Chapter Five: The Price of Seeing

Every relic turned. Before they could bow, Lin used his new local authority without a pulse: Remain as you are. Only Shen noticed the half-second delay. He seized Lin's shoulder as if making an arrest and whispered, “Han is at the old tidal power station. Seventeen debtors have died testing the Heart.” “Why help me?” “I am not.” Shen slipped an Obsidian pass into his pocket. “I want Han alive to answer questions.” Armored vehicles approached outside. Shen shot a century-old water main. The rupture tore open a route into the settling tanks. “Go. Next time, I still arrest you.” Lin, Qiao, and Bai vanished with the flood. The Prism projected 59:11:06—and three thousand futures at the power station. In none did every debtor return alive.