Rebirth: IHDSP 2

The rain fell in sheets, washing over the battered cityscape of Xiangcheng. At the city gates, Ma Zhiyuan, ever the gentle pragmatist, spoke softly to Qin Xiaolan, their gazes fixed on the stream of survivors entering and leaving. "Xiaolan," he reasoned, "who among us hasn't lost someone? Life and death are daily occurrences now. Don't let it consume you."
Not far off, Hua Mi, hidden by the downpour, nodded in agreement, then stiffened as Qin Xiaolan's words reached her: "But Fang Xin said she has clues about my brother..." Fang Xin. The name struck a cold chord. Hua Mi's senses sharpened, but the pair had already turned, heading towards the city's edge. Bound by her duty to watch Liu Shengyuan, Hua Mi could only watch them fade into the grey. A chilling thought surfaced: why did everyone connected to Fang Xin seem to meet a terrible end?
