Chapter One: Midnight Final

The woman raised a hand. Her fingertips pressed against the inner surface of the screen. The LCD bulged outward in ripples. Blue-black ink streamed from the composition without wetting the desk. A pale hand emerged first, followed by a shoulder, the silver-white dress, and bare feet. She stepped over the lower bezel as though crossing a low windowsill. When her heel touched the floor, the office changed color. The red stapler faded to the poster’s cool gray. The plants lost saturation. Even the veins on Gu Yan’s hand adopted the same blue. Desks and chairs trembled, sliding into alignment with invisible vertical guides. The woman stood at the center of the grid, and every object behind her surrendered the visual focus.