Ten Days: The Zodiac's Haunted Realm

Chapter 1: The Secret of Amber

The floor-to-ceiling windows of the apartment on the 23rd floor glowed blue under holographic advertisements, and the schedule projection beneath Lin Xia's eyes shattered into specks of light. She stood before the mirror and tugged at the collar of her hoodie. The diamond-shaped scar on the back of her neck shimmered faintly gold in the light. The seventh-generation biological chip, "Amber," which she had gritted her teeth and had implanted at a black-market clinic three months ago, was now pressing painfully against her artificial skin.

"Body temperature, 36.8 degrees. Adrenaline levels normal!" The bone-conduction device in her ear suddenly crackled, with a hint of electrical static. "You've touched the chip for the twelfth time today. Would you like to start the tr