Raindrops splattered against the neon signs, sending up tiny splashes of water. Ah Che trudged forward through ankle-deep puddles, the shards of circuit boards crackling beneath her feet, like countless abandoned dreams shattered. Ash Street resembled a vast garbage dump even more than she had imagined. Rusted pipes tangled between the leaning skyscrapers, like the exposed veins of a giant beast. Occasionally, sparks of electricity shot out, drawing blue-purple arcs through the rain.

The bird-shaped scar on the back of her hand suddenly felt hot, and Ah Che stopped dead in her tracks. In the shadows at the alley entrance, a blurry figure stared at her, the metal tube in its hand gleaming coldly under the streetlight. She instinctively reached for the USB drive in her pocket, her fingertips touching the cool metal casing, and suddenly remembered what Mobius had said: the dangers of every dimension lie within "common sense." "New here?" A figure emerged from the shadows. It was a young man in a ripped leather jacket, his hair dyed a smoky blue, and three gear-shaped earrings dangling from his left ear. He looked Ah Che up and down, his gaze lingering on the muddy hem of her skirt for two seconds. "From 'Eternal Town'?"

Ah Che's heart skipped a beat. How did this guy know the name of the previous dimension? She gripped the USB drive tightly, her fingertips turning white from the pressure. "Who are you?"