The archive sector was easy to miss if you didn't know it existed.
Tucked behind the equipment exchange and down a corridor that smelled faintly of old paper and recycled air, the entrance was a single unmarked door with a terminal beside it that most players walked straight past. Lin Yue had noticed it on his first visit to the Game Hall, filed it away, and never had a reason to use it.
Until now.
"You're sure this is the place?" Bai Wuyin asked, arms crossed, studying the door like it might bite him.
"The kiosk attendant said records sector. This is the only door with that label."
"It looks like a maintenance closet."
"Most useful places do."
Shen Rui had peeled off after dinner, muttering something about actually sleeping like a functioning human being for once, which left the two of them standing in a quiet hallway that felt several degrees colder than the cafeteria had.
Lin Yue pushed the door open.
The room beyond didn't match the door at all.
