The hooded figure vanished into the crowd, like mist dissolving in the morning light. Rui's breath caught in her throat as she frantically scanned the sea of faces.
"Wait!" she shouted, plunging into the throng of evening shoppers.
Rui darted between startled vendors, narrowly avoiding a cart stacked high with late-night dumplings.
She shoved past a group of laughing teenagers, ignoring their indignant protests as she barreled onward.
"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder, never slowing.
A flash of dark fabric disappeared around a corner ahead. Rui pushed harder, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Her feet barely touched the ground as she raced forward, chaos energy crackling at her fingertips.
"Rui!" Zou's voice cut through the noise behind her. "Rui, wait!"
She ignored him, single-minded in her pursuit. Nothing mattered except catching that figure—confirming what her core already sensed.
