Digital Ghost

Chapter 9: Digital Ghost

The Blue Light Glitch

The fluorescent light above my head flickered like a dying star. It was 3:00 AM, and I was sitting in the same corner of the 7-Eleven on Zhongshan Road, my face buried in my phone. The news app was open, and I was scrolling through a list of "unexplained power surges" reported across the district. The air reeked of stale coffee and the faint metallic tang of ozone. I could almost taste the static in my mouth, like the city itself was holding its breath.

"Hey, Wei," Ah-Gui said from behind me, his voice a little distorted, like a radio signal cutting in and out. "You're staring at that screen like it's going to answer your questions."

I didn't look up. My fingers were trembling, not from the cold but from the sudden, inexplicable jolt of fear that had just shot through me. "I don't even know why I'm here," I muttered. "It's not like I have anything better to do."

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his translucent hand hovering just above the screen. I caught a glimpse of his pale, ghostly fingers before they drifted toward the phone. The moment his hand made contact, the screen didn't just flicker—it bleeded. Pixels swirled like ink in water, and for a split second, the screen was a blur of color and motion, as if the phone itself was melting into something else.

"Whoa," I said, stepping back. My voice was sharp, almost panicked. "Your hand... you're breaking the hardware."

Ah-Gui chuckled, a low, ghostly sound that made my skin crawl. "I'm not breaking it, Wei. I'm just... seeing the signal behind the noise."

I stared at the screen, my mind racing. The swirling pixels had stopped, and now the phone was showing something that wasn't supposed to be there. A live feed of the CCTV cameras around the neighborhood. I could see the blurry images of people walking the streets, their faces obscured by the darkness. But what caught my attention was the faint, almost imperceptible movement in the corner of the frame—a shadow that didn't belong.

"Is this... real?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ah-Gui nodded. "It's real enough. The Night Market Entity isn't just messing with the physical world anymore. It's in the digital world too."

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "So what does that mean for us?"

Ah-Gui's eyes were glowing faintly, like the screen of a dying phone. "It means we're going to have to dig deeper than we ever have before. This isn't just a ghost anymore, Wei. This is a digital ghost."

The Ghost in the Machine

The apartment was dimly lit, the only light coming from the blue glow of my laptop, tablet, and phone. The air was thick with the smell of burnt electronics and something else—something I couldn't quite place. It was like the scent of old paper, mixed with the acrid tang of static. I sat on the floor, surrounded by cables and devices, all of them hooked up to the same network. Ah-Gui was pacing the room, his footsteps making a soft, almost imperceptible sound on the floor.

"This is it, Wei," he said, stopping to look at me. "The Night Market Entity is a digital ghost. It's not just feeding on the energy of the night markets. It's feeding on the data. The more people use their phones, the more it grows. The more it corrupts."

I looked at the screen of my laptop, where a series of corrupted files were playing out in real-time. Each one showed a different part of the city—each one corrupted in its own way. Some images were glitchy, others were completely unrecognizable, like the files themselves were being devoured by something unseen.

"Okay, but how do we fight something that's digital?" I asked. "We can't just exorcise it with salt and incense, can we?"

Ah-Gui shook his head. "No, we can't. But we can fight it with the same tools it uses. We need to find the source of the corruption. That's where the Night Market Entity is hiding."

I nodded slowly, my mind racing. "So we have to find the source of the corruption. That means we have to trace it back to where it started."

Ah-Gui looked at me, his expression serious. "Exactly. But it's not going to be easy. The Night Market Entity is hiding in plain sight. It's using the city's own infrastructure to mask its presence. It's like a ghost that's learned to live in the digital world."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So what do we do?"

Ah-Gui pointed to the laptop screen. "We start here. We need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where the entity's influence began. If we can find that, we might have a chance to stop it."

I looked back at the screen, my eyes scanning the corrupted files. "Okay, but how do we know which one to start with?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start with the one that's the most corrupted. The one that's the most... alive."

I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You mean the one that's showing the most signs of the Night Market Entity?"

Ah-Gui nodded. "Exactly. That's the one we need to find."

I looked back at the screen, my heart racing. The corrupted files were all over the place, but one stood out. It was a video from the convenience store where I had first seen the glitch. The screen was flickering, the images distorted, but I could still see the shadow in the corner of the frame.

"This is it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is the one we need to start with."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Good. Let's see what we can find."

I clicked on the file, and the screen came to life. The video played, showing the convenience store in the middle of the night. The flickering light, the smell of stale coffee, the distant sound of a scooter engine. And then, the shadow in the corner of the frame.

