Mask Of Tricks

Lin Mei pulled the car to the curb, a subtle shift in her demeanor as she glanced at Lu Siyan. "Here you go," she said, her voice clipped, the earlier warmth completely absent. "Don't forget your… instant noodles." A strange glint appeared in her eyes, a flicker of something possessive, almost… amused?

Lu Siyan mumbled a thanks, a shiver running down his spine despite the mild evening air. He fumbled with the door handle, eager to escape the suffocating intensity that had filled the car. As he stepped out, he glanced back. Lin Mei was already pulling away, the sleek car accelerating quickly, disappearing around the corner.

He watched it go, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach. He didn't understand what had just happened. The shift in her personality, the strange glint in her eyes, the way she had spoken about Mr. Gao… it was all unsettling.

He started walking, his mind replaying the conversation, trying to make sense of it. He felt a prickle of paranoia. Had she been… mocking him? Playing a game he didn't understand?

As he rounded a corner, he saw a figure standing under a streetlight. It was Lin Mei. But something was different. She was reaching up, her fingers brushing against her face. And then, with a smooth, almost practiced movement, she peeled off… her face.

It wasn't a mask in the traditional sense. It was more like… a layer of skin, seamlessly detaching to reveal another face beneath. A face that was both familiar and utterly unknown. The features were similar, but sharper, more defined. The eyes… they held a cold, calculating glint that sent a shiver down Lu Siyan's spine. As he watched, the discarded "mask" shimmered and dissolved into the air, as if it had never existed.

Before Lu Siyan could react, before he could even process what he was seeing, the world around Lin Mei began to shimmer and distort. The streetlight flickered, the buildings seemed to warp and bend, and a swirling vortex of colors enveloped her. And then, she was gone.

Lu Siyan stood there, frozen, his mind struggling to grasp what he had just witnessed. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating. But the image of Lin Mei, peeling off her face like a discarded layer of skin, was burned into his memory.

He shook his head, trying to dismiss it as a figment of his imagination. He was tired, stressed, and probably just seeing things. He continued walking, trying to put the bizarre encounter out of his mind.

Meanwhile, in the interdimensional space that housed the House of Tricks, Anya – for it was she – materialized, the swirling vortex depositing her neatly onto the cold stone floor. The illusion of the car, the street, Lu Siyan – all gone, replaced by the familiar, unsettling grandeur of the House.

Anya stretched, the tension leaving her body as she discarded the last vestiges of the Lin Mei persona. "Another piece of the puzzle in place," she murmured to herself. "The pawn is in position."

She walked towards a dimly lit chamber, where a holographic display shimmered with complex data streams. She tapped a few icons, bringing up a report on the screen.

"Target eliminated," she read aloud, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "Executive Manager Gao Ming. Connection to the Chinese National Army severed. Pendrive secured." She paused, scrolling through the report. "The information contained within… it will be invaluable."

She then switched to another screen, displaying a series of images. One of them was a picture of Lu Siyan, his face obscured by shadow.

"The Simulator System… it's proving to be more resilient than anticipated," she said, her voice laced with annoyance. "It has chosen a… peculiar host. Lu Siyan. A nobody. A blank slate. And yet… it resonates with him. It's… growing."

She frowned, her eyes narrowing. "I underestimated the potential of this system. It poses a greater threat than I initially assessed. It must be… contained."

She leaned back, her fingers drumming on the console. "Lu Siyan," she murmured. "You're going to be a problem. A big problem."

A slow smile spread across her face, a smile that was both beautiful and terrifying. "But I'm not afraid of a challenge," she whispered. "In fact… I welcome it."

She looked at the holographic display, her eyes gleaming with a cold, calculating light. "Let the games begin," she said.

Lu Siyan walked home, the image of Lin Mei peeling off her face like a discarded layer of skin haunting him. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had just encountered something… otherworldly. He tried to rationalize it, telling himself it was just stress, exhaustion, a trick of the light. But deep down, he knew he had seen something real. Something… impossible.

He reached his apartment building, the familiar, slightly shabby facade offering a small measure of comfort. He unlocked the door, stepped inside, and promptly tripped over a pile of… something. He didn't even bother to check what it was. He was too tired, too shaken.

He collapsed onto his bed, his mind still racing. He thought about Lin Mei, her intense gaze, her unnerving admiration for Mr. Gao, the way she had… changed. He thought about Mr. Gao, his sudden interest in the mysterious woman, the strange look on his face when he had seen her. He thought about the "Future News" app, the crushed bike, the missing executive manager… it was all connected somehow, he was sure of it. But how?

He reached for his phone, intending to scroll through some mindless social media to distract himself. And then he saw it. A notification.

From: Wei

Hey Siyan! Guess what?! We're having a party tonight! Remember how I told you about Jian proposing to Mei? Well, they're officially engaged! We're celebrating at [Location] at 8 PM. You gotta come! It'll be fun!

Lu Siyan stared at the notification, a wave of weariness washing over him. A party? Tonight? He was in no mood for celebrations. He just wanted to curl up in bed and forget about the bizarre events of the day. But… he also knew that he needed a distraction. He needed to talk to someone, to share what he had seen, to get some perspective. And Wei and Zhang were his closest friends.

He sighed. "Fine," he muttered to himself. "Maybe a party is just what I need."

He tapped the notification, sending a quick reply: "Count me in."

He tossed his phone onto the bed and closed his eyes, trying to relax. But the image of Lin Mei, peeling off her face, kept flashing before his eyes. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, that he was caught in the middle of something… dangerous.

He vaguely recalled a dream—a feeling of being trapped, of being hunted. He dismissed it. Just stress, he thought.

"A party," he mumbled to himself. "Yeah, that's just what I need. A night of mindless chatter, lukewarm beer, and… hopefully… no mysterious women who can peel off their faces."

He got up, deciding to take a shower. Maybe the cold water would clear his head. As he stepped into the bathroom, he glanced at the mirror. His reflection stared back at him, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and unease.

"What's going on, Siyan?" he muttered to his reflection. "What is going on?"

He didn't have any answers. But he had a feeling that he was about to find out. And he had a feeling that it wasn't going to be pleasant.