Chapter Four: The One Who Came Back

"You can eat only what no one claims," she said. "I claim this face." Every age of Shen Yao looked up at once. The white umbrella screamed. "One." Lu Zhi pulled her through the door. The woman in red braced herself against the pursuing umbrella. Gu tore out the cables at the last instant, and reality returned. Shen Yao and Lu Zhi fell into the rain outside. Across the city, all twelve patients' hearts had stabilized, but none had awakened. Lu Zhi unfolded a scrap carried through the door. It was an inverted city map. There were no street names, only thousands of crossed-out human names. At its center: THE LOWER SEA—OPEN AT EBBTIDE. In the warehouse window, Gu stood alone. A white umbrella slowly opened behind him. He gestured for them to run.