Jeff stirred awake, his head pounding like he'd been smashed into the floor. His vision swam, the dim light overhead blurring into streaks.
"Fucking hell…" he muttered, dragging a hand across his face. "Yinlin did not hold back."
His body felt like it had been through a grinder, but a quick check calmed the soldier in him. No serious injuries. His Terminal was still clipped to his belt. His weapon still holstered. No broken bones. Just bruises and the bitter taste of blood.
He sat up slowly, his boots scraping against the dusty concrete. The warehouse stretched around him, silent except for the faint hum of old machinery.
Think, Jeff. Where the hell am I?
He scanned the space. Stacks of wooden crates loomed like tombstones. One caught his eye.
Jeff frowned. "I was trapped inside this box…" He kicked the broken panel aside. "Easier to open now that I smashed my way out."
Something glinted faintly in the gap. He crouched down, fingers brushing over the splintered wood until he tugged out a slim, rectangular object.
A tablet.
He turned it over, brows furrowing. "Encrypted transmitter…? This make messages harder to trace. But why the hell would one be hidden here?"
Only one person came to mind. Yinlin.
"Damn it," he muttered, shoving the tablet into his pocket. "You slipped this here on purpose, didn't you?"
Across the room, a dusty chair sat under a dangling lightbulb. Papers rested on the seat, edges curling. Jeff approached, wary, his boots crunching on broken glass. He picked one up and began to read aloud under his breath.
"The Séance Society Name List."
His lips moved as he scanned the names. "Wu Sheng… Shun Lian… Lian Yue… Xiaosheng… Jin Lu… He Chang…" His chest tightened as the list dragged on. "Grandma Guan… Xiaoguan…"
Some were cleanly crossed out. Erased.
Jeff's grip tightened, the paper crackling. "These… These must be the missing people."
A low whistle escaped his lips, half awe, half disbelief. "Holy shit. This is the kind of intel that makes my intelligence officers wet their panties."
He raked a hand through his hair, pacing. "Chixia, Rover they need to see this shit" His voice lowered, almost to himself. "God knows I need the backup."
His gaze hardened, though. Yinlin's shadow loomed over every clue. "Still playing both sides, huh? Can't decide where you stand. I hate women like that."
He let out a sharp exhale, forcing himself to refocus. The warehouse was a deliberate setup. This intel was placed here for me to find.
"Am I in their base of operations?" His eyes narrowed as he scanned the walls. "Maybe. Either way, this place reeks of the Society."
He tapped his Terminal, the cold glow lighting his face. "I'll send my coordinates. Let Chixia and the others know I'm still breathing and what I found I mean she's the reason I'm here on the first place."
Jeff's thumb hovered over the transmitter. For a brief moment, he glanced back at the list, the crossed-out names glaring up at him like gravestones.
"I'll burn this whole fucking place of theirs down and their leader with it."
The warehouse doors groaned as Jeff pushed them open, stale night air rushing in. The faint glow of lanterns bled into the shadows outside. His boots crunched against gravel as he stepped into a camp that felt too alive, too deliberate, to be abandoned.
And waiting for him arms casually crossed, lips curled into a knowing smirk—was Yinlin.
"Look at you," she said, tilting her head, raven hair falling loose against her shoulders. Her eyes gleamed in the firelight. "Fresh as new."
Jeff's stomach knotted. His jaw clenched. "Yinlin…" His voice was sharp, a mix of disbelief and resentment. "So it really was you."
Her smirk deepened, a spark of mockery in her gaze. "I went back there with maximum voltage. Didn't expect you'd wake up this soon. Honestly, I thought you might never wake up again." She shrugged, almost lazily, brushing invisible dust from her sleeve. "I was going to get Dr. Wu Sheng to check on you."
Jeff's fists tightened at his sides. His words came out bitter. "Isn't that what you wanted?"
"Hardly," Yinlin replied smoothly, voice lilting like she was teasing a child. She tapped her temple with one gloved finger. "I've no interest in taking your life, despite you not hesitating to take mine back there." Her lips pouted in mock hurt. "Man, you're cold as ice, Jeff. Didn't even blink pulling the trigger. I'm hurt. But…" Her expression hardened, just for a moment. "Master Dollmaker wants you alive."
Jeff snorted. "Am I supposed to say 'thank you'? Or maybe, 'I'm sorry'?" His stare cut through her, bitter and unflinching. "You won't get either from me."
