the door for several minutes, yet she still could not gather the courage to go inside.

A loud sound suddenly came from inside the house.

Chenxi lowered her eyes.

“Mom is angry again…” she thought quietly.

She never understood why her mother became upset so easily. Sometimes it was because of school, sometimes because she came home late, and sometimes for spending too much time with friends. Her father always told her that her mother cared deeply about the family, but lately, home no longer felt peaceful to Chenxi.

Thunder flashed across the sky.

The rain became heavier.

Chenxi slowly sat down on the front steps and looked up at the dark sky. She had always loved rainy nights. Rain made the world feel quieter, as if all the noise and pressure around her disappeared for a little while.

Her phone suddenly vibrated.

The screen showed the name of Liqin.

A small smile appeared on Chenxi’s face as she answered the call.

“You’re standing outside your house again, aren’t you?” Liqin said immediately.

Chenxi blinked in surprise.

“How did you know?”

“Because every time your mom gets angry, you sit outside like a sad movie character.”

Chenxi laughed softly.

“Don’t forget tomorrow’s school festival meeting,” Liqin continued. “If you skip it again, I’ll personally drag you there.”

“I’ll try to come,” Chenxi replied quietly.

As soon as the call ended, the streetlights around her suddenly began flickering.

Once.

Twice.

Then the entire street went dark.

Chenxi slowly stood up.

Her heartbeat became uneasy.

The air suddenly felt freezing cold.

Not normal cold.

An unnatural coldness that sent chills through her entire body.

She slowly looked toward the empty street—

—and froze.

Across the road, beneath the heavy rain, stood a boy.

Tall.

Silent.

Perfectly still.

He held a black umbrella above his head while most of his face remained hidden in the darkness. But his silver eyes were clearly visible.

And they were staring directly at her.

Chenxi’s heartbeat grew faster.

She had never seen him before.

Yet somehow…

it felt as though she already knew him.

For several long seconds, neither of them moved.

The rain continued falling around them, but the entire world felt strangely silent.

Then the mysterious boy slowly turned around and began walking away into the darkness.

“Wait—!” Chenxi suddenly called out.

But the boy disappeared into the rain without looking back.

At that exact moment, a sharp burning pain spread across Chenxi’s wrist.

“Ah—!”

She grabbed her arm in fear.

A strange glowing symbol had appeared on her wrist, shining with a faint blue light.

Chenxi stared at it with trembling eyes.

“What… is this…?”

And somewhere far away in the shadows of the city…

a quiet voice whispered:

> “She has finally awakened.”

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