Chapter Fifty-Five: The Final Repayment (Part One)

“At the summit of Star City in the City of Fantasies, one can witness the most beautiful sunrises every day. Our ancestors recorded each sunrise, bearing witness to them, from scrolls painted a thousand years ago to the spatial imaging of today. Every generation has documented the sunrise—a symbol of a new day, a harbinger of the future.” Nan Feng closed the book. “Every day, countless people gather atop Star City—students, researchers, technicians—all gazing up at that fleeting moment in time. Each sunrise stirs thoughts of where we came from yesterday, and where we’re headed today.”

“It truly is a beautiful sunrise,” Nan Feng sighed, lowering his eyes to look at Angel, who sat nestled in his lap. “That’s enough for tonight. Time to sleep.”

Angel nodded sweetly, then hopped out of Nan Feng’s embrace. “Grandfather, what does a sunrise look like?” Nan Feng was momentarily at a loss for words; it seemed the child before him had never seen a sunrise. To her, the word was still unfamiliar.

“Angel,” Nan Feng called out as she was about to leave. The little girl stopped and turned back, confusion in her eyes. Nan Feng hesitated, then said, “If there’s a chance, I’ll take you to see a sunrise.”

A barely perceptible tremor ran through Angel’s small body. After her initial astonishment, her eyes lit up with excitement. She beamed and nodded vigorously. “Mm!”

“I’ll take you to see the sunrise…”

…

Night slowly descended over the seaside. In the lingering heat of summer, a gentle breeze carried away the warmth. Gong Hou knelt by the shore, Angel asleep in his arms; his body shook with silent sobs. Around him, the others stood in despair, their silhouettes stretched long and thin across the sand by the pale glow of night. Each figure was shrouded in desolation.

Xie Liu stood at the back, watching his comrades near the water. He bit down on the lollipop in his mouth, shattering it. In that moment, he shrugged on his trench coat.

“Where are you going?” Wendy appeared at Xie Liu’s side, Franney beside her, both watching him intently. Xie Liu cast them a cold glance, his gaze lingering on Franney. His expression was grim, menace etched across his face.

“I’m going to kill someone,” Xie Liu said quietly, then turned to leave. But he felt the light tug of a hand at his coat hem. Startled, he looked back to see Angela, eyes bashful, reaching out to clutch his sleeve.

“Um… this is for you.” Angela pressed a tiny charm into his hand. “It… it can heal wounds…” Her voice grew softer and softer, trailing off until it could no longer be heard.

Xie Liu nodded, murmured his thanks, and strode off without looking back, leaving Angela standing there, disappointment clouding her face.

Wendy came over and ruffled Angela’s hair. “Don’t get your hopes up. He lied to you before. This man… he’s not a good choice. Angela, there are plenty of good men in the world, but he’s not one of them.”

“I don’t understand, and I don’t want to,” Angela replied, shaking her head stubbornly as she watched the figure receding into the distance. Wendy frowned, watching him go. “He’s no hero, but somehow… he makes one feel secure.”

…

One hour earlier.

“Uncle Xie Liu, will you promise me something?” On the Ferris wheel, Angel spoke up suddenly. Xie Liu, fiddling with his camera, paused in surprise to look at the girl before him.

“Go ahead. If it’s within my power.”

“This is the map I got from Grandfather.” Angel drew a map from her pocket. “This is the institute where I was kept. It’s near this city, and there are many, many children like me inside.”

She handed the map to Xie Liu. “This is the institute’s layout. Uncle, I know you can do it. Save those children, please. The world still owes them a sunrise.”

…

“Angel, I will fulfill your wish.” Xie Liu darted through the darkness of the woods, leaping from branch to branch. Steel wires wove a web around him as he sped through the forest, spinning and twisting, until he broke through the trees.

The sky had grown dark, and the clouds above were heavy, as if a violent storm were about to break. Xie Liu landed on a thick branch. Through the dense leaves, he peered ahead—before him stretched an expanse of forest.

He took out the map Angel had given him, glanced at it, then tossed it aside with a cold smile. “Found you.” He gripped the dagger at his waist. With a flash of cold light, the scene before him parted like a curtain of water, revealing a fortress-like research institute. The dagger spun in his hand, then in a blink, returned to his belt.

“Let’s begin—a bloody revelry.”

…

The Third Research Institute was built thirty years ago by Director Yuan Ye, its purpose to train professional esper assassins to counter the growing threat of the Special Alliance. Of course, its establishment was neither approved nor opposed by the council. At the time, the council merely turned a blind eye.

However, the institute was not built within the city; Director Yuan Ye chose his country of birth instead. Over thirty years ago, when the world’s strongest esper, Lei Tian, emerged and forced the Special Alliance into retreat, the Third Institute lost its purpose and was abandoned for many years.