Yinlin chuckled, completely unbothered, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're welcome anyway. But save your gratitude for Master Dollmaker—he's the one who ordered me to keep you breathing. We'd both be in trouble if you died."
Before Jeff could bite back, a raspy voice cracked through the air.
"You insolent little whippersnapper!"
Jeff blinked, whipping his head toward the source. An old woman in layered robes, her face weathered like cracked bark, was glaring at him with fiery eyes. Her cane jabbed the dirt in rhythm with her words. "Show some manners when you're talking to Miss Yinlin."
Jeff froze. "…Who? Me?"
The old woman—Lady Guan, Yinlin had called her—peered at him, eyes narrowing. "Where is your family?"
The question hit harder than he expected. A heavy silence sat in his chest. They're all dead, Jeff thought grimly, but the words stayed locked behind clenched teeth.
Lady Guan sniffed. "Youngsters like you… always runnin' off and leavin' your families to rot."
Granny, I'm in my late twenties, Jeff seethed inwardly. And my past life in this world doesn't even count. I don't remember a damn thing. Stop acting like I'm some rebellious teen. Thinking childishly.
Lady Guan raised her cane, pointing it toward the heart of the camp. Smoke and sparks rose from a massive bonfire where shadows of people danced in the light. Her voice was stern, unyielding. "It's Family Reunion Day. Ain't no way I'm lettin' anyone leave this camp. Go sit by the fire and stay there. Don't you dare think about slippin' off. Miss Yinlin, show him the way."
He could feel Yinlin's amused gaze boring into him.
"You heard the kind lady," Yinlin said silkily, stepping closer, her perfume faint but sharp. "Now keep your mouth shut and follow me."
Jeff tilted his head, sarcasm lacing his voice. "And if I say no?"
Her smile thinned into something dangerous. "You can try to escape. I wouldn't recommend it, though."
Jeff's chest tightened as the reminder hit him. He'd already been cheated and already been electrocuted. Nothing like the taser test I took in the army. His tongue clicked against his teeth, frustration boiling over. "Yeah… I probably wouldn't get far anyway."
Yinlin's smile widened like a cat with its prey cornered. "Without Dr. Wu Sheng's antidote, you wouldn't last long with that poison inside you."
Jeff's eyes narrowed, suspicion flashing. "You expect me to believe that?"
Her expression softened—not kindness, but conviction. "It's your choice. But I've no reason to lie." She stepped ahead, lantern light catching the curve of her cheekbone. "You were planning to ask the Master Dollmaker about your memories anyway. So why not come with me?"
Jeff slowed, his voice quieter now, guarded. "What exactly is this place?"
Yinlin glanced back at him, her eyes gleaming under the firelight. "This? This is the Séance Society's headquarters. We all live here." She spread her arms, like a hostess welcoming him home. "Why don't you join us? Would make things easier for all of us."
Jeff's smirk was faint, but defiant. "Where do I sign up?"
Her laughter rang out, sharp and bright. "Good try. Next time, don't sound so obvious."
She motioned toward the fire, her long fingers beckoning him forward. "Come on. Joining or not, it won't hurt to introduce yourself first."
Jeff's steps slowed, hesitation heavy in his chest. But the bonfire loomed ahead, sparks crackling into the sky like restless souls.
And for the first time since he woke up, Jeff felt like he was walking into something he couldn't shoot his way out of.
The bonfire crackled at the center of the camp, smoke rising into the night sky in lazy, curling trails. Sparks popped and floated like tiny stars, catching in the fabric of the Séance Society's tents. Jeff felt the heat on his face as he stepped closer, Yinlin a shadow at his side.
Around the fire, figures moved men, women, even puppets sharing food, drink, and stories as though this strange camp was a family gathering. But to Jeff, the air felt too heavy. Too many eyes lingered on him.
Lady Guan was the first to break the silence. She hobbled forward, cane thudding against the dirt, her wrinkled face creased with both kindness and iron. Her gaze pinned him in place.
"You listen to this old lady and her words carefully," she said, wagging her cane at him like a scolding teacher. "Don't go runnin' off to those dangerous places on your own, okay?"
Jeff raised an eyebrow. "Dangerous places?"
She leaned in closer, her eyes clouded but sharp enough to pierce through him. "Dangers at every corner outside camp grounds. Horrifying monsters…" She lowered her voice like she was sharing a curse. "And those Patrollers. You watch yourself."
