Chapter One: Free Mint

Rings of blue light woke in the distance. Thousands of metal caskets lined the curved walls, each bearing a number. Above the water at the center floated a black ring with neither pedestal nor inscription. Lin's old phone switched itself on. The global mint counter stopped at 9,999. UNREGISTERED WALLET DETECTED. STANDARD ALLOCATION EXHAUSTED. GENESIS AUTHORITY DETECTED. EXCEPTION GRANTED. The ring flew onto his right index finger. Cold speared into the bone. A buried childhood image flashed through him: the same blue light, a man running with young Lin in his arms, and a gentle female voice repeating, Creator, please do not leave. All 9,999 caskets opened at once.