Chapter Five: The Nameless City

White umbrellas opened from every awning. Zero shoved Shen Yao aside. "It followed your name anchor!" The faceless crowd fled. Memory jars broke underfoot. The Shepherd ignored them. A multitude of Shen Yao's faces watched her. "You thought accepting yourself would shut the door?" it asked. "The door was never your wound." It pointed to the map. The point marking the real ward was expanding. Lu Cen's brain waves had become a bridge between worlds, and Lu Zhi stood at its center. He had touched his sister to wake her. The Shepherd smiled. "The door is whoever loves you."