Chapter 36: Partners in Every Sense

Nightshade smiled faintly, almost shyly. "As long as you help me get inside, I’ve got more than enough ways to keep you alive."

The others narrowed their eyes, exchanging silent glances. "Alright. So how do we do it?"

Nightshade crouched down, plucked a twig from the ground, and began sketching in the soft earth. "You know how to reach the main compound up top, right?"

"Of course. We've been loyal to the higher-ups for years."

"Then let’s head there first. I’ve got some surveillance tricks—should be able to slip in unnoticed." He drew a strange, looping symbol in the dirt. The group stared blankly. They didn’t understand it, but figured it was just one of his quirks.

They brought Nightshade to the island’s most secluded villa district—though “district” was generous. Only two massive estates stood amid the sprawling grounds. But within that vast space lay a labyrinthine garden, so twisted and dense that the only way in was on foot.

"This is it," one of them said. "We were knocked out before we even got in. No idea what to do. Now it’s all on you. We need to leave—*now*. And watch your step. We’re all wired with custom trackers."

With that, they bolted like ghosts had risen behind them.

Nightshade stood at the mouth of the maze, scanning the area. No visible cameras. He sat cross-legged on the ground, pulled out a small, homemade computer, fingers flying across the keyboard. Within moments, a crisp, detailed map of the entire villa complex lit up on the screen.

"Inside," he murmured, studying the layout. The real complexity wasn’t the garden—it was the mansion itself.

He tucked the device away, changed clothes, then stepped into the maze.

Tang Yan remained behind in what looked like safety—but not for long. Soon, a group of eerie, shadowy figures approached. Lucky for him, Tang Yan stayed sharp. He slipped away just in time. Seconds later, the spot where he’d stood exploded.

The blast tore through the street like thunder. People scrambled in panic, rushing home. Tang Yan melted into the chaos, following the markers left by Nightshade—until he reached the same strange symbol drawn in the dirt.

Nightshade had taught him this pattern. Tang Yan glanced at it, then wiped it clean with the sole of his boot. After a moment, he stood at the entrance to the inner sanctum.

Same routine. Same map. Same entry.

The compound spanned an area roughly the size of a soccer field. Tang Yan entered from the right; Nightshade came in from the left. Their progress mirrored each other perfectly, moving along the shortest possible paths. But neither realized the maze wasn’t static. With every step they took, the corridors shifted—quietly, subtly, without warning.

After nearly twenty minutes, Tang Yan felt a sudden jolt from the small device in his pocket. Something nearby was reacting. *Someone else was here.*
“Another person? Is it Nightshade?” He pressed forward.

Across from him, Nightshade froze. His expression darkened. “*Yangzhao’s here too?* Not following orders at all.”

But Nightshade wasn’t fazed. Using his calculations and tracking Tang Yan’s path, he cracked the next shift in the maze’s configuration.

A deep rumble echoed. The wall in front of Tang Yan slowly slid aside—and there, reflected in his widening eyes, was Nightshade’s silhouette.

“Nightshade?”

Nightshade stepped forward, closing the distance. He tilted his head slightly, lips curling into a smirk. “Didn’t I tell you not to follow?”

Tang Yan lifted his chin, unflinching. “You *wanted* me to come. Otherwise, why leave the mark?”

“Good thing you didn’t wander off,” Nightshade said, gripping Tang Yan’s hand—tight.
Tang Yan had long grown used to being held by him. He followed without hesitation.

Within minutes, they emerged from the maze and slipped smoothly into the mansion.

“Yangzhao,” Nightshade said, voice low, teasing. “The lab’s deep inside the rooftop chamber. Meet me there in one hour. Can you handle it?”

His smile lingered—just barely—like a whisper against the skin.

Tang Yan pulled out his personal pistol and adjusted his custom goggles. “Yeah. You stay safe.”

They split again, each diving into their own mission.

The mansion had five floors, each one built differently. Tang Yan bypassed the elevator—too risky. He climbed the stairs straight to the top.

From the moment they breached the compound, the rooftop overseer had known.

“Send someone down. Kill those two rats.”

“Yes, sir.”

At the second floor, red drapes hung like wounds across the doorway. The floor was covered in thick, crimson carpet. A stench—sharp, metallic, sickening—filled the air. But Tang Yan’s mask filtered it instantly.

The staircase ended abruptly. Forced to enter a room, he found the floor soaked in the same red liquid. It clung to his boots, sticky, thick—like cooled blood.

No one else was around. Tang Yan searched for a stairwell exit. Then, suddenly, the liquid beneath his feet rose. It was creeping up—fast.

He looked down.

It wasn’t paint. It wasn’t dye.

It was fresh blood. Warm.

He scanned the room frantically—looking for a drain, a pipe, anything.
“Nothing? Impossible.” He checked every corner. No vents. No holes. Nothing.

But the blood was already past his ankles.

“Nothing… *what*?” A voice cut through the silence.

Before Tang Yan could react, a figure materialized—faint, blurred, like smoke given shape.

Gun up. Step back.

“Ow! You trying to kill me?” The voice was smooth, sultry—almost familiar.

The figure solidified. A man stood before him, draped in a flowing, seductive gown—deep midnight blue. His face was painted with precision: kohl-lined eyes, rouge lips, flawless contouring. Every feminine detail fit him like a second skin—no awkwardness, no contradiction.

“Hmph. You’re dead,” Tang Yan said coldly, gun still leveled.

The man glided forward barefoot, hips swaying like a dancer’s. “I’m not killing you. I *like* your body too much.”

Tang Yan’s eyelids dipped slightly. Then—*bang*.

The shot rang out. The man staggered, pupils dilating. Blood welled at his temple.

But he didn’t fall.

Instead, he grinned. “Still… worth it.”