In this flourishing modern city surrounded by brightly lit buildings of many sizes and shapes.
The sound of indistinct murmurs filled the air along with the constant beam of lights from passing vehicles.
These flashes of rays illuminate people's paths while stretching out the shadows hidden away from the corner of people's sight.
In this place clustering with people walking on the same bright road ahead, a lone figure walks in reverse.
Choosing to slip within the dark junctions where light barely reaches.
"... …"
Sitting on top of a wooden folding chair in the middle of a dark alley. Chu Nuan sighed to herself as she reexamined the note in her hand.
[Chu Nuan you crook! This isn't over. You'll be begging for forgiveness once the three of us come back to find you! Just you wait!!!]
[Signed: The Three Ghost Kings.]
"Haa…"
Sighing once again at the thought of those three naughty children who ran away without permission. Cherry lips curve in a slow arc to take on the appearance of a cold smile.
Lithe fingers covered over her bright irises as a faint chuckle rumbled from the throat quietly at first. Before becoming louder and more intense until the ringing of her voice seemed to have resounded across the whole alley.
Then, it stops with an abrupt halt as slender digits lowered from her eyes to reveal a pair of black pupils flickering with specks of gold. It gleams with dangerous sparks as the woman's gaze locked towards the end of the alley.
Towards the figure running- no, floating away from the peripheral of her vision.
"... …"
Standing up from the chair with a stretch of her tense back, Chu Nuan releases a helpless mutter under her breaths. "What a pain."
_____
The floating spirit led Chu Nuan en route to an abandoned construction site that had closed down two years ago. Without sufficient funds to support this developing project, the place was left to collect dust.
Not many people wander this place afterwards as the area itself was also left undeveloped after the incident. A desolate aura of gloom and eeriness surrounds the place without the radiance of human liveliness.
Thus, accumulating enough negative energy to become a favorite hanging spot for wandering ghosts.
Black mist that could not be detected by normal human beings wrapped around the building like an invisible veil. Spinning within the atmosphere akin to a web spun to capture prey as a deathly silence pervades the air.
Only thin strands of moonlight seeps through the cracks of the architecture in lumination to the dark corridors.
"To the left.." The woman whispers, eyes glowing ever so bright with sparks of golden flakes.
Moments later as the woman took step into the deepest part of the dark building, an icy wind blew against her cheeks.
Within a fraction of a second after, the flooring beneath emitted an abrupt glow of bloody crimson. A tremendous amount of killing intent exploded below like the breaking of a dam!
Hundreds of scarlet blades appeared from every angle as it pierced in the direction of the woman with frightening speed!
"A killing array?" Chu Nuan raised a brow at the familiar design as body moved to dodge those cutting edges.
Feet side-stepped towards the right while upper body twisted to evade the blades aiming from above.
In that fraction of a second, Chu Nuan flicked her wrist in casual motion to reveal a black chain enveloped in a solemn indigo aura.
Soul Constricting Chain!
Flashing backwards with a three-sixty flip in the air while throwing the chains at those flying blades.
Clang!
Sparks flew as those chains collided against blades whilst obsidian irises scanned the area with a stilled calmness.
[Hundred Killing Edges]
A formation created with a combination of illusions formed as a veil to hide the killing strikes within.
This is actually a low level formation but the troublesome thing about this array is the fact that it has a mechanism that can gauge the strength of its opponents.
The speed and power as well as the amount of blades created, both real and illusory are dependent on the foe.
While deceptional blades serve to hinder the opponent's sight as well as their judgment, authentic blades camouflage themselves within the onslaught.
Imagine if the person who arranged this trap is near the side waiting to strike as well. The person caged inside would have to spread their concentration on figuring out which are the real blades. Dodging those attacks while fearing an ambush somewhere from the perpetrator as well.
However…
Side stepping to the left then bending to roll forward in avoidance at another bout of sharp edges. Gleaming pupils flitted a casual glance to the left with an unconscious twitch of cherry lips.
"Ah."
All of a sudden, the young woman released a small gasp as her body tilted from slipping on a patch of wet ground.
Floor made slippery by rain water accumulated from the night before, the young woman slammed onto the ground with a loud thump.
"Ngh."
Chu Nuan grunted from discomfort whilst struggling to move her body paralyzed by temporary pain.
"Swish!"
There is no mercy as blades sliced through the air targeting the figure lying helpless on the ground!
Before thoughts could be registered in the young woman's mind, Chu Nuan's body had already compelled her to move. Rolling to evade the set of daggers coming her way with a successful dodge that only left a small wound on the back.
Warm liquid soaked the fabrics of the torn clothing which revealed the length of a three inch opening on the skin.
'Found it.'
The curve of cherry lips return in a familiar arc as Chu Nuan throws the chain in hand to defend.
Obsidian irises glow with a renewed radiance of undetected playfulness and intelligence as her tongue swept once across dry lips. Mouth open and close with inaudible motions while fingers maneuver to form seals hidden by an occasional throwing of chains.
Just then, everything happened within the blink of an eye.
The young woman missed the appearance of flying blades forming from behind as she swung her chain to a sharp angle. Failing to deflect the colliding daggers while forgoing any possibilities of escape!
