Inside a sealed apartment, the darkness was like a thick cloth, wrapping the entire home in a suffocating blackness. The light cast by the computer screen on the desk was not enough to illuminate the whole space. Even so, it was enough to reveal the hollow face of a middle-aged man sitting there, with green eyes and slightly ashen skin. His sinewy fingers moved across the keyboard, the clacking sound breaking apart the stillness of the night.

  On the screen was the interface of a website with a sweetness so excessive it bordered on cheesy. The background was covered in pastel pink, decorated with comic-style icons drawn with polished detail, flower-shaped borders, and candy-sweet girlish symbols. Max hated this kind of aesthetic, but this was for one of his lovely customers, so he had no choice but to put up with it.

  A small red dot appeared in the corner of the screen. He moved the cursor to the inbox and clicked on it. A message from a customer appeared before his eyes:

  “May I ask how many days it will take for the book to arrive?”

  Above that question was the order information. A neat and feminine three-word name: Chau H? Anh. A pretty name, just like the girl herself.

  His lips curved slightly into a smile. He looked once more at the buyer’s delivery address, cheerful enough to type a reply right away:

  “On average, two days. If you need it sooner, I can have the book sent out tomorrow.”

  Three dots appeared in the chat. The other person was still typing. A few seconds later, another message appeared:

  “Oh, it probably isn’t that urgent. Normal delivery is fine. Just please don’t let it arrive later than Sunday. I won’t be home!”

  “Okay, I’ll try to get it out soon. Thank you for your support!” Max replied briefly. His hand left the keyboard, and his eyes drifted back to the book in the corner of the desk.

  The comic book “Parallel World” had been sitting there for a long time. On the cover was a stunningly beautiful young man and woman leaning against each other. This was the very thing he had spent money promoting week after week, deliberately making it appear at the exact hours that girl was usually online. At last, the day had come when his little fish had taken the bait.

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  Max picked up the book and looked at it one last time. The cover showed two people, but his gaze stopped only on the young man. He was dressed in an ivory robe, with deep violet eyes like a night sky holding thousands of stars. His chestnut hair fell down over his ears, and the corners of his lips curved faintly. His entire face had an elegance like the angel reliefs Max had once seen in some distant age buried in memory. Max could not remember clearly, nor did he need to remember such things. Now, the one who needed to remember what he had been told was that young man, the handsome figure hiding on the cover of the comic book.

  “You remember your mission, don’t you, Prince?” His shrill voice rang out, like the sound of a rusted violin echoing through the large apartment. Max tilted his head and fixed his eyes on the young man in the illustration, waiting for a reply.

  The male character on the cover remained silent. Even so, that smile seemed to deepen slightly.

  Satisfied, the man narrowed his green eyes and carefully reminded him once again.

  “Go to her and make her fall in love with you. Only when the word “Love” on that compass lights up can it be considered a success.” Max spoke more slowly this time, but deliberately raised his voice. “When that happens, I will bring you back to the tomb and perform the resurrection ritual.”

  This time, the figure in the illustration reacted. Those lifeless violet eyes suddenly blinked once, as if giving him confirmation.

  Max let out a laugh. A sudden coughing fit rose in his throat, bringing with it a strong metallic taste that surged into his mouth. He doubled over, clutching his throat with both hands, trying to steady his breathing until the urge to cough subsided. Only after a few seconds was the man able to breathe normally again.

  Swallowing down the salty, metallic taste along with the pain throbbing deep in his chest, Max sat there blankly. After resting for quite a while, he finally regained enough strength to stand up.

  The man gently placed the comic book neatly into a cardboard box and began packing the order. His hand brushed softly over the cover one last time, like a silent wish of good luck for his “prince.”

  “So now all that’s left is to wait. The job is done.” Max muttered, giving the delivery address one last glance before shutting down the computer. The room sank deep into darkness, with only a faint glow from the streetlights slipping through the gap in the curtains. Satisfied, Max stretched, and his worn-out joints cracked sharply in protest.

  Walking to the window, he pulled the curtain aside and let the distant city lights shine in, casting a pale glow over the small parcel on the table. It lay there quietly, silent and ready.

  In just a few more hours, when the courier arrived, he would deliver not only the parcel but also her fate.