Chapter One: The Midnight Screening Never Ended

When the final copyright card vanished, the lights did not come up. Darkness held for thirteen seconds. On twelve, the screen turned pale again. It was not a post-credit scene. The girl still stood in the darkroom, her match lowered. She slowly turned toward the camera. Her lips did not move, but a voice came from behind Lin. “Little Mo.” Lin spun around. The last row was empty. When she looked back, only blank projector light remained. The lights rose to uncertain applause. Zhou Jibai stepped before the screen, immaculate in the mildew-scented cinema, and announced a simultaneous release in twenty-seven countries in six days. The audience cheered. Behind him, a child-sized shadow lingered at the screen’s edge.