Before Jeff could reply, a younger voice chimed in—bright, eager.
"I'll warn everyone once I see danger!"
A small boy bounded up, hair sticking out in tufts, eyes wide and glimmering with childish pride. He puffed his chest, planting his fists on his hips. "Grandma said I've got super sharp eyes and ears!"
Jeff softened, just slightly. "We're lucky to have you then," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Hehe," Xiaoguan giggled, bouncing on his heels. "You can count on me!"
Another man approached taller, broad-shouldered, carrying himself like a soldier. His uniform was worn, patched, but still neat. A scar traced his cheek, half-hidden beneath his messy fringe.
"Greetings, stranger," the man said with a respectful nod. "The name's Jinlu. We're the guards here, He Chang and I."
Jeff studied him, posture stiff but respectful. "Are you a Resonator?"
"Right you are," Jinlu said. His tone was steady, but his eyes flicked to Yinlin with something like gratitude. "The two of us and Lirong used to be Midnight Rangers."
Yinlin, arms crossed, cocked her head. "How are you feeling? Got the Overclocking under control?"
Jinlu's expression softened. "Thanks for asking, Miss Yinlin. I'm feeling a lot better now." A shadow passed over his face. "Lirong though… He had it rough back there."
Jeff frowned. "Why stay with a puppet when you know it's dangerous?"
Jinlu's jaw tightened. His hands flexed, knuckles whitening. "We served in the same unit. He Chang Overclocked trying to save me… In the end, he didn't make it."
Jeff's throat went dry. "…What if you end up overclocking too?"
The man's eyes burned with quiet determination. "I know the risks. I'm just… I'll do anything. Anything to make it up to him, if I still can."
He pulled a flask from his belt, offering it with a faint smile. "Want one?"
Jeff lifted a hand, shaking his head. "I'll pass. Go easy on it, okay?"
"Don't worry," Jinlu chuckled, slipping it back into his pocket. "I don't drink when I'm on duty."
A rasping, metallic voice drifted from behind Jinlu.
"No need to tiptoe around me. I know I'm a puppet. I'm just happy to see Jinlu again."
Jeff's eyes snapped toward the source—and froze.
The figure before him was unmistakably not alive. Stiff, unnatural joints. A pallid imitation of flesh. But its eyes… its eyes held awareness.
A puppet with self-awareness…? Jeff thought, unsettled.
"You're surprisingly open-minded about it," Jeff said slowly, forcing the words out.
The puppet—He Chang—smiled faintly, almost wistfully. "Well, as a dead guy, I try not to overthink things anymore."
Jeff's chest tightened. What I wouldn't give to talk to my dead comrades and family again…
His hand slapped against his thigh with a sharp smack. Stop it. That kind of thinking is what got them here in the first place—settling for poor imitations. Not being able to move on.
"Miss Yinlin…" A soft, weary voice drew Jeff's attention. A woman with pale skin and tired eyes clutched at the sleeve of her robe. Her movements were restless, her hands trembling slightly as she pulled a younger figure closer. "Who might this be?"
"Don't worry," Yinlin replied smoothly, her lips curling. "He's Master Dollmaker's guest."
"I see…" The woman's gaze hardened. "Whatever. I just want to stay with my son."
Jeff's brow furrowed. "…Your son. Is he a puppet too?"
The woman's face snapped, her hands trembling as she shielded the figure behind her. "So what!? He's still my one and only son! What would you know!?"
Jeff opened his mouth, then shut it again. The rawness in her voice stole the words from him.
Yinlin stepped in, her tone unusually gentle. "Jeff, let's stop it here."
But Jeff couldn't. His voice cracked low. "What on earth happened…"
The woman's grip tightened on the puppet boy's hand. "That's why I won't let anyone threaten our peaceful life ever again." Her voice shook but didn't break. "I will not let them and anyone else separate us again."
Jeff's chest ached. "But your son, he's already…" He swallowed. "The sooner you accept that, the easier it'll be to move on. I'm sure your son wouldn't want to make you wallow in sorrow, he would've want you to be happy."
Despite the words sounding shallow and insensitive, the expression on Jeff's face like he knew what it was like to lose someone so important stunned her from speaking. The woman's lips quivered. Her voice turned brittle, desperate. "I know… I know full well. No need for you to remind me. Please. Leave us."
The boy—Lian Xiaosheng—stepped forward, his puppet form eerily still, but his eyes held a gentleness that didn't belong to machines. "Sorry. My mom can get a bit impatient sometimes. She doesn't mean it."
