Flashback

Shanghai, China

The evening streets glowed beneath soft golden lanterns.

Rain from earlier still rested over the stone pathways, reflecting neon lights from nearby shops and restaurants. The air carried the mixed scent of tea, paint, flowers, and fresh food drifting from distant stalls.

Among the moving crowd

Ghost walked slowly.

A dark backpack rested over his shoulder.

Black clothes.

Cold eyes.

A face too young to carry such silence.

People passed him casually without realizing that the quiet young man walking among them was one of the deadliest operatives alive.

Ghost finally stopped in front of an old artistic gate surrounded by climbing plants and hanging lanterns.

He slowly looked down at his phone.

Then at the wooden signboard above.

"Baby Dragon Art School."

Ghost stared for a second.

Then smirked faintly.

"Art school?"

"What kind of strange name is this..."

Still

He pushed the gate open and entered.

The moment he stepped inside

The atmosphere changed completely.

Silence.

Peaceful silence.

The noise of the city disappeared behind him almost instantly.

A large garden spread before his eyes.

Everything was green.

Trees swayed gently in the wind.

Flowers bloomed near stone pathways.

And dozens of people sat scattered around the garden with canvases, papers, brushes, and drawing boards.

Some painted landscapes.

Some sketched faces.

Some quietly practiced calligraphy.

There were old people.

Young adults.

Children.

Everyone focused completely on their work.

Ghost slowly walked ahead while observing everything carefully.

It felt strange to him.

Too calm.

Too peaceful.

A world completely opposite to Graveyard.

He passed by an elderly man painting a massive red dragon curling through clouds.

The details looked alive.

Ghost stopped for a moment.

Even the scales reflected light realistically.

Then nearby

A little boy barely ten years old moved his brush carefully across paper.

Each stroke looked smooth and experienced.

Like someone who had practiced for years.

Ghost looked closer.

His sharp eyes observed every movement carefully.

The brush pressure.

The control.

The patience.

The boy’s hands never trembled once.

For the first time in a while

Ghost actually looked slightly surprised.

Then

A voice came from behind him.

"Why would they send a young boy like you here?"

Ghost instantly turned.

His instincts reacted before his mind did.

One hand almost moved toward the hidden knife beneath his jacket before stopping halfway.

A woman stood there calmly.

She looked somewhere in her thirties.

Long black hair tied loosely.

Simple white clothes stained lightly with paint.

Her eyes looked calm.

Too calm.

The kind of eyes that quietly saw through people.

She observed Ghost silently for several seconds.

Then softly smiled.

"With all that chaos on your face..."

"There is so much pain in your eyes."

Ghost frowned slightly.

"Hunn?"

The woman stepped closer slowly.

"I am Meiling."

"You may call me Miss Meiling."

"I will be your teacher for the next four weeks."

Ghost looked slightly awkward now.

Almost uncomfortable.

He was used to commanders.

Killers.

Mercenaries.

Not... this.

"Uhh..."

"I am Ghost."

Meiling tilted her head slightly.

"Ghost..."

"Sounds like someone who was never allowed to keep a real name."

Then her eyes narrowed slightly.

"And yet your accomplishments are already terrifying."

Ghost quietly looked away.

"Miss Meiling..."

"What exactly am I supposed to learn here?"

Meiling answered casually.

"Art of course."

Ghost blinked once.

"Art?"

Meiling smiled lightly.

"What?"

"Are you afraid you cannot do it?"

A faint smirk finally appeared on Ghost’s face.

"There is nothing I cannot learn."

Meiling nodded slowly.

"I like that confidence."

"But before learning..."

"There is a test."

Ghost frowned again.

"Test?"

Meiling simply gestured with her hand.

"Come with me."

Ghost followed her deeper into the garden.

At the center stood a small wooden shade surrounded by koi ponds and bamboo plants.

A simple table rested beneath it.

Meiling sat first.

Then poured tea calmly.

"Sit."

Ghost slowly sat across from her.

She pushed one cup toward him.

"Drink."

