The Hunt Begins

Qimu Xi felt as though this was the first time that time had flowed so slowly.

She lay on the floor, hiding behind the railing. Both her hands were gripping the binoculars tightly to the point where she could nearly press the lens into her eyes. She dared not doze off as she watched the distant streets and intersections, fearful that she might miss some minor movements.

The silence of her surroundings gave her goose bumps. Far away, there would be the whistling sound of the winds and the crackling sound emitted by the house that was detonated apart earlier. Flames continued to lick what remained of the wooden house.

Qimu Xi could almost hear her heartbeat. She forcefully bit down on her lips, unaware that her lips were nearly bleeding from her efforts.