From the way Little Red Riding Hood reacted—and the look on the young girl’s face as she walked in—Yu Sheng guessed what had happened right away. His expression darkened, but before he could speak, Little Red Riding Hood lifted a hand.
“Stay here, all of you,” she said firmly. “I’ll check on things myself.”
“No. I’m going with you,” Yu Sheng insisted, standing up. Foxy rose to her feet as well, holding Irene in her arms.
“This is a ‘Fairy Tale’ matter,” Little Red Riding Hood replied, her voice troubled. “We’ve handled this many times before. I understand your concern, but—”
“No buts,” Yu Sheng cut in sharply. He knew exactly how to deal with this stubborn girl. He brought up something she couldn’t argue against. “Your wolf bit me. I’m already caught up in this ‘Fairy Tale’ situation. For all I know, I could end up back in that Black Forest during my next dream. I need to understand what’s going on.”
Little Red Riding Hood hesitated, clearly thrown off-balance. After a tense moment, she let out a sigh and gave a small nod.
The long-haired girl who had come to fetch them looked uncertain, glancing from Yu Sheng to the others. She had questions but stayed quiet when Little Red Riding Hood shot her a quick look. Instead, she turned and opened the door.
A knot of children stood in the hallway outside.
Some were just six or seven, others closer to thirteen. At an age when kids should be bursting with noise and laughter, they stood there in silence, as though something heavy weighed them down.
Little Red Riding Hood bent down to gently pat the little girl’s head. “Yes,” she said softly. “She’s leaving today, going somewhere else.”
“Will she still come to class this afternoon? I made her a card…” The girl’s voice trembled, and her eyes shone with worry.
“You can give the card to Teacher Su,” Little Red Riding Hood replied. “She’ll make sure Xiao Xiao gets it. Graduation happens very quickly, so there usually isn’t time for goodbyes. But… I’ll tell her you said farewell.”
“Oh…” the girl murmured, lowering her gaze.
Little Red Riding Hood straightened and hurried down the hall, Yu Sheng and the others following close behind.
Once they’d left the children behind, Yu Sheng leaned in and spoke quietly. “You said this has happened more than once?”
“More than once,” Little Red Riding Hood answered with a small nod. “Some children arrive at the orphanage already at risk. Others develop problems over time—mental issues that the ‘Fairy Tale’ makes worse. It’s not only adulthood that’s dangerous here. Childhood can end suddenly, too.”
Irene, tucked against Foxy’s shoulder, lifted her head. “The little ones don’t know the truth, do they?”
“No,” Little Red Riding Hood said. “They’re too young. Fear feeds the ‘Fairy Tale,’ and keeping them in the dark helps. But around thirteen or fourteen, they start uncovering the truth through their dreams. That’s when they begin to ‘awaken’—the point where they gain whatever power the ‘Fairy Tale’ grants them. We call those kids ‘Guardians.’ We have a system to guide them along.”
Irene hid her face again, muttering, “It’s the first time I’ve heard of a ‘mature system’ that feels so… bleak.”
Yu Sheng said nothing. His lips pressed into a tight line, and his eyes blazed with determination.
Irene noticed but chose not to comment.
They crossed through a corridor linking the East Building to the West Building.
The moment Yu Sheng set foot inside, he sensed a change. The air felt strangely thick, almost pressing down on them. Although the hallway lights were bright, the corners were filled with lurking shadows, like nothing could chase them away. Every shape looked unnaturally divided, as if the building contained unseen barriers that cut up the space.
“This building is equipped with special seals and isolation zones,” Little Red Riding Hood whispered, catching Yu Sheng’s tense expression. “It’s where we confine and study the powers and conditions of children in crisis. We follow a set of safety procedures here before sending them elsewhere.”
Yu Sheng nodded silently, staying close to her and the long-haired girl as they walked through the eerie corridor. Sunlight streamed through windows, scattering patches of light on the walls. At last, they reached a heavy iron door. Leaning against the wall next to it was a woman who looked to be in her twenties, her face weary and hollow.
“An adult?” Yu Sheng wondered. Then he remembered what Little Red Riding Hood had said—some staff here belonged to the council.
“This is Teacher Su,” the long-haired girl explained softly. “She looks after the youngest kids—those under seven. The children adore her.”
Teacher Su snapped out of her daze as soon as she noticed them. Her gaze rested on Little Red Riding Hood. “It happened in class…” she said, guilt weighing down her voice. “If I’d only realized sooner…” ℞𝓪ŊóᛒĘṤ
“There was nothing you could have done,” Little Red Riding Hood said gently. “It was probably too late before she even got here. Let’s see what’s happened inside.”
Teacher Su paused, eyeing Yu Sheng, Irene, and Foxy with confusion. “Who… are they?”
“They’re with me,” Little Red Riding Hood replied in a brisk tone. “Friends.”
Still looking puzzled, Teacher Su watched as Yu Sheng offered a brief nod. “Yu Sheng, from the Hotel,” he said.
Foxy followed, holding Irene. “Foxy, also from the Hotel.”
“I’m Irene! From the Hotel, too!” Irene chirped.
Before Teacher Su could do more than blink, they slipped past her. The heavy door clanged shut behind them.
The room was starkly lit, yet it felt as though the darkness in the air had only grown heavier, seeping from the walls themselves.
In the center stood a narrow bed. A small figure lay under the blankets, still as a statue.
Yu Sheng stepped closer, his heart tightening with an odd dread. The child’s face appeared calm, as if asleep, but her chest never moved—no breath passed her lips.
Faint red lines crisscrossed her neck, arms, and legs, like veins of dried blood. It was as if her body had broken and been pieced back together.
Yu Sheng flashed back to the moment he’d seen Little Red Riding Hood’s arm morph in the valley.
“She turned into a wolf in her nightmare,” the long-haired girl whispered. “It happened too fast… We didn’t have time.”
“At least she looked like herself again in the end,” Little Red Riding Hood said softly. “We can let her go… as a person.”
“Hold on,” Yu Sheng said, realization dawning. “Are you saying she had the same symptoms as you did—shifting into a wolf?”
“Yes.” Little Red Riding Hood nodded.
The long-haired girl glanced at the tiny still form on the bed. “She might have been the next ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’”
She paused, then finished in a subdued tone, “But now… I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Yu Sheng stared at the girl, then at the unmoving child. His fists clenched as if he were wrestling with his own thoughts.
He reached out and touched the trace of dried blood on the child’s neck.
“What are you doing?” the long-haired girl demanded, rushing forward.
“I want to see if I can sense what she experienced in her last moments,” Yu Sheng said quietly. “Maybe… I can speak to her.”
The long-haired girl froze, unsure what to do, but Little Red Riding Hood signaled her to wait.
Yu Sheng closed his eyes, concentrating hard. He stayed that way for several seconds, barely breathing, then let out a sharp exhale as he opened his eyes again.
“She’s not dead,” he said in a shaky voice. His gaze swept over everyone in the room.
“I think… she’s still alive.”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation