Chapter 63: The Lingering Shadow of Fear

This was An Ran's first time encountering a corpse, and it was a young man. 

The sight was horrifying—the man's eyes were wide open, his face frozen in a mix of terror and disbelief, as if he'd stared death itself in the face. On the side of his neck was a gaping wound, its origin unclear. Half his neck was a mangled mess, the major artery severed, and blood had poured out, drenching half his body. The walls of the alley were splattered with dark red stains, and the metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air. 

Though An Ran was brave, she was still just a high school student, and this was her first encounter with a real corpse. 

She gagged several times, instinctively taking a step back. 

*Crunch…* 

Her foot stepped on something. She lifted her shoe and saw shards of glass scattered on the cold, damp ground. When she realized what she was looking at, her heart sank. Among the fragments was the unmistakable remains of a syringe. It was the kind she'd seen before. 

"Alright, a few of you stay and secure the alley! The rest, get out!" Wild Wolf finally spoke after staring at the corpse for a long while. 

Even he couldn't help but feel a chill at the gruesome sight. Several of the more timid ones had already bolted out of the alley. Wild Wolf noticed Streamlight, who had been leaning against the wall, retching, and then remained silent. 

"Streamlight, is this your first time seeing something like this?" Wild Wolf's voice softened as he spoke. 

An Ran was still reeling from the discovery of the syringe. Wild Wolf's voice startled her, and she quickly looked up. 

For the first time, Wild Wolf got a clear look at Streamlight's face. He was struck by how young she looked, her features pale from the shock. 

At the mouth of the alley, a few people were loudly discussing and cursing. 

"It must've been the work of demons!" 

"Damn it! Are those monsters back?" 

An Ran, lost in her thoughts, didn't hear the commotion. She simply replied, "I'm fine. I'll be going now." 

With that, she shook her head, trying to shake off the haunting images, and walked away. 

"Wait, Streamlight," Wild Wolf called. 

He approached her and handed her a steel pipe. "Take this. Just in case." 

"Thanks," An Ran said, accepting the offer without hesitation. Right now, she needed something solid to hold onto to steady her nerves. 

"Be careful on the road. If you run into any trouble, you can always come to *Enchantment*," Wild Wolf said seriously. 

Almost everyone was gathered at the scene, and no one noticed An Ran leaving alone. 

Back at *Enchantment*, she swapped her cap for her helmet and mounted *Streamlight*. The bike roared to life as she sped off into the night, as if trying to escape the haunting memories. 

The wind howled in her ears, and her heart pounded. The gruesome images kept flashing before her eyes—the syringe, the mangled neck, the red-eyed figure… 

She unconsciously gripped the throttle tighter. In that instant, a figure darted out from the side of the road. 

"Watch out—!" 

An Ran screamed, slamming on the brakes. The tires screeched against the pavement. 

But the momentum was too strong. The bike collided with the figure, sending them both flying. An Ran was thrown off the bike, her body tumbling onto the cold ground…