Jeff nodded slowly. "I understand."
Xiaosheng's expression softened into a faint smile. "I don't know how much longer I can stay with Mom… but still… I want to make her happy."
Jeff's throat tightened. He looked at the puppet with a heaviness in his chest, guilt gnawing at him.
"I'm sure you were a good kid," he whispered.
The boy's smile lingered, even as the flames crackled louder, swallowing Jeff's words into the night.
Jeff walked again slowly, his boots crunching against the dirt as his eyes adjusted to the dim glow inside one of the larger shelters.
A soft whimper was heard.
"Daddy's still inside…" A small girl sat on a straw mat, knees pulled to her chest. Her little fingers tugged at the hem of her worn dress, the fabric damp with tears. "Mr. Wu is looking after him. Daddy…" Her voice cracked, breaking into a sob. "Daddy…"
Jeff's chest tightened. He knelt carefully,"Yuanyuan…" His voice softened, gentler than he meant it to be. The child looked up at him despite being a puppet, her tear-rimmed eyes wide with innocence, with a grief too large for someone so small.
Jeff wanted to reach out, to offer a hand, but it hung there, suspended mid-air before falling back uselessly at his side. What comfort could he give to this puppet, when he himself barely had the strength to carry his own ghosts? Does it even fucking matter?
Yinlin pulled back the flap of the inner tent, her silhouette sharp against the candlelight. "Dr. Wu Sheng," she called. "How's Lirong doing?"
Inside, a man in a white coat hunched over a cot. His sleeves were rolled up, smudged with ink and faint stains. His hair was unkempt, tied back in a knot that threatened to come undone. He didn't look up when he answered, voice low but steady.
"Out of danger for now," Wu Sheng said. "But he's still in a coma. Sorry…" He exhaled, shoulders sagging. "I'm not that familiar with taking care of Resonators. There's not much else I can do."
"Shame," Yinlin muttered, folding her arms, unbothered. "He shouldn't have disobeyed Master Dollmaker."
Jeff stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "Was it you who injected me with poison?"
Wu Sheng finally looked up, adjusting his glasses. His expression was unreadable but clinical. "Well, yes. Master Dollmaker asked me to. We had no other choice. You refused to join us."
Jeff clenched his jaw, his fingers twitching near the strap of his gear. "Did you poison everyone else here too?"
The doctor's face hardened, a flicker of annoyance cutting through his otherwise calm tone. "No. Why would I need to? They're not leaving here. This is the only place where we can forever live with our loved ones."
Jeff's voice dropped, rough with restrained fury. "You're a doctor. As a medical provider myself, you're a disgrace. You should know how dangerous those puppets are."
For the first time, Wu Sheng's composure cracked. His lips pressed tight, his hand curling into a fist on the edge of the cot. "I do. But I also know why we'll hold on to them no matter what." His eyes, shadowed with old grief, flicked up. "What kind of doctor are you?"
Jeff's throat tightened. His eyes darted away, to the half-lit corner of the tent where dust motes danced in the glow. "I wasn't a doctor," he admitted after a pause. "I was a nurse. And a combat medic… a long time ago."
Wu Sheng gave a bitter smile, his voice heavy with the weight of failure. "Then as a nurse yourself, you probably already know… doctors can't save everyone. Not even the best of us can. No matter how hard we try."
Jeff's breath hitched. Faces flashed across his mind—soldiers, friends, people whose pulses had slipped through his hands despite his best effort to the contrary.
"I could only watch," Wu Sheng continued, eyes glassy, "as my better half passed away in agony…" His voice broke, then steadied with cold reverence. "Master Dollmaker saved us with his puppets. That's something no doctor can ever achieve."
Jeff's hands trembled, curling into fists. But that's not them. They're dead. Trying to bring them back with this pale imitation is nothing more than blasphemy.
Wu Sheng tilted his head, watching him closely. "What about you? Do you have someone you desperately need to see again?"
The question pierced through Jeff like a blade. For a moment, he couldn't breathe. Faces again—his comrades, Ethan, Lena, his parents' names that still echoed and haunted him on the back of his mind.
"…As a matter of fact," Jeff murmured, voice rough, "I do."
"Then ask Master Dollmaker for help," Wu Sheng urged, a desperate light in his eyes. "He'll bring them back."
