On the day of the Seven-Star Alignment, the entire city was shrouded in an eerie blue glow. Standing downstairs at Peony Apartments, I stared at the magnetic field warning issued by the observatory—this was the exact precursor to the thunderstorm at the Executioner's Platform all those years ago.
My phone buzzed with an encrypted location from Xiaojin: "He's setting up an array in the underground parking lot. Hurry."
When the elevator doors opened, Peony was being cornered by Li Ziyou. He was dressed in a suit and tie, but in his hand, he held an ancient bronze sword, the tip pressing against the golden birthmark on her collarbone.
Chapter 201