It moved, just like before, but this time, I could see it more clearly. It was a shape, almost human, but not quite. It was like a silhouette, made of shadows and something else—something I couldn't quite place. It was watching the camera, its eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

"Is that... the Night Market Entity?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Ah-Gui looked at me, his expression unreadable. "It's not the Night Market Entity yet. It's just a shadow. But it's the first step in the chain."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So we're going to have to dig deeper than that."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Yes, Wei. We're going to have to dig deeper than that."

Data Dive

The laptop screen blinked, and the corrupted video played again. This time, I focused on the shadow, trying to make sense of the image that was dancing just out of reach. Ah-Gui sat beside me, his fingers twitching as if he were about to touch the keyboard but hesitated at the last moment.

"It's not just a shadow," he said, his voice low. "It's a presence. It's watching us."

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "So what do we do? We can't just sit here and wait for it to attack us."

Ah-Gui shook his head. "No, we can't wait. We need to find the source of the corruption. That's where the Night Market Entity is hiding."

I looked back at the screen, the video playing in a loop. "Okay, but how do we find the source?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his translucent fingers hovering just above the keyboard. "We start by analyzing the data. If we can trace the corruption back to its origin, we might have a chance to stop the Night Market Entity before it spreads further."

I nodded slowly, my mind racing. "So we need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where it began."

Ah-Gui's eyes glowed faintly, like the screen of a dying phone. "Exactly. But it's not going to be easy. The Night Market Entity is hiding in plain sight. It's using the city's own infrastructure to mask its presence. It's like a ghost that's learned to live in the digital world."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So what do we do?"

Ah-Gui pointed to the laptop screen. "We start here. We need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where the entity's influence began. If we can find that, we might have a chance to stop it."

I looked back at the screen, my eyes scanning the corrupted files. "Okay, but how do we know which one to start with?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start with the one that's the most corrupted. The one that's the most... alive."

I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You mean the one that's showing the most signs of the Night汇

The Digital Rot

The corrupted files kept playing, each one showing a different part of the city. I couldn't believe how fast things had gotten worse. The Night Market Entity wasn't just a ghost anymore—it was a digital ghost, feeding on the city's data like a parasite. I looked at the screen, my eyes scanning the files as I tried to make sense of what was happening.

"This is worse than I thought," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "The Night Market Entity isn't just corrupting the data. It's using it. It's growing stronger by feeding on the city's infrastructure."

Ah-Gui nodded slowly, his translucent hands hovering just above the keyboard. "Exactly. That's why we need to find the source of the corruption. If we can stop the Night Market Entity at the root of it, we might have a chance to save the city."

I looked back at the screen, my heart racing. "So what's the first step?"

Ah-Gui pointed to the video from the convenience store. "We start there. That's where the entity's influence began. If we can find the source of the corruption, we might be able to stop it before it spreads further."

I nodded, my mind racing. "Okay, but how do we find the source?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start by analyzing the data. If we can trace the corruption back to its origin, we might have a chance to stop the Night Market Entity before it spreads further."

I looked back at the screen, the corrupted video playing in a loop. "So we need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where it began."

Ah-Gui's eyes glowed faintly, like the screen of a dying phone. "Exactly. But it's not going to be easy. The Night Market Entity is hiding in plain sight. It's using the city's own infrastructure to mask its presence. It's like a ghost that's learned to live in the digital world."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So what do we do?"

Ah-Gui pointed to the laptop screen. "We start here. We need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where the entity's influence began. If we can find that, we might have a chance to stop it."

I looked back at the screen, my eyes scanning the corrupted files. "Okay, but how do we know which one to start with?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start with the one that's the most corrupted. The one that's the most... alive."

I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You mean the one that's showing the most signs of the Night Market Entity?"

Ah-Gui nodded. "Exactly. That's the one we need to find."

I looked back at the screen, my heart racing. The corrupted files were all over the place, but one stood out. It was a video from the convenience store where I had first seen the glitch. The screen was flickering, the images distorted, but I could still see the shadow in the corner of the frame.

"This is it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is the one we need to start with."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Good. Let's see what we can find."

I clicked on the file, and the screen came to life. The video played, showing the convenience store in the middle of the night. The flickering light, the smell of stale coffee, the distant sound of a scooter engine. And then, the shadow in the corner of the frame.

It moved, just like before, but this time, I could see it more clearly. It was a shape, almost human, but not quite. It was like a silhouette, made of shadows and something else—something I couldn'汇

The Source of Corruption

The corrupted video played again, the shadow in the corner of the frame moving just out of reach. I focused on it, trying to make sense of the image that was dancing just out of reach. Ah-Gui sat beside me, his translucent fingers twitching as if he were about to touch the keyboard but hesitated at the last moment.

