Trickster Apears

Lu Siyan, still slightly breathless, leaned his bike against the remains of the bus stop, the metal pole lying nearby. The car, its front end crumpled against the bus like a discarded accordion, was smoking gently. He turned to the old man, who was dusting off his coat, looking remarkably unscathed, like he'd just stepped off a slightly bumpy carousel ride.

"Are you alright?" Lu Siyan asked, his voice still a little shaky. He half-expected the old man to pull out a monocle and declare, "Jolly good show! A bit of excitement, what?"

The old man blinked, his eyes wide with a mixture of confusion and gratitude. "Yes, thank you," he stammered, his voice trembling slightly. "You saved me."

Lu Siyan managed a weak smile. "Just… be careful," he said, still processing the surreal events of the last few minutes. And trying to figure out if I should ask for a finder's fee for that metal pole.

The old man nodded slowly, then looked at the smoking car. "That was… quite something," he murmured. He paused, then looked back at Lu Siyan. "You know… I felt a strange… tingling just before it happened. Like… a warning."

Lu Siyan's eyebrows furrowed. A tingling? He'd felt something too, a shift in the world itself. He glanced at his phone, half-expecting some kind of message, but there was nothing. Maybe it's just gas, he thought. I did skip breakfast.

"Well," the old man said, interrupting his thoughts. "I should be going. Granddaughter's waiting for me." He gave Lu Siyan a warm smile. "Thank you again, young man. You're a hero."

Lu Siyan shrugged, feeling a blush creep up his neck. "Just doing what anyone would do," he mumbled. Except maybe run away screaming. That was a close second.

As the old man started to walk away, Lu Siyan noticed a faint shimmering around him. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there. He blinked, trying to get a better look, but it was gone. Maybe I need new glasses, he thought. Or maybe this whole day is just a really weird dream.

Just then, his phone buzzed. He pulled it out to see a new message:

Text on Screen: "New task available."

Lu Siyan stared at the message, a chill running down his spine. "Seriously? More tasks?" he muttered. I haven't even refilled the gas cylinder yet! He looked back at the old man, who was now walking towards the bus stop across the street. The shimmering was back, stronger this time, swirling around the old man like a heat haze. Is he…glowing? Is this a side effect of near-death experiences?

He frowned, a sense of unease growing in his stomach. What was going on? He glanced back at his phone.

Text on Screen: "Task: Accompany the old man to his destination. Reward: $500 and skill unlocked: Empathy."

Lu Siyan's eyes widened. Empathy? What kind of skill was that? Does it mean I'll suddenly understand why people like reality TV? Oh, the horror! And why was the system telling him to follow the old man? Is this some kind of witness protection program? Am I suddenly a bodyguard?

He hesitated, then sighed. He had a feeling he wasn't going to get any answers by standing here. He clipped his helmet back on and started to follow the old man, a growing sense of dread settling in his heart. Five hundred dollars is five hundred dollars, he reasoned. But if this involves talking about feelings, I'm drawing the line. This was definitely more than he had bargained for. Maybe I should've just stayed in bed.

*******

Lu Siyan trailed the old man, a growing unease gnawing at him. The shimmering around the old man was still there, flickering like a faulty neon sign. Seriously, is this guy radioactive? he wondered. He kept a discreet distance, trying not to look like he was following him, which was difficult considering the old man shuffled along at the pace of a particularly lethargic snail.

The route took them through a bustling market, a cacophony of sights, smells, and sounds. Lu Siyan dodged vendors hawking their wares, dodged shoppers haggling over prices, and narrowly avoided being run over by a scooter carrying a precarious stack of durians. Just another Tuesday, he thought dryly.

As they weaved through the crowd, Lu Siyan's eyes caught a glimpse of a figure huddled in a doorway, a tattered blanket draped around her. It was a beggar, her face obscured by shadows. Something about her posture, though, seemed… off. There was a subtle air of confidence about her, a stillness that didn't quite match the usual desperation of street beggars. Even from a distance, Lu Siyan felt a prickle of unease. There's something about that one… he thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen her somewhere before.

The beggar suddenly looked up, her eyes meeting Lu Siyan's for a fleeting moment. He couldn't see her face clearly, but he saw her lips curve into a subtle, almost imperceptible smile. Then, just as quickly, she looked away, disappearing back into the shadows.

Lu Siyan shivered. That was weird. He glanced back at the doorway, but the beggar was gone. Probably just my imagination, he told himself, but the image of that subtle smile lingered in his mind.

He refocused on the old man, who had finally exited the market and was now heading down a quieter, more residential street. The shimmering around him was becoming more intense, almost blinding. Okay, this is getting ridiculous, Lu Siyan thought. If this guy starts glowing in the dark, I'm going to need hazard pay.

The street was lined with old, dilapidated houses, their paint peeling and windows boarded up. The air here was thick with a sense of neglect and decay. It felt like they were entering a different world, a world far removed from the bustling market they had just left behind.

As they walked, the streetlights flickered and died one by one, plunging the street into near darkness. Lu Siyan fumbled for his phone, using the flashlight to illuminate the path ahead. Of course, he muttered. Why wouldn't the streetlights be working? This day just keeps getting better and better.

The old man continued his slow, steady pace, seemingly unaffected by the darkness. He turned a corner, disappearing into an alleyway. Lu Siyan hesitated for a moment, then followed, his phone flashlight beam dancing across the grimy walls.

The alleyway was narrow and winding, the air thick with the smell of garbage and damp earth. It felt like something out of a horror movie. Seriously, is this guy leading me into a trap? Lu Siyan thought, his hand instinctively tightening around his phone. Maybe I should just turn back…

But just as he was about to chicken out, he saw the old man stop in front of a particularly dilapidated building. The shimmering around him was now so bright it illuminated the entire alleyway. Okay, this is officially beyond weird, Lu Siyan thought.

The old man turned to Lu Siyan, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. He smiled, a knowing smile that sent a shiver down Lu Siyan's spine. "We're here," he rasped.

Before Lu Siyan could say anything, the old man reached out and touched his arm. As his fingers made contact, a surge of energy coursed through Lu Siyan's body, and the world exploded in a flash of white light.