Ghost picked up the cup carefully.

He took a sip.

Then blinked.

"It is cold."

Meiling calmly nodded.

"Oh?"

"Sorry."

"There is hot tea in this kettle."

She poured another cup and slid it toward him.

"Try this one."

Ghost picked up the second cup.

Steam slowly rose from it.

He blew lightly before drinking.

Then suddenly frowned.

"It is too hot."

Meiling smiled again.

Ghost slowly tightened his fist around the cup.

"What exactly are you trying to do Miss Meiling?"

Without answering immediately

Meiling picked up both cups.

Then calmly poured them together into a third empty cup.

"Now drink."

Ghost stared at her for a moment.

Then finally picked up the mixed tea.

He drank slowly.

His expression shifted slightly.

The temperature felt perfect.

Neither hot nor cold.

Just balanced.

Ghost quietly closed his eyes for one second.

Then

Footsteps approached nearby.

A male assistant placed several clean sheets of paper and a pencil box onto the table before leaving silently.

Ghost looked at them carefully.

Meiling calmly spoke.

"Pick up the pencil."

"And draw a circle within another circle."

Ghost immediately picked up the pencil.

He pulled the sheets closer.

Then began drawing.

The moment the pencil touched paper...

Snap.

The tip broke instantly.

Ghost froze slightly.

Meiling quietly smiled again.

Ghost silently picked up the sharpener.

He sharpened the pencil carefully this time.

Then began again.

His hand moved steadily.

A nearly perfect circle appeared.

Then another inside it.

Precise.

Controlled.

Almost flawless.

Ghost finally leaned back slightly.

"Done."

Meiling picked up the paper.

She examined it quietly.

Then slowly turned it around.

"You were too hard on this delicate paper."

"It feels less like drawing..."

"And more like engraving."

She lifted another paper beneath it.

The pressure marks had deeply imprinted through multiple layers.

Ghost silently stared.

"Give me another chance."

"Let me do it again."

Meiling calmly pulled out a fresh sheet.

"Draw again."

"This time..."

"Without leaving any mark on the back."

Ghost picked up the pencil again.

This time

His movements became softer.

More careful.

More delicate.

But suddenly

The circle became uneven.

He frowned.

Tried again.

Still wrong.

Again.

Too shaky.

Again.

Too much pressure.

Again.

Too soft.

Again.

The circles lost shape completely.

Minutes slowly passed.

Yet Ghost could not draw a proper circle without damaging the paper somehow.

His frustration slowly grew visible.

His breathing slightly changed.

His fingers tightened again unconsciously.

Finally...

Meiling softly spoke.

"That will be enough."

Ghost looked down silently.

"I..."

Meiling slowly reached forward.

Then gently held his hands.

Ghost froze completely.

Her fingers lightly touched his rough scarred palms.

"So hard..."

"Your hands need rest."

Then she slowly stood up.

A small jade token suddenly flew toward him.

Ghost caught it instantly.

"Take this."

"You will stay in the dormitory with the other students."

She turned slightly while speaking.

"Remember..."

"You will receive your first star only after completing this test."

"Then..."

"I will truly teach you."

And with that...

She slowly walked away through the peaceful garden.

Ghost remained sitting alone beneath the shade.

Expressionless.

Silent.

He slowly picked up another blank sheet.

Then tried again.

And again.

And again.

Yet no matter how hard he tried

The circles never became right.

From the distance

Meiling quietly watched him.

Her calm eyes softened slightly.

"The child is not bad..."

"Graveyard has simply been too cruel to him..."

....

Present...

The Sunday art session inside Tulip Corp finally came to an end.

The atmosphere on the animation floor remained lively even after most of the artists returned to their desks. Some employees were still smiling while talking about the twins who had suddenly brightened the quiet office morning.

Hope and Asher followed Monica toward the upper floors of Soul Tower.

Before leaving the animation room...

Chloe gently handed both of them colorful children’s comics.

"These are for you two."

Hope’s eyes instantly sparkled.

"For us?"

