The place smelled of dust and old wood. Jeff's boots crunched lightly against the floor as he stepped deeper into the dimly lit space.
At the far end, Yinlin stood with her back to him, her voice low and muffled—she was on a call. She didn't glance his way, but Jeff caught the stiffness in her shoulders, the way her hand curled a little tighter around the communicator. He slowed his pace, letting her words blur into the background. Whatever she was discussing wasn't for him.
His eyes drifted to the nearest doll in a crate. Jeff reached out, A small tag dangled from its wrist.
Jeff bent closer, reading aloud in a whisper:
"Identity… Wife of Fujie. Passed away from illness."
His throat tightened as he scanned the next line, the handwriting shaky, desperate.
'I couldn't bear the sight of her enduring such pain… How I wished I could trade places with her. But now I am offered a chance to bring her back to my side. Thank you… Master Dollmaker.'
Jeff let the words sink in, his chest heavy. He brushed a thumb against the edge of the tag, imagining the grief behind each stroke of ink. A husband watching his wife wither, powerless to help, clinging to the fantasy that she might return—even as a doll.
"Dollmaker…" Jeff muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening. "You're fucking dead to me asshole, using people like this to further your own delusional goals sickens me."
He shut the crate carefully, as though closing the coffin of something sacred, then moved on.
The second puppet lay in a crate nearby, its porcelain face eerily lifelike. Another tag dangled.
"Identity… Twin sister of Linsi. Went missing in an accident."
Jeff's eyes narrowed as he read the message:
'It's all my fault… If I didn't leave, she wouldn't have gone missing like that. It's been ten years… I just want to tell her I'm sorry.'
Jeff exhaled slowly, the weight of guilt bleeding through the words. He pictured someone living with that regret for a decade, only to reach for salvation in a hollow replica. His stomach twisted. He'd seen men driven mad by guilt before, clinging to ghosts that no longer answered back.
Finally, he approached the last crate. His fingers hesitated on the lid before pushing it open. The puppet inside was revealed. Its face was frozen and blank, a disgusting replica of a person who was gone too soon.
Jeff's hands tightened into fists as he read the tag.
"Identity… Parent of Xiaofu. Killed during a Tacet Discord Outbreak."
The note beneath was written in a trembling, childish scrawl:
'Mommy, Daddy, please come back… I'll be a good boy from now on. I promise…'
Jeff shut his eyes for a long moment, the words cutting deeper than he expected. A child bargaining with loss, as if being "good" could rewrite fate. He swallowed hard, staring at the puppet—no, at the echo of what had once been a family.
The silence pressed in, broken only by Yinlin's faint voice in the distance. Jeff reached out, brushing the edge of the crate before stepping back.
These weren't just puppets, he thought, a bitter weight pressing against his chest. They were grief, carved into porcelain. Every tag is a wound someone refused to let heal… and Dollmaker is fucking feeding on that.
Jeff straightened, his face hardening as his tacet mark pulsed faintly against his skin. He turned his eyes toward Yinlin, still on her call, her figure sharp in the dim light.
Whatever this path was leading them to it wasn't just about puppets anymore.
Yinlin's voice broke the silence, low and measured, like she was speaking through clenched teeth.
"...Acknowledged. Is that our only option?"
Jeff froze. Shit. His gut sank. That woman wasn't just talking to herself—she'd already received the order. The order to slime him.
He gritted his teeth, fingers brushing against the grip of his pistol. Every muscle in his body screamed to act, but his mind lagged behind, grinding through the scenarios. This was the same sequence of the events he remembered. The same setup as the game.
Only now it was real.
I can't fucking fight her. Not her. I'm still weak compared to them and I hate that. I can't even run either she'd caught me in no time. But If I can replicate her ability I might stand a chance.
Jeff's jaw tightened. Yinlin wasn't just dangerous, she was broken. Her Resonance threads were like a spider's web spun from lightning, invisible until it was too late. A single gesture from her with her Forte, and his heart could skip a beat into arrhythmia. That's an instant heart attack, how the hell am I countering that. He was still flesh and blood, a man without electric shielding, without a failsafe. Against her, he was cooked.
Do I call Rover now? Back me up before she flips the switch? Or gamble on the fact that she'll keep me alive… like in the script?
