The fluorescent lights of the laboratory flickered before Qiyue’s eyes, the glass surfaces of the seven incubation chambers reflecting a cold, sterile light. Inside the communicator, Kane’s voice repeated, "Mr. Qiyue? Please confirm you have received the message."
Qiyue’s fingers touched a scrap of paper in his suit pocket; its rough texture felt unnervingly real. He looked down to check it again—the handwriting on the paper was fading, as if being erased by some unseen force. The final remnants of the ink formed a single symbol: W-0.
"Memory reflux," "Time Anchor reset," "final stage of the seventh cycle"... These terms surfaced automatically in Qiyue’s consciousness, as if he had known them by heart for an eternity. He looked into the mirror at his own reflection—the System administrator with eyes glowing purple—and slowly raised a hand, pointing toward the security terminal in the corner of the lab.
Chapter 26