"It's not just a shadow," he said, his voice low. "It's a presence. It's watching us."

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "So what do we do? We can't just sit here and wait for it to attack us."

Ah-Gui shook his head. "No, we can't wait. We need to find the source of the corruption. That's where the Night Market Entity is hiding."

I looked back at the screen, the video playing in a loop. "Okay, but how do we find the source?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his translucent hands hovering just above the keyboard. "We start by analyzing the data. If we can trace the corruption back to its origin, we might have a chance to stop the Night Market Entity before it spreads further."

I nodded slowly, my mind racing. "So we need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where it began."

Ah-Gui's eyes glowed faintly, like the screen of a dying phone. "Exactly. But it's not going to be easy. The Night Market Entity is hiding in plain sight. It's using the city's own infrastructure to mask its presence. It's like a ghost that's learned to live in the digital world."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So what do we do?"

Ah-Gui pointed to the laptop screen. "We start here. We need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where the entity's influence began. If we can find that, we might have a chance to stop it."

I looked back at the screen, my eyes scanning the corrupted files. "Okay, but how do we know which one to start with?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start with the one that's the most corrupted. The one that's the most... alive."

I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You mean the one that's showing the most signs of the Night Market Entity?"

Ah-Gui nodded. "Exactly. That's the one we need to find."

I looked back at the screen, my heart racing. The corrupted files were all over the place, but one stood out. It was a video from the convenience store where I had first seen the glitch. The screen was flickering, the images distorted, but I could still see the shadow in the corner of the frame.

"This is it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is the one we need to start with."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Good. Let's see what we can find."

I clicked on the file, and the screen came to life. The video played, showing the convenience store in the middle of the night. The flickering light, the smell of stale coffee, the distant sound of a scooter engine. And then, the shadow in the corner of the frame.

It moved, just like before, but this time, I could see it more clearly. It was a shape, almost human, but not quite. It was like a silhouette, made of shadows and something else—something I couldn't quite place. It was watching the camera, its eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

"Is that... the Night Market Entity?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Ah-Gui looked at me, his expression unreadable. "It's not the Night Market Entity yet. It's just a shadow. But it's the first step in the chain."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So we're going to have to dig deeper than that."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Yes, Wei. We're going to have to dig deeper than that."汇

The Digital Battle

The shadow moved again, its silhouette shifting slightly as if it were adjusting its position. I could see it more clearly now, the faint glow of its eyes reflecting in the dark. It was watching the camera, waiting for something. Or maybe it was waiting for me.

"Ah-Gui," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "What do we do now?"

Ah-Gui looked at me, his translucent hands hovering just above the keyboard. "We need to find the source of the corruption. That's where the Night Market Entity is hiding."

I nodded slowly, my mind racing. "But how do we find it?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start by analyzing the data. If we can trace the corruption back to its origin, we might have a chance to stop the Night Market Entity before it spreads further."

I looked back at the screen, the video playing in a loop. "So we need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where it began."

Ah-Gui's eyes glowed faintly, like the screen of a dying phone. "Exactly. But it's not going to be easy. The Night Market Entity is hiding in plain sight. It's using the city's own infrastructure to mask its presence. It's like a ghost that's learned to live in the digital world."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So what do we do?"

Ah-Gui pointed to the laptop screen. "We start here. We need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where the entity's influence began. If we can find that, we might have a chance to stop it."

I looked back at the screen, my eyes scanning the corrupted files. "Okay, but how do we know which one to start with?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start with the one that's the most corrupted. The one that's the most... alive."

I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You mean the one that's showing the most signs of the Night Market Entity?"

Ah-Gui nodded. "Exactly. That's the one we need to find."

I looked back at the screen, my heart racing. The corrupted files were all over the place, but one stood out. It was a video from the convenience store where I had first seen the glitch. The screen was flickering, the images distorted, but I could still see the shadow in the corner of the frame.

"This is it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is the one we need to start with."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Good. Let's see what we can find."

I clicked on the file, and the screen came to life. The video played, showing the convenience store in the middle of the night. The flickering light, the smell of stale coffee, the distant sound of a scooter engine. And then, the shadow in the corner of the frame.