Then my thoughts turned darker. Or do I end it now? One round in the back of her head. No scary electricity inducing heart attack, no pesky betrayal, and no fucking loose ends.
His hand crept toward his pistol, but it trembled halfway out of the holster. He stopped. The weight of hesitation pressed harder on him.
Then Yinlin's voice cut through, calm as ever.
"But… I believe it's unnecessary. Yes. Understood. I'll have it taken care of."
She turned, face smooth, unreadable, as always.
Jeff swallowed. "...Were you calling someone?" His voice came out rougher than he intended.
Yinlin's lips curved, not quite a smile. "Yes. My contact from the PSB—the Public Security Bureau."
Still lying through her ass.
"They'll be sending people over soon. We can leave Lirong and Yuanyuan in their care." Her gaze flicked toward the unconscious girl and the lifeless puppets, then back at him like she'd already decided their fates.
Jeff forced his grip to relax, shoving the pistol back into its holster. "They're all here. The puppets. No luck with clues, though."
"That's fine," Yinlin replied, brushing dust from her dress. "We'll dig further once we're in a safer location. My contact mentioned a safe house nearby. The Patrollers will meet us there."
Jeff's stomach knotted. Every word from her mouth reeked of a setup, but she delivered it with such polished certainty that even doubt felt like treason.
"How do we find this safe house?" he asked, tone flat, eyes searching her face for cracks.
Yinlin met his gaze and tilted her head, strands of hair slipping loose from her bun. "There will be wolf-shaped markings to guide us. Don't fall behind, soldier."
Jeff followed, every instinct screaming trap. The Sensor hummed faintly in Jeff's hand, its interface casting a pale glow across his face. He crouched low, sweeping the device across the cracked stone path until faint sigils pulsed into view—wolf-shaped carvings, invisible to the naked eye.
"These must be the coordinates," Jeff muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Yinlin. "The Sensor may reveal more clues."
A flicker of static later, a single marking glowed bright against the wall.
Jeff straightened. "This must be the marking. That way."
Yinlin followed, her boots quiet against the dirt, eyes sharp and unreadable. The trail of wolves led them through shadowed alleys until finally, the signs faded. She stopped in her tracks, scanning the wall ahead.
"No more markings in sight… The safe house should be here."
Jeff's eyes narrowed. His gaze caught on an odd device embedded in the stone. "Look. There's a device on that wall."
Yinlin stepped closer, fingertips brushing the cold surface with practiced ease. "Hmm… We need a passcode." Her voice was calm, but her lips curved in a small, knowing smirk. "They were thorough. The safe house is hidden and has a passcode. There should be hints nearby. Let's look around."
Jeff's instinct screamed trap, but he bit his tongue. He gestured toward the flowers growing unnaturally by the wall. "You found anything?"
Yinlin crouched, brushing the petals lightly, her expression thoughtful. "See those flowers? Don't you think they look out of place here? Try counting them. I have a feeling that may be the passcode." Her eyes flicked up at him, glinting with amusement. "Four, one, two, three."
Jeff pressed the sequence into the device. The large rock they'd passed earlier shimmered, dissolving into static—just a hologram. Behind it, a steel door slid open with a hiss, revealing the safe house.
Inside, the air was cool and sterile. Machines hummed quietly, and the faint buzz of jammers prickled against Jeff's skin.
"We should be good in here," Yinlin said, stepping into the center of the room. "This safe house is equipped with signal jammers and counter-surveillance measures. The Fractsidus won't find us here."
Jeff scanned the walls, the paranoia coiled in his chest only tightening. "Really living up to its name…"
Yinlin's eyes flickered, a strange softness hidden beneath her smile. "Yes. It's as safe and secure as it gets here. Nothing gets in, and…" she let the pause linger, lips curling faintly, "…nothing gets out."
Jeff's pulse spiked. His hand twitched toward his holster. "But… where are the Patrollers?"
The silence that followed was deafening.
Yinlin's voice broke it, low and deliberate.
"Don't bother. You won't find any Patrollers here." Her gaze sharpened, no longer playing coy. "I told you before… Don't trust anyone. Remember?"
Jeff didn't think. Training took over. His pistol was drawn in one fluid motion, aimed squarely at her chest. His finger squeezed the trigger without hesitation. The gunshot cracked through the air.
