The gray door opened into a filing room built for people who had already been reduced to drawers.
Ty stepped through first.
Every shelf turned toward him.
Paper tags hung from brass handles in rows tight enough to look like teeth. Some were blank. Some carried names written in ink that had bled through the card and stained the metal beneath. One row clicked as he entered, and the tags flipped together.
Bone Half appeared on each card.
Handling label.
Temporary party.
JJ made a low sound in her throat.
"Ty, the room is trying to eat the rest."
Her sponsor panel opened before she finished. It flashed Ty's name once, then rejected it so fast the letters left a white rectangle behind.
The panel treated Ty as unsupported. The nearest body match belonged to the face user.
JJ stared at the empty space where his name had been.
Ty stayed still.
The first practical cut arrived there. A person tried to write his name, and the room handed the letters to the thief wearing his face.
