Chapter Five: A Chorus of Useless Gifts

He saw twelve-year-old Han locked in an iron room, ordered to open an unseen lock before suffocating. Han had learned not to sense metal, but stresses passing between metal pieces. New echo: Metal Stress, 10:00. Lin heard the whole city groan. The tower's central support, stripped of rebar by Han, was failing. “Clear the tower!” he shouted. Han thought it a trick and sealed the exits. The tower sank, trapping Auric members with their keys. Class Zero could have delivered its key to the backup terminal and won. Lin ran toward the collapse instead. Metal Stress told him how long beams would hold. Suspended Dust found breath under debris. Hardened paper bridged fractures; Pain Transfer kept injured students conscious.