Chapter Three: The People We Forget

“And let Zhou recruit another singer?” He tied the silver bell to his guitar. “I'm following this to the end.” The arrival hall was packed. Hundreds called the name no one had wanted a week ago. Xinghe realized that returning to the top was not returning to an old place. It was climbing a dangerous tower built from other people's memories. Mianmian came back before rehearsal. A piece of its left ear was torn, and it carried a tour manual stolen from Zhou. The same symbol marked all twelve cities. The final stop was the rebuilt Saint Grace Hospital. “Is my sister inside you?” Xinghe asked. Mianmian wrote and erased several answers before leaving one: HER VOICE IS. SHE ISN'T. “Did you kill her?” It did not answer.