Chapter Three: One Person Missing from the World

For one stolen second, the dark ward thirteen years ago overlapped with the sunny garden. His hand steadied. His lips moved. "Gu... Panli." Soft white light surrounded A-Li. She stopped flickering. For the first time, a shadow appeared beneath her feet. [CHALLENGE COMPLETE. ELIMINATION REVOKED.] Human chat surged like a tidal wave. Viewers typed Gu Panli repeatedly, afraid of forgetting. Others retrieved oddly composed family photos and asked who had occupied the empty places. Alien viewers erupted into argument. [Violation! Ability combination exceeds individual authorization.] [Combination conforms to causal protocol.] [This civilization is learning to exploit observation rules. Raise threat rating.]