Lin Mu untied it carefully. The paper was brittle with age and slightly singed on one corner, but the ink remained legible.
Report Filed – 372 Years Ago
Location: Southern Outskirts, Golden Scales Territory
Subject: Deranged Survivor Found Outside the Shadow Whisper Valley
Description: A man was discovered wandering the trade route near Mistfern Outpost. Clothing was torn and bloodied. Subject appeared in a state of extreme mental distress—unresponsive to questions, unable to identify self.
Subject repeated a single word endlessly:" Ephemera… Ephemera… Ephemera…"
Attempts to communicate failed. Subject did not survive the night.
Speculated origin: Shadow Whisper Valley. No family or friend claimed the body.
Filed by: Patrol Captain Yiru Shen. Deemed unfit for investigation due to lack of evidence.
Lin Mu stared at the parchment.
'Ephemera?' he repeated in his mind.
