Chapter Two: A Photograph That Would Not Pass

Zhou had not given her twelve ordinary frames. He had given her twelve chances to stop a monster. As she stepped away, pain pierced her temple. A memory detached itself without warning. She knew she had met Su Mi five years ago, but she could no longer remember where. The knowledge remained, surrounding a clean white absence. A price. The thought was colder than the rain. “Stop admiring your work.” The door of a police car flew open. “Get in.” The driver wore plain clothes and had amber, animal eyes. Jianyue recognized Captain Zhou Ye, who had investigated her parents' disappearance seventeen years earlier. He accelerated as soon as she entered. “You know me?” she asked.