Chapter Five: Beneath the Mask

Half the planetarium dome had collapsed. Daylight poured through the crack and turned dust into a motionless field of stars. Zhou planted vibration sensors along the walls while Lin hid a recorder against the darkest bruising on her chest. At precisely 11:40, a silver thread descended from the dome. The Weaver landed without cameras or applause. He removed his mask. Shen Yao looked far paler than his posters. Fine silver marks covered his temples like a web beneath the skin. Zhou punched him. Shen did not evade the first blow. At the second, a web snapped around Zhou's wrist. “Do you remember the last thing Zhou Yao said?” Zhou demanded. Shen released him. “She asked why there were two platforms outside the train window.”