Asher immediately grabbed his copy carefully.

"Woah..."

"The hero has a dragon..."

Chloe smiled softly.

"You two can read them together."

Hope happily hugged the comic against her chest.

"Thank you big sis."

Chloe lightly patted her head again.

Meanwhile...

Monica checked her phone while walking.

"Big sister has some work to finish upstairs."

"So you two need to behave properly okay?"

"Then we can eat the lunchboxes aunt packed."

The twins instantly nodded together.

"Yes."

A few minutes later...

They reached Monica’s office floor.

Unlike Tulip Corp’s fantasy filled atmosphere, this section of Soul Tower looked more elegant and corporate.

Digital displays quietly showed business reports and global market updates.

Yet somehow...

Hope and Asher still looked completely fascinated.

Monica guided them toward the large couch inside her office.

"Sit here quietly."

"And no running."

Hope immediately saluted dramatically.

"Yes captain."

Asher copied her.

"Yes captain."

Monica sighed while trying not to laugh.

The twins calmly sat together while opening the comics Chloe had given them.

Their tiny heads leaned close together while flipping through colorful pages.

Every few seconds...

Small reactions escaped them.

"Woah..."

"She can use magic..."

"That monster looks scary..."

Monica quietly smiled seeing them so focused.

Then she returned to her desk and resumed working.

The tapping sounds of her keyboard mixed softly with the occasional excited whispers from the couch.

...

Meanwhile...

Back on Tulip Corp’s floor...

Alice finally arrived at the office carrying coffee in one hand.

Kate immediately looked toward her.

"You missed a lot of things."

Alice blinked.

"Who?"

Kate leaned closer dramatically.

"Chairman’s siblings."

Alice frowned slightly.

"What?"

"You are not eyeing on them are you?"

Kate looked deeply offended.

"They are little adorable kids."

Alice blinked again.

"Hunn?"

Kate sighed heavily while placing her tablet down.

"I am serious."

"They were the cutest little things."

"I am honestly jealous of Chairman Sterling."

Alice laughed softly.

"What kind of jealousy is that?"

Kate crossed her arms.

"You would understand if you saw them."

Alice immediately looked interested now.

"I want to see them too."

"Not fair."

Kate shrugged casually.

"Well..."

"You missed your chance."

Alice sighed dramatically before walking deeper into the workspace.

Then her eyes landed on Chloe.

Chloe sat quietly at her desk near the large window.

Music softly played through one side of her headphones while her pen moved slowly across the digital tablet.

Alice walked closer.

"Chloe..."

"Did you see them too?"

Chloe nodded without looking up.

"Hnmm."

Alice then leaned slightly to look at the screen.

Her expression shifted.

"Wait..."

"What are you drawing?"

"Is that... a hairclip?"

Chloe suddenly paused.

Then quietly answered.

"Uhh..."

"Yes."

Alice looked carefully at the design on the screen.

It looked delicate.

Beautiful.

Small silver patterns surrounded tiny blue flowers.

The design carried an oddly emotional feeling.

Alice tilted her head.

"Do you want one?"

Chloe’s hand slowly stopped moving.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"I lost one like this once."

"And I will never find it again."

Alice looked confused.

"Ehh?"

"Did you try looking for it?"

For a moment

Chloe became quiet.

Her eyes slowly drifted toward the sunlight outside the window.

Then she softly answered.

"I did not..."

"But I know it is somewhere"

"In a world I cannot reach anymore."

Alice’s expression softened immediately.

The room became quieter around them.

Even Kate looked over silently for a moment.

Alice slowly sighed before leaning against the desk beside Chloe.

"You really seem different after coming here."

Chloe blinked lightly.

"Different?"

Alice nodded slowly.

"You smile more."

"You talk more."

"And sometimes..."

"You look like your old self again."

Chloe quietly looked down at the unfinished hairclip drawing.

Her fingers slowly touched the screen.

Then...

Very softly...

Almost like she was speaking only to herself...

"This city feels strangely warm..."

"And dangerous at the same time..."