Chapter 28 · The Gatekeeper's Gambit - Chapter 28: The Contract Bites Back

Su Jin felt the contract mark flare hot against her ribs the second Jiang's voice cut through the chaos.

"Mo Han, you're finally back."

The registry stone in Yun Sheng's hand cracked clean down the middle. Light poured out of it, white and cold, and Su Jin's first thought was that Floor Seven was about to swallow them whole. Her second thought was that Mo Han hadn't moved. He stood in the doorway, one hand still pressed to the frame, and his face had gone completely blank.

Not confused. Not scared. Just blank, like someone had wiped his expression clean and forgotten to put a new one back.

"Who the hell is that?" Yun Sheng said. She dropped the broken stone. It hit the ground and didn't make a sound. The light kept spilling out anyway, crawling across the floor like water.

Su Jin didn't answer. She was too busy watching Mo Han's hand. His fingers had gone white where they pressed into the doorframe. She'd seen him do that before, back in the preliminary hall when Wei Tiegu had cornered him. He did it when he was buying time to think.

Jiang's voice came again, smoother this time.