Chapter 24 · A Name That Belongs to No One

The watch spoke in Lin Lan’s mother’s voice.

“Please,” it whispered from the cracked silver casing. “Don’t make her choose.”

Lin’s knees struck the flooded platform. Cold water climbed over her boots, carrying strips of black paper and the oily gleam of market light. Somewhere beyond the abandoned ferry station, the city groaned beneath the pressure of too many memories being pulled through too few doors.

The watch ticked once.

In the warped reflection on its face, Lin saw herself lying on the red line.

Her throat had been cut. Her eyes stared at nothing. Nara stood above the body with a knife in her hand, her pale face empty of expression while the Night Market applauded with a thousand rusted shutters.

Tick.

The reflection changed. Nara drove the blade into Lin’s chest.

Tick.

Lin heard her own voice screaming.

“Stop it!” Tavi shouted.

He lunged for the watch, but a strand of black light snapped out from the platform and wrapped around his wrist. The force yanked him sideways. His shoulder slammed into a dead ticket machine, and metal buckled with a shriek.

Soren raised his injured hand. Blue municipal sigils flickered over his knuckles, then collapsed into sparks.