Chapter Three: The Voice That Was Cut

“See you in forty-eight hours,” he said across the city. “You will give your face to Zero willingly.” The screens returned to normal. Ye Lan pushed Lu's offered hand away. “Every edit costs a memory?” “Yes.” “That's why you kept me from using it.” “In the last version, you forgot your own name.” Bai held the transparent film to the morning light. “This isn't the master reel. It's an index.” The sound wave formed an address: OLD JICHUAN TELEVISION TOWER, BASEMENT LEVEL SEVEN. Cheng Ye climbed from behind the counter, asking what had happened. Looking at her ordinary friend, dragged into an impossible story, Ye Lan decided. “Confirm the premiere.” Both heroes stared at her.