Chapter Two: The Changing Photograph

River wind passed through his body. He stood within the instant captured by the photograph, unable to move, seeing from the perspective of a single ray of light. It began in the aurora, crossed a black tower’s copper point, brushed a masked figure’s shoulder, struck the silver disc in Xingyao’s hand, then reflected into the camera. The old observatory emblem was engraved on the disc. Beneath it were tiny numbers: 120.17, 31.04. Coordinates. One masked figure reached for Xingyao. She looked straight into the beam—straight into Shen Yan’s nonexistent eyes. “When you read this, they will read you too.” The memory shattered. Shen Yan fell to his knees in the darkroom, blood dripping from his nose.