Chapter Three: Beyond the Bleed

“The file was discarded into the Recycle Well. Its entrance is at the top.” “Why is Bai Mi afraid of it?” “Because a final fears its draft. Signature Zero has source-level permission. It can restore covered layers—or delete a manifested figure.” Gu Yan headed toward the tower. The street narrowed. Abandoned colors heaved like animals on both sides. Zero dragged him away from a falling period. When the black dot struck, every voice and movement nearby froze for one second. “There are rules here,” Zero said. “Don’t speak any name printed incorrectly on the Type Tower. Mispronounce one and you forget its owner. Don’t touch absolute black; it isn’t a color, it’s deletion. Most importantly, never let anything steal your signature color.”