You're watching the moment Hei stops being a ghost and starts becoming something else entirely. Between the first series and the second, something breaks in him that can't be fixed, and Origins doesn't look away from it. This is the bridge where his partnership with Yin reaches its limit, where the cost of being a Contractor stops being abstract and becomes irreversible. Four episodes is all it takes to show you why Hei emerges from this period changed in ways the show will never quite explain.

Set between the first and second series, this four-episode special picks up with Hei and Yin as they run from what followed his choice at Hell's Gate. The Contractor and his companion hide out at a quiet inn, passing themselves off as husband and wife so no one grows suspicious. While trying to recover, Hei gets to know the other guests, only to learn that one of them is a fellow Contractor sent to kill him. The clash that follows puts both Hei and Yin in danger. They must fight to survive while facing the emotional scars left by their past together. The mix of action, mystery and psychological sci-fi suits viewers curious about the stretch between the two series.