Jeff shook his head, jaw set like stone. " I refuse. Bringing them back that way is nothing more than desecrating the dead. And you—" his voice sharpened like a knife, "—you and your delusional ass know it, no matter how much you fucking deny it."
For the first time, Wu Sheng faltered. Words failed him. He turned back to Lirong's cot, his hand brushing the edge with trembling fingers.
"Lirong…" he whispered. "Look what you've gotten yourself into."
Jeff softened just slightly, glancing at Yuanyuan's still-sniffling figure near the entrance. "He did it for Yuanyuan."
"Yes," Wu Sheng admitted, his voice cracking. "I know. He'd do anything for her. Hopefully…" He swallowed hard. "Hopefully he'll wake up soon."
On the other side of the tent, a woman's quiet voice was heard. Shunlian sat with her back straight, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Her gaze rested on the puppet beside her, her expression both tender and pained.
"I know staying with us puppets will make my hubby sick eventually," she murmured, as if confessing a sin. "I just want to stay with him while I can."
Jeff looked at her—really looked. Her eyes glimmered with tears she refused to shed, her smile trembling but stubborn.
"It must be hard for you and for him," Jeff said quietly.
"Yes," she admitted, her hand reaching out to stroke her husband's hand. "Maybe we are causing harm by simply existing… but I wouldn't trade what I have now for anything else."
Jeff had no reply. He only stood there, the flicker of the candlelight casting deep shadows across his face.
And then he walked away from the tent not standing what he was seeing.
The campfire crackled in the distance, the puppets moved with a strange rhythm, smiling, laughing, holding each other as though nothing had ever been taken from them. If I didn't know better, I might've believed it. I wanted to believe it. Almost. I couldn't let myself forget what they really were. Hollow shells. Echoes of people who should've been allowed to rest.
Loss changes a person. You can see it in the way these people cling to scraps of what they once had, pretending those hollow puppets are enough. And I… I couldn't even blame them.
Because I knew that hunger too.
I could still feel Ethan's hands my best friend, rough from years of labor, guiding mine as he showed me how to fix people up. I could still hear Lena's laugh, warm and stubborn, the kind that always made me believe things would turn out fine even when they wouldn't. My parents my anchors. Gone before I could ever repay them. Before I could even say a proper goodbye.
And then there were the others. My squad. Brothers and sisters who fought beside me, bled beside me. Who looked to me in the chaos, trusting me to keep them alive. I tried. God, I fucking tried. But no matter how steady my hands were, how hard I pushed myself, sometimes it wasn't enough. Sometimes they slipped away in my arms. I still see their eyes when I close mine.
What I wouldn't give… just one more meal with Ethan and Lena. One more laugh. One more chance to tell my squad they weren't alone at the end.
But this? Puppets, shadows, imitations stitched together by obsession? That's not them. That's not life. It's blasphemy wearing familiar faces and a complete desecration of human life.
And standing here, surrounded by puppets, I wonder—if the Dollmaker offered me Ethan and Lena back, my comrades back, could I look them in the eye and say no? Could I turn my back on the chance to hear their voices again, even if it was just an imitation?
The truth clawed at me: I didn't know.
Maybe that's what scared me most.
Because deep down, I wanted to believe I was stronger than this. That I could walk away, say this wasn't real, that it was wrong. But a part of me… a part of me whispered that I'd give anything just to sit across from them again. To feel like I wasn't the only one left behind.
I pressed my hands over my face, trying to steady my breathing. My chest felt tight, like something was clawing to get out. Ethan. Lena. My unit. All of them. I could still hear the way they laughed, the way they called my name. And every time I let myself remember, it almost felt like they were still here.
But they weren't. And I had to stop pretending they ever would be.
It would've been so easy to stay there to fucking pretend those puppets were enough, let their memories eat me whole.
But that wasn't living. That was just keeping myself in a grave I'd already crawled out of. Ethan, Lena… all of them—they were gone. I wasn't. If I kept circling back, I'd be wasting the only thing they didn't get: time.
If I let myself believe the lies here, if I started thinking these puppets were enough, I'd never leave. I'd let myself rot in someone else's delusional dream.
They deserved better than that. Better than being turned into shadows I couldn't stop reaching for. I gotta move on.
"They're gone," I whispered to myself. Not as punishment, but as truth. And the only way to honor them now was to keep moving, no matter what it cost. To survive. To remember. To carry them with me until the end.
Isn't that what we promised? Right, everyone?