NIGHT WATCH

*Chapter 32: The Crimson Phantom Strikes*

A week passed in tense calm after the riverfront mission. Nightwatch learned to work in sync—patrolling the city at dawn and dusk, growing more adept at hiding in plain sight even as rumors of their heroics spread. But beneath it all, Li Wei noticed odd patterns: crows gathering on rooftops, coded threats scrawled in red chalk, and a single name whispered among shaken vendors—*the Crimson Phantom*.

One evening, word came of an attack at the city's grand museum. Artifacts were missing, guards in a daze claiming they'd seen a figure moving faster than thought, red cloak fluttering like blood in moonlight. Nightwatch sped to the scene—Jin Ming's car roaring, Yan and Mei Fen weaving their bikes through gridlocked streets, Bao Yu managing traffic spells behind the wheel.

Inside, panic reigned: glass shattered, alarms blaring, ancient scrolls scattered in the galleries. The Phantom moved like a ghost—masked in crimson, eyes blazing with malice and a strange, sick intelligence. The team tried to box the enemy in: Mei Fen hurled decorative spears, Jin Ming charged with a fire extinguisher swinging, Yan leapt from display to display, staff spinning in a blur.

Suddenly, the Phantom shifted tactics. With swift, brutal efficiency, they broke through defense after defense—dodging Yan's strikes, blocking Jin Ming's best tackles, using museum shadows for cover. In the chaos, Li Wei felt a sharp sting at his neck—a tranquilizer dart, he realized, before the world tilted and went black.

Within seconds, the Phantom dragged Li Wei into a back stairwell, vanishing before anyone could react. The group split up in terror, searching every room, every alley, every network camera in vain. All they found was a single feather—and, scrawled on the wall in bloodred ink, the words: *Nightwatch's Heart is Mine.*

Back at the academy, Headmistress Zhou gathered the devastated team. "Li Wei is alive," she promised, "but time is running short. This enemy is unlike any you've faced—ruthless, brilliant, and more dangerous than you know. You must be ready for anything, and you must work together if there's any hope."

Yan clenched her fists in rage, Xiulan wept in silent agony, and the rest of Nightwatch swore—on magic, heart, and friendship—to bring Li Wei home, no matter the cost.