This was the information Xie Liu recalled. Yet, the institute before his eyes showed no signs of neglect. He crept closer—lights blazed within, and patrols moved back and forth. Xie Liu bit down on a steel needle, murmuring, “Don’t blame me for being ruthless. Blame yourselves for being caught up in this.” Then, like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, he landed atop the institute, watching two guards pass below.

“So, you got leave approved?” one on the left asked. “Congratulations.”

“Yeah, tomorrow… it’s my daughter’s birthday,” the man on the right replied, scratching his head. “I’m going home to spend time with her.”

“I envy you, having a daughter,” the left-hand man laughed.

“You’ll have one soon, too. Hasn’t Keiko agreed yet?” the right-hand man asked.

“Not yet. She doesn’t like my job here. After this assignment, I’ll quit and go home for good.” Before he finished, a shadow fell from above. Twin flashes of cold steel, and both men collapsed into a pool of blood.

Xie Liu wiped the dagger clean. “A daughter deserves her father’s company,” he said coldly. “But what about Angel? And the children here?” He entered the institute, activating his fourth-level ability. Every person’s position was revealed to his mind.

In the darkness, Xie Liu slipped from his vantage. On a terrace ahead, two more guards stood—easy targets. Clinging to the wall, he listened to their conversation.

“How long have we been here? Three years now, right?” One, leaning on a spear, sighed. “I’d love to taste the burgers from my old street again. Will we get to go home soon?”

“When this battle is over, I’ll go home and get married,” the other replied in fluent Island tongue—a phrase Xie Liu recognized as a classic “flag.”

Without hesitation, Xie Liu struck from the shadows. Two steel needles shot down, piercing both men’s foreheads. One collapsed, blood streaming from his orifices; the other toppled over the railing. “Damn!” Xie Liu cursed inwardly as the body crashed through several railings and smashed apart on the first floor.

“Have I been discovered?” he muttered. Sure enough, the noise brought several men running from a nearby room. Seeing the mangled corpse, one shouted, “Intruder! Sound the alarm!”

…

Among the newcomers was a woman who screamed at the sight. A man beside her pulled her back. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here—there’s nothing to fear now.”

No sooner had he spoken than the woman’s eyes widened in horror: the man’s head tumbled from his shoulders, severed by a flash of silver in the dark—the bloodied wire that had decapitated him.

The woman screamed as the headless corpse collapsed at her feet. In a panic, the leader pushed her away. “He’s strong—you two go ahead, I’ll catch up.”

“Protect Miss Tianli!” the leader ordered, turning to the darkness. “Tianli, I never told you, but I really do like you.”

She froze, then was dragged away by the others. From the shadows came Xie Liu’s voice, “You’ve got some backbone. But planting two ‘death flags’ in a row—how could you expect to survive?” Stunned, the leader felt cold steel drive into his heart. In the dim light, Xie Liu’s blood-red eyes gleamed under a black cloak as he met the would-be hero’s gaze, a cold smile curling his lips.

“You’re not the first, nor the last.”

A lightning bolt split the sky, illuminating the institute and the trembling treetops far off. In the pitch-black hall, Xie Liu stood over the fallen man. He raised his dagger, his red eyes boring into the depths of the darkened facility. The slaughter had only begun.

“Listen—don’t move until I return,” one of the men escorting Tianli whispered, hiding her in a corner. He hefted his weapon. “I’ll scout ahead.”

“Be careful,” the woman murmured.

He smiled. “No problem at all.”

With that, he walked into the dark. The remaining man lingered, gazing at her for a long time before finally speaking. “Miss Tianli, the enemy is fearsome, but promise me—you must survive.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “Yi… don’t go.”

Yi smiled softly. “I won’t leave. No matter what happens, I’ll stay by your side.”

“Another one setting up two death flags in a row?” Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Xie Liu appeared in their sight, tossing aside a corpse—the scout from moments before.

“You’re not getting past me,” Yi declared, stepping protectively in front of Tianli, weapon clenched tight. But Xie Liu was suddenly behind him. “When—?” Yi’s hand went to his throat as blood spurted uncontrollably; he collapsed, legs twitching, and lay still.

Xie Liu flicked the blood from his dagger, pointing it at the trembling woman.

“No, please, don’t kill me!” she cried, pressing herself against the wall. Xie Liu only regarded her calmly—the woman was petrified with fear. Was death truly so terrifying? He thought of Angel, who’d faced her end with such calm. Compared to this woman, Angel had perhaps loved the world even more deeply in her final moments.

With that, the killing intent drained from Xie Liu’s heart. How many more could he kill? It wouldn’t bring Angel back.

“Tell me—where are the children held in this institute?”