It moved, just like before, but this time, I could see it more clearly. It was a shape, almost human, but not quite. It was like a silhouette, made of shadows and something else—something I couldn't quite place. It was watching the camera, its eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

"Is that... the Night Market Entity?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Ah-Gui looked at me, his expression unreadable. "It's not the Night Market Entity yet. It's just a shadow. But it's the first step in the chain."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So we're going to have to dig deeper than that."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Yes, Wei. We're going to have to dig deeper than that."汇

The Digital Battle

The shadow moved again, its silhouette shifting slightly as if it were adjusting its position. I could see it more clearly now, the faint glow of its eyes reflecting in the dark. It was watching the camera, waiting for something. Or maybe it was waiting for me.

"Ah-Gui," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "What do we do now?"

Ah-Gui looked at me, his translucent hands hovering just above the keyboard. "We need to find the source of the corruption. That's where the Night Market Entity is hiding."

I nodded slowly, my mind racing. "But how do we find it?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start by analyzing the data. If we can trace the corruption back to its origin, we might have a chance to stop the Night Market Entity before it spreads further."

I looked back at the screen, the video playing in a loop. "So we need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where it began."

Ah-Gui's eyes glowed faintly, like the screen of a dying phone. "Exactly. But it's not going to be easy. The Night Market Entity is hiding in plain sight. It's using the city's own infrastructure to mask its presence. It's like a ghost that's learned to live in the digital world."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So what do we do?"

Ah-Gui pointed to the laptop screen. "We start here. We need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where the entity's influence began. If we can find that, we might have a chance to stop it."

I looked back at the screen, my eyes scanning the corrupted files. "Okay, but how do we know which one to start with?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start with the one that's the most corrupted. The one that's the most... alive."

I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You mean the one that's showing the most signs of the Night Market Entity?"

Ah-Gui nodded. "Exactly. That's the one we need to find."

I looked back at the screen, my heart racing. The corrupted files were all over the place, but one stood out. It was a video from the convenience store where I had first seen the glitch. The screen was flickering, the images distorted, but I could still see the shadow in the corner of the frame.

"This is it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is the one we need to start with."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Good. Let's see what we can find."

I clicked on the file, and the screen came to life. The video played, showing the convenience store in the middle of the night. The flickering light, the smell of stale coffee, the distant sound of a scooter engine. And then, the shadow in the corner of the frame.

It moved, just like before, but this time, I could see it more clearly. It was a shape, almost human, but not quite. It was like a silhouette, made of shadows and something else—something I couldn't quite place. It was watching the camera, its eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

"Is that... the Night Market Entity?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Ah-Gui looked at me, his expression unreadable. "It's not the Night Market Entity yet. It's just a shadow. But it's the first step in the chain."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So we're going to have to dig deeper than that."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Yes, Wei. We're going to have to dig deeper than that."汇

The Digital Battle

The shadow moved again, its silhouette shifting slightly as if it were adjusting its position. I could see it more clearly now, the faint glow of its eyes reflecting in the dark. It was watching the camera, waiting for something. Or maybe it was waiting for me.

"Ah-Gui," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "What do we do now?"

Ah-Gui looked at me, his translucent hands hovering just above the keyboard. "We need to find the source of the corruption. That's where the Night Market Entity is hiding."

I nodded slowly, my mind racing. "But how do we find it?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start by analyzing the data. If we can trace the corruption back to its origin, we might have a chance to stop the Night Market Entity before it spreads further."

I looked back at the screen, the video playing in a loop. "So we need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where it began."

Ah-Gui's eyes glowed faintly, like the screen of a dying phone. "Exactly. But it's not going to be easy. The Night Market Entity is hiding in plain sight. It's using the city's own infrastructure to mask its presence. It's like a ghost that's learned to live in the digital world."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So what do we do?"

Ah-Gui pointed to the laptop screen. "We start here. We need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where the entity's influence began. If we can find that, we might have a chance to stop it."

I looked back at the screen, my eyes scanning the corrupted files. "Okay, but how do we know which one to start with?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start with the one that's the most corrupted. The one that's the most... alive."

I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You mean the one that's showing the most signs of the Night Market Entity?"

Ah-Gui nodded. "Exactly. That's the one we need to find."

I looked back at the screen, my heart racing. The corrupted files were all over the place, but one stood out. It was a video from the convenience store where I had first seen the glitch. The screen was flickering, the images distorted, but I could still see the shadow in the corner of the frame.

"This is it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is the one we need to start with."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Good. Let's see what we can find."

I clicked on the file, and the screen came to life. The video played, showing the convenience store in the middle of the night. The flickering light, the smell of stale coffee, the distant sound of a scooter engine. And then, the shadow in the corner of the frame.

