Chapter Five: Nightmare Thread

Two nights before the auction, the airport fell asleep. At two in the morning, check-in agents slumped over their desks, patrol officers leaned against walls, and even the tower's backup frequency carried only steady breathing. Su Wanqing injected herself with a stimulant and fell unconscious before removing the needle. Lu Chen stayed awake only because Blackbean kept eating the self-deception in the words, “I'm not tired at all.” A strand of black silk descended from an air vent and fastened itself to his shadow. Lu Chen closed his eyes and borrowed the mist deer's path-sense. Beneath the real terminal, he saw another airport. Every boarding pass was blank. Sleeping people dragged suitcases in a line toward a burning door.