When Ruby dragged the last cardboard box out of the elevator, she felt like both of her arms were about to break off.

She let out a long breath, sweat trickling down from her temples and plastering a few strands of brown hair to her skin. But no matter what, the move was finally done.

It had taken her a long time to find this new residential complex. The security was tight, the environment was clean and quiet, and there was even a slide and swing set for the young ones in the garden downstairs. When she first came to check it out, she’d seen several young shifter couples pushing strollers, warm smiles on their faces.

Everything about it felt safe.

Her landlady, a kind-faced capybara, had beat her chest and promised that all the residents here were strictly vetted; there were absolutely no unsavory characters. She had even made a special point of mentioning,

When Ruby heard that, the heavy stone in her heart finally dropped.

The thing she feared most right now was running into a carnivore-系 shifter.

Standing at the door of her own apartment, 4A, Ruby rummaged through her bag for her keys while sizing up the door across the hall. Hanging on the dark brown door was a beautiful, purple crystal wind chime. The evening breeze blew in from the hallway window, and the wind chime made a crisp, tinkling sound that was lovely to hear.

Looks like he really is someone who enjoys life and has good taste, Ruby thought. Her mood brightened considerably. She felt like her new life was off to a perfect start.

Inside, the apartment was a mess, with unopened boxes everywhere. Ruby was so tired she couldn’t be bothered to lift a single finger. She tossed her heavy shoulder bag onto the floor and collapsed into the sofa like a boneless puddle.

Perhaps because she was so exhausted, she quickly fell asleep.

And then, she dreamed of the fox again.

In the dream, those greedy, oily eyes stared at her, as if sizing up a plump piece of meat about to be devoured. He stuck out his tongue and licked his sharp teeth, and the foul, avaricious scent nearly drowned her.

“Little rabbit, you can’t run away…”

The scene shifted. His savage face breaking through the door, the dull thud of the heavy metal lamp she’d swung at his head in self-defense. The fox’s pained screams and curses mingled together:

Ruby jolted awake from the dream, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

She gasped for air, looking around the unfamiliar, cluttered room. It took a moment for her to realize she was no longer in that nightmarish old apartment.

She was safe.

She had moved overnight, changed cities, all to escape the fox’s revenge. Now, she lived in a safe complex, and her neighbor was a gentle, herbivore-系, good person who liked purple wind chimes.

Ruby let out a long breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

The sky outside had already gone completely dark.

Her stomach rumbled at an inconvenient moment, reminding her she hadn’t had a proper meal all day. Ruby climbed off the sofa and decided to go out to the new salad shop nearby to grab something to eat.

She walked to the door. Just as her hand was about to touch the doorknob, she suddenly heard a faint noise in the hallway.

Ruby’s body froze instantly, and every hair on her body stood on end. She held her breath and cautiously peered through the peephole.

Across the hall, in front of door 4B, stood a tall, dark figure.

It was the man from the elevator that afternoon.

He was very tall, with a sturdy build, dressed in a black hoodie. His whole being was shrouded in a gloomy aura that had instinctively frightened Ruby earlier.

What is he doing, standing at the door to 4B?

Just as Ruby tried to get a clearer look, the man turned his head abruptly, as if he’d sensed her.

A pair of green eyes, which looked terrifying in the dim light, precisely the peephole.

Those were not the gentle eyes of an herbivore. They were gloomy and cold, like a wolf lurking in the bushes in the dead of night.

“Ah!”

Ruby let out a small, terrified cry, her heart leaping into her throat. She felt like she’d been electrocuted, flinging herself back from the door and stumbling a few steps.

The voice-activated light in the hallway came on, casting a soft glow.

She saw that the man was hoisting a huge, bulging sack over his shoulder. She couldn’t tell what was inside. Then, he took out a key, unlocked the door with the purple wind chime, and went inside.

Tinkle…

The crisp sound of the wind chime echoed again. But this time, to Ruby’s ears, it was unspeakably eerie.

That terrifying man… was the resident of 4B? The gentle, good person?

Ruby leaned against the cold security door, slowly sliding down to the floor. She didn't dare go out anymore. With trembling hands, she ordered takeout on her phone.

When the salad arrived, she only opened the door a crack, snatched it quickly, and immediately triple-locked the door.

She had no appetite at all. Her mind was a mess. Why? Why did all the neighbors and the landlady say he was a good person? That look in his eyes… was definitely not someone kind. Did he have some unspeakable secret? And what was in that sack?

The more she thought, the more terrified she became. Eventually, Ruby couldn't take it anymore and dialed the Cabybara landlady’s number.

The landlady’s voice was as gentle as ever.

“Sorry, Ma’am, to bother you… I just wanted to double-check. The person living across from me, in 4B, his name is Silas Kane, correct?”

“Yes, that’s him. A very shy and bashful young man, but with a heart of gold. We landlords feel at ease with you living across from him! I’m sure you two will become great neighbors.”

After hanging up, the box of vegetable salad in Ruby’s hand fell to the floor with a soft thud.

The landlady’s confirmation was like a heavy hammer, smashing her last shred of hope to pieces.

A that everyone thought was a was ten thousand times more terrifying than an openly bad guy.

She curled up on the sofa, pulling a blanket tightly around herself. Just then, a rhythmic, dull thudding sound came from next door—from 4B.

Thud… thud… thud…

The sound wasn’t loud, but in the dead of night, it was terrifyingly clear, each thud seeming to pound on Ruby’s own heart.

She was too scared to move. The cold fork in her hand fell onto the carpet with a soft clink.

That entire night, Ruby barely slept.

The dull, rhythmic thud… thud-thud… from next door was like a tiny hammer, lightly but persistently tapping on her nerves. She pressed a pillow over her ears, but her mind uncontrollably conjured images from various horror movies.

Is he… processing something?

The thought sent a chill down her spine. The sounds finally stopped around four in the morning, and only then did Ruby fall into an exhausted, fitful sleep.

The result was that the next morning, she had two dark circles under her eyes and nearly missed a video conference with a client.

the client on the screen asked with concern.

she mumbled, deflecting.

As soon as the meeting ended, she had to go out. She needed to go downtown to deliver a signed contract.

This meant she had to leave her house and walk past 4B, past the purple wind chime, past the devil’s lair.

Ruby prepared herself mentally, like a soldier heading into battle. She tiptoed to the door, pressing her ear against the cold metal to listen for any movement outside.

Silence.

She peered through the peephole again, nervously scanning the hallway. It was empty, except for the purple wind chime, swaying slightly.

He must have already left for work.

Ruby took a deep breath, yanked the door open, shot out like a rabbit, didn't even wait for the elevator, and ran down the stairs via the emergency exit.

It wasn't until she was crammed into a packed subway car, submerged in the noise and stuffy heat of the crowd, that she finally relaxed a little.

she told herself.

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