The Masked Stranger

"You weren't supposed to be reborn."

The masked figure's words echoed in Xiao Lian's mind like the chime of a death bell. Her pulse pounded in her ears, drowning out all other sounds.

The figure stood before her, half-shrouded in darkness, his presence exuding something unnatural as if the very laws of reality bent around him.

SIS struggled to analyze him.

[ Warning: Power anomaly detected. Unable to determine energy source.]

For the first time in a long while, Xiao Lian felt… vulnerable. Someone tampered with fate to bring me back?

A hundred questions burned on her tongue, but she forced her expression into calm indifference. "What do you mean by that?"

The figure chuckled softly. It wasn't a kind sound. "You ask as if you don't already suspect the answer."

Xiao Lian narrowed her eyes. "I don't like riddles."

"Then perhaps you should stop living in one."

His tone was light, but the weight behind his words was suffocating. Qin Ziyan, who had been uncharacteristically silent, finally stepped forward. His usual smirk was gone. "Who are you?"

The masked man turned his head slightly, as if only now acknowledging Qin Ziyan's presence. "A mere observer."

"Observers don't speak in cryptic warnings," Xiao Lian snapped, regaining her composure. "If you know something about my rebirth, you'd better start talking."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then the masked figure sighed. "Very well, a small hint."

He lifted his gloved hand. A jade token materialized between his fingers, shimmering with an eerie glow.

He flicked it toward Xiao Lian. She caught it on instinct.

The jade felt cold, far too cold for an ordinary object. And at its center was an insignia she had never seen before.

SIS immediately scanned it.

[Error: Unknown symbol. No data found in existing records.]

Her grip tightened. Another mystery. Another piece of the puzzle. The masked man's voice lowered to a whisper.

"Find the origin of that token… and you will find the answer you seek."

Xiao Lian's jaw clenched. "Why not just tell me?"

"Because fate has already been altered once," he said. "Let's see if it will happen again."

And then, he disappeared.Not through speed. Not through illusion.

He simply ceased to exist.

Xiao Lian stared at the spot where he had stood, her mind racing.

Qin Ziyan exhaled sharply. "Well. That was unsettling."

Xiao Lian barely heard him. She turned the jade token over in her fingers. No inscriptions. No recognizable markings. And yet, it felt… important.

SIS had never failed to analyze an object before. Why now?

"You're doing the thinking face again," Qin Ziyan noted.

She shot him a glare. "Shut up."

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Noted." Then his expression turned serious. "So? What now?"

Xiao Lian hesitated. She should report this to the sect master. A powerful, unknown figure infiltrating their grounds was a serious issue.

And yet…Something told her not to.

If someone had altered fate to bring her back, then there was a chance, a very real chance that she couldn't trust anyone.

Not yet. She slipped the jade token into her robes. "Nothing changes."

Qin Ziyan's brow rose. "Oh? We just ignore the cryptic masked man and the ominous message about your rebirth?"

"Yes."

He stared at her. "You're a terrible liar. Did I just heard clearing of a rebirth?"

She ignored him and started walking. "Let's go."

Qin Ziyan let out a dramatic sigh. "And here I thought we were finally uncovering grand secrets together. How disappointing."

Back in her quarters, Xiao Lian sat cross-legged on her bed, the jade token resting in her palm.

SIS remained silent, unable to offer analysis or predictions.

She turned the token over again, her thoughts in turmoil. If someone had interfered with fate to bring her back, why?

For power? Revenge? Was it to use her… or to save her?

And more importantly...who was behind it? The sect had many powerful figures, but none who should be capable of something this unnatural.

The masked man had said to find the token's origin. Easier said than done. No records existed of this insignia. Her fingers traced the jade's smooth surface.

I'll figure this out on my own.For now, she would say nothing.

.

.

.

Three days later, her decision to keep quiet was put to the test. She was returning from morning practice when she felt it.

A presence. Someone was following her.

She didn't react, didn't even look around. But her senses sharpened, tracing the slight shifts in the air, the faintest energy disturbance.

Whoever it was, they were good. Too good.

She led them away from the main hall, toward a quieter section of the sect. Then, She whipped around, drawing her blade.

A flash of silver met hers, the clash of metal echoing. Her attacker was fast. Their dagger almost slipped past her defense but she was faster. She twisted, disarming them in a heartbeat. The dagger flew from their grip, embedding itself in the wooden floor.

Xiao Lian pressed her blade to their throat.

A hood concealed most of their face, but their lips curled in amusement.

"Not bad," they murmured.

Xiao Lian's grip remained steady. "Who sent you?"

The stranger chuckled. "Would you believe me if I said… no one?"

Her blade pressed closer. "Try again."

The hooded figure sighed. "Very well. I was simply curious."

She frowned. "Curious about what?"

"You."

The way they said it sent a chill down her spine. The figure glanced at her palm. At the jade token she hadn't realized she had exposed.

A slow, knowing smile spread across their lips.

"Well, well," they mused. "It seems the rumors are true."

Xiao Lian's blood ran cold.

"What rumors?" she demanded.

The figure leaned in slightly. "That someone in this sect… isn't supposed to exist."

Her heart pounded. Before she could react, they vanished. Gone, as if they had never been there at all.

The only sign they had ever stood before her…was the dagger still lodged in the wooden floor.

Xiao Lian stared at it. Her fingers clenched into fists. Someone knew. And worse...they were watching.