As the Crows Fall | ONC 2020 Grand Winner

vii | The Hunter

Zihao flies into the pocket room of the warehouse. There is no door there and there never has been, if only for this very reason. Zihao's eyes burn, with fury or unshed tears, Mu'en cannot say.

"Limei," Zihao states.

"What of her?" Mu'en asks, his mind jumping to the worst sort of conclusion before Zihao answers.

"She was cornered on her way back from Beiluo, just hours after killing Taofeng," he says and Mu'en breathes a sigh of relief. "She does not remember it."

"Maatyeh?" Mu'en says, surprise shocking him into speaking Cantonese. "What?"

Zihao scowls. "She says someone intercepted her on the way back, but she has no details. No name, no face. Nothing."

"Where is she?"

"Upstairs."

Mu'en glances at his wheelchair. "Bring her down."

Zihao nods and vanishes.

A moment later Limei sweeps into the room, arms crossed and eyes cold.

Limei is a beautiful girl. Striking cheekbones, soft lips, hair cut with acute severity at her chin. But her eyes. Those eyes. They are made of steel. Frigid and unyielding and willing to cut anyone who comes too close.

"Regarding the incident on my return," she states without pretense, her eyes boring into Mu'en's, "there's no use in questioning me. I do not know who did it and they did not leave a trace. I do not know what they asked or what I said. I can only tell you that any information I know of you is now compromised."

"Me specifically?" Mu'en questions, spinning a coin atop the table. "Not Lingyuan?"

She shakes her head, hair brushing her chin. "Not Lingyuan. You."

He frowns. "Anything taken from you?" he asks as an afterthought.

Her lips curl up at the corners. "Nothing but information."

"Nothing?" he presses. "Nothing at all?"

"I don't remember." Her eyes flash in irritation. "They left nothing behind. No hair. No prints. No footsteps. Nothing."

Mu'en releases a breath. "Gender?"

"I don't remember," she repeats.

"Then what do you remember?"

She watches him for a beat before answering. "Crows."

Then she turns on her heel and walks away.

Zihao edges into the room in her wake, glancing first to Limei's retreating form and then tentatively to Mu'en. "Anything useful?"

Mu'en lets out a breath, pushing his mind to remember. There's something there, gripping and tugging at the edges of his memory, but he does not know who or what it is. He spins the coin again and beckons a crow outside to come closer.

"Yes," he says slowly, pressing a hand to his forehead. "I think so."

The crow lands on the desk, tilting its head imploringly at the coin.

"At the very least," he continues, "I know I'm baiting the right person."

Zihao's brow furrows. "Who—" He breaks off, eyes widening in incredulity. "You had Taofeng killed as bait?"

Mu'en smiles, holding out a hand to the crow on the desk. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Zihao looks to be on the verge between exasperation and panic, expressions flickering across his face in quick succession, his mould of perfect composure cracking. It seems to be doing that quite a lot lately, and there is only Mu'en to blame.