It moved, just like before, but this time, I could see it more clearly. It was a shape, almost human, but not quite. It was like a silhouette, made of shadows and something else—something I couldn't quite place. It was watching the camera, its eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

"Is that... the Night Market Entity?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Ah-Gui looked at me, his expression unreadable. "It's not the Night Market Entity yet. It's just a shadow. But it's the first step in the chain."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So we're going to have to dig deeper than that."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Yes, Wei. We're going to have to dig deeper than that."汇

The Digital Battle

The shadow moved again, its silhouette shifting slightly as if it were adjusting its position. I could see it more clearly now, the faint glow of its eyes reflecting in the dark. It was watching the camera, waiting for something. Or maybe it was waiting for me.

"Ah-Gui," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "What do we do now?"

Ah-Gui looked at me, his translucent hands hovering just above the keyboard. "We need to find the source of the corruption. That's where the Night Market Entity is hiding."

I nodded slowly, my mind racing. "But how do we find it?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start by analyzing the data. If we can trace the corruption back to its origin, we might have a chance to stop the Night Market Entity before it spreads further."

I looked back at the screen, the video playing in a loop. "So we need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where it began."

Ah-Gui's eyes glowed faintly, like the screen of a dying phone. "Exactly. But it's not going to be easy. The Night Market Entity is hiding in plain sight. It's using the city's own infrastructure to mask its presence. It's like a ghost that's learned to live in the digital world."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So what do we do?"

Ah-Gui pointed to the laptop screen. "We start here. We need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where the entity's influence began. If we can find that, we might have a chance to stop it."

I looked back at the screen, my eyes scanning the corrupted files. "Okay, but how do we know which one to start with?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start with the one that's the most corrupted. The one that's the most... alive."

I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You mean the one that's showing the most signs of the Night Market Entity?"

Ah-Gui nodded. "Exactly. That's the one we need to find."

I looked back at the screen, my heart racing. The corrupted files were all over the place, but one stood out. It was a video from the convenience store where I had first seen the glitch. The screen was flickering, the images distorted, but I could still see the shadow in the corner of the frame.

"This is it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is the one we need to start with."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Good. Let's see what we can find."

I clicked on the file, and the screen came to life. The video played, showing the convenience store in the middle of the night. The flickering light, the smell of stale coffee, the distant sound of a scooter engine. And then, the shadow in the corner of the frame.

It moved, just like before, but this time, I could see it more clearly. It was a shape, almost human, but not quite. It was like a silhouette, made of shadows and something else—something I couldn't quite place. It was watching the camera, its eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

"Is that... the Night Market Entity?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Ah-Gui looked at me, his expression unreadable. "It's not the Night Market Entity yet. It's just a shadow. But it's the first step in the chain."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So we're going to have to dig deeper than that."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Yes, Wei. We're going to have to dig deeper than that."汇

The Digital Battle

The shadow moved again, its silhouette shifting slightly as if it were adjusting its position. I could see it more clearly now, the faint glow of its eyes reflecting in the dark. It was watching the camera, waiting for something. Or maybe it was waiting for me.

"Ah-Gui," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "What do we do now?"

Ah-Gui looked at me, his translucent hands hovering just above the keyboard. "We need to find the source of the corruption. That's where the Night Market Entity is hiding."

I nodded slowly, my mind racing. "But how do we find it?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start by analyzing the data. If we can trace the corruption back to its origin, we might have a chance to stop the Night Market Entity before it spreads further."

I looked back at the screen, the video playing in a loop. "So we need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where it began."

Ah-Gui's eyes glowed faintly, like the screen of a dying phone. "Exactly. But it's not going to be easy. The Night Market Entity is hiding in plain sight. It's using the city's own infrastructure to mask its presence. It's like a ghost that's learned to live in the digital world."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So what do we do?"

Ah-Gui pointed to the laptop screen. "We start here. We need to find the first sign of the corruption. That's where the entity's influence began. If we can find that, we might have a chance to stop it."

I looked back at the screen, my eyes scanning the corrupted files. "Okay, but how do we know which one to start with?"

Ah-Gui leaned over my shoulder, his hand hovering just above the keyboard. "We start with the one that's the most corrupted. The one that's the most... alive."

I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You mean the one that's showing the most signs of the Night Market Entity?"

Ah-Gui nodded. "Exactly. That's the one we need to find."

I looked back at the screen, my heart racing. The corrupted files were all over the place, but one stood out. It was a video from the convenience store where I had first seen the glitch. The screen was flickering, the images distorted, but I could still see the shadow in the corner of the frame.

"This is it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is the one we need to start with."

Ah-Gui nodded. "Good. Let's see what we can find."

I clicked on the file, and the screen came to life.