In the early morning, Lin Yun woke up alone in a double bed.

Subconsciously, Lin Yun reached out to touch the pillow next to him, but there was nothing there.

It was always like this.

He always fantasized that everything was just a dream and that the person next to him was still there.

Staring at the ceiling in a daze, Lin Yun calmed himself down and sat up in bed.

The person was gone, and a new day began as usual.

He washed up, shaved, got dressed, and tidied himself up, all of which remained unchanged.

Leaving the room and looking at the next door, there was a note on his daughter's room door that said "Knock first," which also remained unchanged.

He took out the pre-prepared instant breakfast from the refrigerator, quickly heated it up, and left a portion for his still sleeping daughter. Lin Yun left the house in silence.

The morning rush hour in Fangting City was particularly exaggerated, making it difficult to drive, so Lin Yun rarely drove to work and preferred to squeeze onto the crowded subway.

Although it was crowded, it was fast and ensured that he arrived at the company on time.

Walking to the nearest station from his home, it took about 3 minutes for the subway to arrive. Lin Yun was pushed into the carriage by the crowd and found an empty handrail near the window, as if grabbing onto a floating board in a stormy sea.

He lowered his head, opened his phone, and looked at the leader who had already assigned tasks in the company group early in the morning. He couldn't help but sigh.

Bored, he searched for useful information in the group's idle chatter, thinking about how to deal with his tedious tasks that needed to be done today. The more he thought about it, the more discouraged he felt. He decided to close his phone, clear his mind, and enjoy the rare leisure on the crowded subway.

Not long after, a scream suddenly came from the carriage.

And with the first scream, the surrounding cries followed one after another.

Following the source of the sound, Lin Yun looked at the crowd and then looked outside the train. His gaze quickly found the focal point and understood why the crowd was screaming.

—On a tall building in the distance, a huge monster resembling a meatball was hanging there, showing its terrifying teeth and claws.

Brutal Beast, that's what people called it.

It often appeared suddenly in human cities, causing destruction and killing without discrimination or purpose. It was a mysterious existence that still puzzled people and a huge hidden danger to society.

Physical attacks couldn't harm it, not even high-powered weapons. It was a headache for everyone.

However, in recent years, Brutal Beast attacks in Fangting City were not frequent.

The passage of time had turned common knowledge into a vague memory, and people had gradually become accustomed to days without sudden Brutal Beast attacks.

It was no wonder that encountering such an unexpected event would cause panic.

The commotion of these negative emotions didn't last long before it was forcibly interrupted.

Because a light blue rainbow light tore through the sky and struck the Brutal Beast between the buildings.

As if responding to the provocation of the rainbow light, the spherical monster opened its terrifying mouth and let out a deafening roar.

After that, as the subway gradually moved away, it was impossible to see what happened next.

Some people in the carriage were still in shock, some cursed repeatedly, and some cheered with excitement.

Because they all recognized that blue rainbow light—it couldn't be anyone else, it was undoubtedly the Magical Girl.

The appearance of the Magical Girl seemed to be born to balance the Brutal Beasts.

It was unknown who first called her "Magical Girl." Whether this name naturally formed or came from those common children's animations, no one knew for sure. But in any case, the Magical Girl became synonymous with "eliminating Brutal Beasts."

Some people saw it as a conspiracy or a scam, while others saw her as a modern hero. But there was no doubt that people cared about the existence of the Magical Girl and couldn't ignore it.

Lin Yun was the same.

"A color I've never seen before, a new Magical Girl... she will appear after all."

There was no special emotion in his words, and he could even be said to be emotionless. Only his furrowed brow revealed that his mood was not calm.

He knew that this day would come sooner or later.

However, Brutal Beasts and Magical Girls were ultimately far from ordinary people's lives. As long as he wasn't accidentally involved, the two would always be parallel lines without intersection.

He had no reason to continue to care about these things now.

The subway continued to move forward with a roar.

Following the crowd, he walked out of the station and arrived at the office building where his company was located amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Lin Yun began his day of work.

The company he worked for was called Gaosheng Elevator Company, specializing in the production and sales of various commercial elevators. He was the head of the after-sales department.

Therefore, he couldn't avoid dealing with customers every day. Whenever there was a slightly bigger issue, it would always end up back in his hands. The trivial matters always made his scalp tingle.

He earnestly conducted the report meeting, tirelessly communicated with clients, forced himself to complete the task flow with a clear mind, and drowsily finished filing documents.

Approaching 7 o'clock in the evening, he politely declined the invitation to the upcoming dinner and left the company. Facing the already dark sky, he silently walked the path home.

Dim lights spilled onto the street, but they couldn't illuminate his face. Walking in the shadows of the skyscrapers, Lin Yun looked lost.

He felt that his recent life had become somewhat dull.The seemingly solidified corporate position gradually made him feel weary.

The long-unchanged interpersonal relationships were narrowing his perspective.

The icy family relations left him clueless about how to communicate with his child.

And even though he was in his prime, he was increasingly lacking vitality. His body was frequently plagued by minor ailments, and the pain in his shoulders and neck was unbearable.

Looking back, it seemed that all the turning points were at that rainy funeral. As he stood helplessly in front of the soaked tombstone, the muffled cries of his daughter ringing in his ears, all the beauty he firmly believed in seemed to have been washed away by the rain, leaving only suffocating oppression. It seemed that since his wife's death, there had been no so-called beauty in his life.

The abrupt honking of cars on the road brought Lin Yun back from his inner world to reality.

Was he too immersed in the past?

There were many things he cared about, too many problems that arose, and he couldn't find the reason among them.

On his slow walk to the station, a phone call suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

He picked up his cell phone, glanced at the name displayed on the incoming call, and after a moment's hesitation, Lin Yun finally moved his finger to the answer button.

As the call connected, accompanied by a clear ring, a woman's voice came from the other end of the line:

"Are you off work yet? Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?"