The last chain was colder than Xu Zhihan had imagined.
It hung down from behind the Divine Throne, passed through the black water, and pierced the roots of every door. There were no words on its surface, only old scars. Hidden in those scars were humanity's earliest fears of judgment, the offerings of the Old Gods Society, Xie Wu's face, Shen Huaizhong's Clock Core, and countless names swallowed by the Oracle Tower.
As Xu Zhihan approached, the Faceless Shadow on the Divine Throne lowered its head again.
"Xuanheng."
This time, the voice came from the chain itself.
Xu Zhihan's vision went white.
He saw himself sitting on the Divine Throne, saw every door close in an instant, saw the human world fall silent. No crying, no cries for help, no sin lines, no Lu Wenchuan's blood. Everything was flattened by white light.
So clean.
And so dead.
Lu Wenchuan's voice came through the communicator at his wrist.
"Xu Zhihan."
A small crack opened in the white light.
Xu Zhihan looked down and saw that the thin line at his wrist still connected him to the outside of the door. At its other end, Lu Wenchuan lay on a hospital bed, his face so pale it was almost translucent, still clutching the Student ID fragment.
"I'm here."
Xu Zhihan spoke.
Lu Wenchuan's breathing was heavy.
"You didn't answer me just now."
"I saw something."
"Was it nice?"
Xu Zhihan looked at the human world flattened by white light.
"No."
"Then come back."
Xu Zhihan closed his eyes briefly.
"I'm coming back."
The source of the Divine Throne finally spoke.
"Judge all, and the human world shall be free of sin."
Xu Zhihan raised his head.
"The human world would be free of people."
The source did not respond.
In the black