Chapter Two: The Person Everyone Forgot

Why had his father never mentioned Shen's mother—and why had he forbidden him to photograph mirrors? Gaps Shen had never questioned suddenly acquired sharp edges. Tang lowered her voice. “There's another girl in the file. Her face is the one the umbrella woman had at first. Her name is Xu—” An alert appeared at the top of the screen: CURRENT VIEWERS: 3. Besides Shen, two gray profiles had entered the private call. “Stop!” Shen shouted. Tang saw the number. She froze and looked beyond the phone. From the rear of the archive came the sound of metal drawers opening in sequence. One, then another, drawing closer. “They're here,” she said. “Shen, if I forget who I am—” A figure with no features and a gray uniform appeared behind her.