Chapter Two: The Exit Leads to the Stands

The player rose. His knee bent in the wrong direction, yet he ran. The referee heard something in his earpiece, looked at the scoreboard, and restarted the game like a puppet. Three of the twelve white dots were now lit, forming a shallow arc. Five seconds before full time, the advertisement stopped. “Lin Xi,” a man said through every speaker. No one reacted to her name. All eyes remained on the clock. “You've learned to bring things back,” he said. “Next time, don't bring the wrong person.” 00:00. As darkness fell, she crushed the badge against her bleeding palm. The fissure opened wider. Figures in the inverted stands applauded, mimicking the living crowd. One wore her face. The world recoiled. “Ma'am, a screenshot isn't valid—”