Chapter Three: The Hidden Eighth Rule

The walls groaned in pain. Cables loosened. The black candle collapsed as though an invisible mouth drank its flame. Meng fell, and his eyes, nose, and mouth pushed back through his skin. The membrane over the exit dried and shattered. The animatronics lost power. Bonnie dropped to its knees. Lulu fell from the stage. Leon caught Zhou Ran's wrist before its red eyes faded to warm amber. “Brother,” Zhou Jin's voice whispered, “don't let it open all twelve restaurants.” “Who?” “The real owner.” Leon went dark. At one o'clock, the mall lights returned. A-Bei's stream reconnected. A hundred thousand viewers saw only wreckage and weeping guests. The system erased the supernatural footage, but not their memories.