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墨書 Inktalez
Anna leaped gracefully from the water tower, like a nimble cat. Her feet touched the ground softly, making no sound. The night wind swept past her, lifting a few strands of hair that danced in the breeze. She looked up at the distant outline of the city, its lights flickering as if the entire place was shrouded in an unsettling atmosphere.
"Anna," Lie Hai's voice came through her earpiece, tinged with an unmistakable tension. "I have a bad feeling... Shadow City has been restless lately. The gangs, the government, and the corporations—these three forces are like three venomous snakes coiling at the heart of this city. Their balance has always been delicate and fragile, but now... it seems someone is stirring the pot from the shadows, trying to incite greater chaos."
Anna did not respond; she merely furrowed her brow slightly. Her gaze lingered on the city's nightscape, as if she could see through layers of lights to the conspiracies and tensions lurking in the dark. She knew this city well; Shadow City had never been a peaceful place, and this facade of tranquility was built upon a fragile equilibrium among gangs, government, and corporations. They both exploited and restrained each other, maintaining an unspeakable symbiotic relationship.
"Though the Twilight Alliance operates outside these powers," Lie Hai continued, his voice lowered with suppressed anxiety, "we have been entangled with them for years. Every mission within the alliance touches their interests to some extent. And now, I can feel an invisible hand provoking this undercurrent, aiming to ignite their conflicts into a full-blown war."
"Who do you think it is?" Anna asked quietly, her tone carrying a hint of coldness.
"I don’t know," Lie Hai sighed, his voice sounding particularly weak. "That’s what troubles me—the puppeteer behind it all is too elusive. I’ve chased several leads, but each time they vanish completely, as if someone is deliberately erasing them."
Anna’s gaze was calm yet piercing; she seemed to see an invisible net spreading quietly across every corner of this city, enveloping the gangs, government, corporations, and even her own Twilight Alliance could not escape its grasp. This game was gradually evolving into an unavoidable storm, and she found herself caught in its midst with no way to retreat.
"Don’t worry, Lie Hai," Anna said softly, a slight smile gracing her lips that radiated her unique confidence and defiance. "If this city is about to face a storm, I will stand at its center and watch it sweep everything away."
Lie Hai fell silent for a moment before he sighed again. "Anna, remember not to get too deeply involved. No matter how strong you are, you’re still just one person; this chaos..."
"The chaos has always been my playground," Anna interrupted him gently but resolutely. "I was born for moments like this."
"Don’t always throw yourself into the fray, Crimson Princess," Lie Hai's voice came through the earpiece again, weary and resigned as if he had given her this advice many times before. "You never know..."
"Oh, Lie Hai!" Anna laughed heartily, her voice ringing like silver bells in the night breeze, carefree and defiant. "Just let me be tonight; let a woman have her rest!" Her tone was lighthearted as if she were completely unconcerned about Lie Hai's unfinished warning.
A resigned sigh came through the headphones from Lie Hai, but soon silence returned. He knew that Anna's personality was as unrestrained as her actions.
Anna ended the call, gently removing the headphones and casually stuffing them into her pocket. She nimbly flipped over the edge of a rooftop and then leaped, crossing a wide alleyway to land on the roof opposite. Her landing was so light it was almost inaudible; the tiles shifted slightly before settling back into place. Standing there, she gazed at the small house before her, a relaxed smile unconsciously curling at the corners of her mouth.
This was a small structure built atop a roof, appearing somewhat chaotic yet revealing a unique sense of order in its details. The wooden framework was shrouded in the night, surrounded by pots of wild plants, some of which had stubborn little flowers blooming. A dim light bulb hung by the door, casting a warm yellow glow as if waiting for her return.
Several cats lounged lazily on the rooftops surrounding the small house, but they sprang to life as soon as they spotted her. The cats stood up, emitting soft "meows," their tails swaying in the air as if welcoming her. Anna chuckled softly, bending down to gently stroke a nearby orange cat, her fingers gliding tenderly along its back.
"I'm back, my little ones," she whispered, her tone carrying a rare softness that starkly contrasted with her earlier recklessness and cynicism.
The orange cat tilted its head up, rubbing against her hand and purring contentedly. The other cats gathered around her, circling in excitement. She lovingly petted each one before straightening up and pushing open the door to the small house.
Inside, the space was narrow yet orderly. A world map hung on the wall, dotted with red flags that seemed to mark her travels. On the table lay several books with unfinished notes tucked between their pages, alongside a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. By the window stood a small bed piled haphazardly with clothes, yet the cushions were arranged neatly, as if representing a subtle compromise between chaos and order.
Anna tossed her coat carelessly over the back of a chair and sat down at the edge of the bed, loosening her hair so that her golden locks cascaded like a waterfall. She stretched lazily against the wall, gazing out at the bright moon in the night sky, a slight smile playing on her lips as she felt satisfied with another perfect "game."
"This city and its darkness," she murmured to herself, lightly brushing her fingers over a ceramic cat statue on the windowsill. "Tonight, let them be quiet for a while."
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