Chapter Three: The Museum of Harm

Lin opened his eyes underwater, but he did not suffocate. Black water withdrew in every direction and became polished marble. He stood at the entrance to an endless museum. Thousands of bottles filled with red liquid hung beneath the vaulted ceiling. Each bore a name, a date, and a description. 【Chen Ming, age six: First learned his father would not return.】 【María Santos, age thirty-four: Third-degree burns, left arm.】 【Unnamed user, Ascension closed beta round two: Memory extraction.】 The air smelled not of blood but of disinfectant and old paper. Rules surfaced on the entrance sign. 【Trial 02: The Museum of Harm】 【1. Exhibits shall not harm visitors.】 【2. Visitors shall not harm exhibits.】