Shluk!
The sound of piercing flesh resounded within the walls of the abandoned building.
Having completed its job with the accompaniment of Chu Nuan's lifeless body, the scarlet formation began to calm. Lights and daggers vanished while her body remained lying in a pool of flowing blood.
"... …"
Minutes ticked by in this area now devoid of noise and life in replacement to a tense quietness.
Sensing this state of calmness, a shadow hidden behind a pillar began to move. Shuffling noises echoed as the face of a little ghost peered out from behind.
Showing the childish face of a boy around the ages of either eleven or twelve.
"... …"
Observing attentively at the unmoving figure distance away, a swirl of emotions mixed in the irises of the kid. It was only after the ticking away of a few more minutes did the little ghost finally begin to move.
Its slight figure started to float forward as eyes locked onto Chu Nuan's body from afar, unaware of the dangers from behind.
"Ah!!"
Emerging from the shadows in a relaxed manner, an intact Chu Nuan flashed a devious grin before moving to restrain the troublesome child.
Surprised by the sudden attack with nary a chance to avoid, the kid attempts to reactivate the formation.
Chains swiftly wrap around the child's waist as a powerful force pulls him towards the waiting woman. Without a slither of a chance given before pale slender digits grips tight around his neck.
"Ngh?!"
Tightening her hold on the boy's throat, Chu Nuan stared into the eyes of the frightened child as she smiled with a gentle expression. "The array."
Being stared at by those pair of cold emotionless eyes induced the little boy to shiver from horror.
"I… I…"
Stuttering to form words, the boy subconsciously clasped a hand around the pendant dangling on his chest. Eyes glancing furtively at the place where Chu Nuan's carcass should have been only to witness that body turning into a pile of dust.
A cold wind blew in from the portion of the building without walls, carrying away those fine particles into the night.
"... …"
Understanding dawned on the kid whilst tears began to form on the corner of his reddened eyes.
Chu Nuan glanced at the pendant briefly before moving her sight back to the tender face in front of her. "I will let you go if you release the formation." She declared in a soft but irrefutable tone.
"... …"
Left without any other choice, the little boy nodded in docile agreement. A chubby hand covered around the pendant on his neck while his childish voice sounded in faint murmur. Proceeding these actions, the scarlet light spread across the floor flashed a few times before diminishing into nothingness.
Watching the array being released, the young woman set the child down before snapping her fingers to make a folding chair appear.
"Sit."
The young lady lifted her chin with a beckoning motion before proceeding to sit on the chair.
Little kid: "... …"
Resting her chin on the palm of her hands, Chu Nuan observed the little boy for a few minutes.
A child around the age of eleven or twelve with brown hair and intelligent eyes wearing a blue and white school jersey with the word, [North] sewn on it.
If her memories are correct, there was an incident surrounding the disappearance of a pair of mother and son a while back. The mother is a small-time actress while the son goes to Northside Middle school and bears similar characteristics.
There seems to be bruises on his left cheek and around the neck partly due to her rough treatment moments ago.
But the dark purple markings on the neck that overlaps the faint pink made by the young woman moments ago is a loud testament of what the kid had experienced before death.
A shoe is missing from one of his feet while a suspicious [Xie] character is printed on another side of the cheek. Glowing with a faint light, the word on his right cheek releases a particular type of spiritual energy that does not belong to the small ghost himself.
"How… how did you know?"
Chu Nuan: "Hm?"
Breaking out from her state of focus, the young lady tilted her head in confusion at this sudden question.
Gathering up the courage to further elaborate, the little kid swallowed a shaky breath before adding. "How did you know it was me?"
Finally realizing what the kid is asking about, Chu Nuan released a chuckle before shooting the nervous ghost a mocking look.
"Is it that hard to find out?"
I have to be blind if I couldn't see your head poking out from behind the pillar at the very start.
Also, arrays are akin to a flashlight that only shines due to the energy provided by the batteries put inside.
Going by this assumption, the batteries are what gave the flashlight(array) life which is considered the core of the whole formation.
A core could be anything from a rock to tree, even a blade of grass but it could never stray too far from the array itself.
During the short amount of time Chu Nuan was evading those blades, the young woman had already checked the area. There was nothing amiss, further strengthening the possibility that the eye of the formation could be hidden on the boy's body.
As expected, the young lady was not wrong.
"Who are you?"
It was now Chu Nuan's turn to ask questions.
Peering closer into the frightened eyes of the weak ghost in front of her, a lithe index finger stretches out in slow motion. Pointing at the kid's forehead before moving downwards along with another question.
"What are your intentions bringing me here and…"
The slender digit slid to stop right at the center of the pendant resting on the boy's chest, "where did you get this pendant?"
Sight raised to collide with the quivering figure of the little spirit too frightened to speak before sweeping away the aura of gloominess around to replace it with a more gentle demeanor.
Smiling as though the little ghost is more of an old friend then prisoner, the young lady whispered in a tender tone. Wrist flicked with a leisure swipe to grab onto a dagger which appeared in mid-air.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk right now, I can wait but my patience is limited."
Saying so, the edge of the glinting knife rests against the child's pudding-like cheeks.