But Yinlin moved like lightning itself. Her body twisted, threads of electric wire bursting from her hand, the bullet snapping past harmlessly. Sparks crackled across the room.
Jeff's Tacet Mark burned hot on his skin, a violent flare. The world warped, and in a blink he teleported behind her, cold steel pressed to the back of her head. His voice came out like gravel.
"Don't even fucking think about it."
Yinlin froze, then slowly tilted her head, strands of hair falling across her cheek. Her lips curved into an amused smile, unbothered by the gun at her skull. "Color me impressed. You really didn't trust me from the start, huh? What gave me away?"
Jeff's jaw clenched. "Nothing."
He steadied his breath, lowering his voice but not the gun. "I don't want to kill you. Just take me to him."
Yinlin's lashes fluttered, but her smirk never faltered. "Who?"
"Don't play dumb." Jeff's eyes narrowed, voice hard. "The Dollmaker."
For the first time, surprise flickered across Yinlin's face—just a flash, quickly buried beneath her mask of control.
"You even knew about that too…" she murmured, her voice quieter now, tinged with something sharper.
Jeff pressed the barrel harder against her skull. "You don't think you're the only one doing this shit, do you?"
Yinlin tilted her head, strands of red hair slipping loose as she studied him with that sly, unreadable smirk. But for once, there was something else in her eyes—puzzlement.
"What?" she said softly, amusement curling in her voice. "Don't tell me you're a secret agent like me too? How? You clearly don't have any existing record in the Patrollers' database."
Jeff's grip on his pistol tightened, knuckles paling. A secret agent? The hell was she talking about? His mind raced, connecting dots that weren't even there. She thinks I'm PSB undercover?
"There's an agent that even I didn't know about?" she pressed, genuine surprise cracking through her teasing.
Jeff's pulse thudded in his ears. Misunderstanding or not, he could use it. He swallowed his frustration, mask slipping back over his face. Go along with it. It's convenient that way.
"What's it gonna be?" he asked, voice flat, gun steady.
Yinlin's lips parted, a sharp exhale of laughter escaping her. "I like you even more now," she said, eyes glittering. Then her tone dipped, low and final.
"But I refuse."
Jeff's jaw clenched. "Then I'm sorry about this."
He pulled the trigger without hesitation. The muzzle flash lit the room.
But Yinlin moved like lightning itself. Her body snapped sideways, threads of crackling energy dancing around her as the bullet tore harmlessly past. Sparks popped against the wall.
Jeff swore under his breath. "What the fuck—? That's cheating. How's that even possible? That's bullshit." I call hacks.
The Tacet Mark on his skin pulsed hot, veins flaring with Resonance. He braced, willing the electric replication to flare but nothing came. His chest seized, static in his nerves. Damn it. I can't replicate hers just yet. I might give myself an arrhythmia if I'm not careful.
A sharp hiss filled the room. Before he could adjust his stance, glowing wires lashed out like serpents. They snaked around his arms and chest, constricting with terrifying precision. The current surged instantly burning. His body jerked violently, every muscle seizing.
Yinlin's expression had lost its playful edge. Her smile was razor-thin now, her gaze hard, unwavering. "Your abilities really are interesting…" she murmured, tightening the grip of her wires. "Too bad I can't let you go. Not now that you know so much."
The next surge was brutal. Electricity slammed into Jeff's body, ripping a raw cry from his throat before his voice broke into ragged silence. His knees buckled, pistol clattering uselessly to the floor. The acrid scent of singed fabric filled his nose. He tried to materialize his Rectifier but it was no use.
Fuck… I should've never got into this room. Fucking dumbass I overestimated myself. What a moron… His vision blurred, edges of the room bleeding into darkness. I'm still so fucking weak.
He collapsed, breath ragged, chest heaving against the steel coil of wires.
And then another voice. Low and detached. Slithering into his ears like a whisper from somewhere far away.
"What a special specimen… You would make for valuable research data, no doubt."
Footsteps echoed, slow, deliberate.
"Time to have my men take him back to the camp…"
Through the haze, Jeff's soldier's instincts screamed at him to move, to fight, to do something. And yet… another thought slid in. A darker, and colder one.
A window to resist.
Or a chance to play along.
His heavy lids drifted shut, surrendering—for now. If Yinlin and the Dollmaker wanted him alive, then that meant time. And time was all a soldier needed to turn the tables.