Chapter Two: The Exit Leads to the Stands

Six o'clock. The badge remained, but the rota inside was dry and blank. Despair rose—until she tilted the paper beneath the screen's light. Grooves appeared: WATER IS WRONG. EXITS LOOP. FIND NONDRINKERS. REMEMBER CHENG YE. Beneath them was a sentence she did not remember writing. The handwriting resembled hers, but trembled. DON'T TRUST THE SILVER VESTS. HE KNOWS YOU REMEMBER.