Chapter One: The Zero-Degree Line

Zhou's face changed. He produced a silver token from his pocket: a ring divided by a single vertical line, identical to the mark in Shen's vision. “Who told you there was a problem below?” The elevator did not rise. It kept descending. The display passed B1 and showed a floor that did not exist: B3. The lights turned green. Zhou backed into the corner, terrified not of Shen but of whatever waited beyond the doors. 21:46. Cold air from twelve years ago poured through the widening gap. Shen heard the crack deep below the ice again. This time, someone inside it called his name.