In the West District of Modu, inside the passageway of an abandoned apartment building.
The air was thick with rust, dampness, and a faint, cloying scent of blood.
A flashlight beam cut through the darkness, illuminating a curled-up figure in the corner.
Liu Ru sat hugging her knees, her long hair hanging loose as her body trembled slightly.
"Liu Ru!"
Mo Fan rushed forward, his voice filled with urgency and relief.
"We finally found you! You're okay—"
His words abruptly stopped.
The flashlight illuminated Liu Ru's face.
It was pale without a trace of color, yet her lips bore an unnatural crimson.
More terrifying were her eyes. Her pupils glimmered with a faint bloody light in the darkness. When the beam shone on her, she instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes, pain visible through the gaps between her fingers.
And on the side of her neck were two bite marks that had healed, yet remained clearly visible.
Zhao Manyan sucked in a sharp breath.
"Liu Ru... you..."
Liu Ru slowly raised her head.
At first, her eyes were dazed, as though she had just awakened from a long nightmare.
Then fragments of memory flooded into her mind.
"Since you hate me so much, then become like me. Let your sister see her most beloved little sister turn into a monster just like her. Hehehe..."
"No..."
Liu Ru whispered hoarsely.
She lowered her head and looked at her hands.
Even in the darkness, the bluish veins beneath her skin were unnaturally clear, and her fingertips were trembling faintly without her control.
"No... no, that can't be."
She suddenly rose to her feet, stumbling backward until her back slammed hard against the cold wall.
"This isn't me. This isn't..."
Mo Fan wanted to step forward.
"Liu Ru, calm down! We