Scent

Irina, after taking a moment to compose herself, dipped her head and looked at the amulet in her hand, mumbling thoughtfully, "No wonder the feeling of the starry sky felt familiar. It was because of this…"

She pondered for a few seconds, then stood up and walked to the French window with her phone in hand. Her dark hair cascaded to the center of her back like silk—a perfect match with her lace nightgown.

She looked at the unsleeping city—a flowing galaxy on Earth, then buzzed a number using a private satellite line. 　

A sluggish male voice answered after a series of beeps.

"Still awake?"

Irina drew a soft breath, peering into the distance. Trying to sound casual, she said, "Ge Hui, I met someone with a similar scent to the amulet you gave me—the scent of a starry sky." 

"What?" blurted the man on the other side. He fell silent. After a few seconds, he asked in a deep voice, "Who is it?"