The sharp ring of steel and the shuffle of boots cut through the camp. Lantern light flickered against drawn weapons as the Patrollers formed a wall around them.
Looks like they arrived just on time, Jeff thought, heart pounding.
"Surrender now!" one of the Patrollers barked, voice echoing across the clearing. "We've got you surrounded! You're the leader here, aren't you?"
Yinlin's lips curled into a smirk, unbothered by the dozens of blades pointed her way. "My, my," she said smoothly, her tone almost playful. "That's quite the party."
Before Jeff could react, threads of silver light snapped around his limbs. Yinlin's strings coiled around him with effortless precision, jerking him close to her side.
"Jeff!" Rover's voice cracked. She stumbled forward, eyes wide, fury and panic flashing across her face. "Let him go now!"
Chixia stepped up beside her, gun drawn, her usual cocky grin wiped clean. "Hey! Who the hell are you? Let him go!"
He could feel Rover's gaze burning into him anger, fear, desperation all tangled into one expression. Seeing her like that made guilt claw at his chest.
Yinlin tightened the strings ever so slightly, enough for Jeff to feel the bite against his skin. Her eyes danced with mischief. "And if I don't?"
"Freeze!" another Patroller barked, shifting his aim.
"Shut up," Yinlin replied coolly, her smirk never wavering. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I've got a hostage, you see?"
Chixia's hands trembled as she aimed, her voice faltering. "Y-you… don't move!"
Rover's breathing was ragged, her knuckles white around the hilt of her weapon. She wanted to rush forward, Jeff knew it but she couldn't. Not while Yinlin's strings cut into him like a vice.
"I wouldn't try anything stupid if I were you," Yinlin said, tilting Jeff's chin up with a flick of string. "Can't risk Jinzhou's VIP getting hurt, now can we?"
"Ugh," Chixia groaned, lowering her weapon. "Fine. Guys lower your weapons."
Yinlin leaned closer, her voice a whisper only Jeff caught. "Trust me… come this way."
They started to move when Rover suddenly shouted, "Wait!"
Yinlin stopped, eyebrows arching. "Why?"
"I said… you let him go." Rover's voice shook not from weakness, but from fury she was struggling to keep caged.
"And if I don't?"
Rover's chest heaved, her voice raw as she cried, "Then take me instead!"
"What—? No way!" Chixia snapped, eyes darting between them. "Rover, I can't let you do that! Are you insane?"
Jeff's breath caught. His mind raced, ideas colliding, until one desperate thought broke through the haze. He locked eyes with Rover, shaking his head slightly, signaling her.
Yinlin chuckled, clearly amused. "What's this? Jeff, I'm impressed. A woman that concerned about you? Quite the charmer you are."
Jeff exhaled slowly, steadying himself. Whispered to Yinlin. "Take her with us."
Yinlin blinked, caught off guard. "…What?"
"Take her," Jeff repeated firmly. "I already know most of your plan. I've figured out enough about the Dollmaker to be dangerous. It's in your best interest to have Rover with you, not against you. Trust me."
Her eyes narrowed, weighing his words. "And how exactly do you know that?"
Jeff met her gaze without flinching.
"…Trust me."
For a long moment, only the night sounds filled the air the hum of crickets. Then Yinlin sighed, flicking her wrist.
"Fine. Let's do it. Slowly."
Rover stepped forward, each movement deliberate, her jaw set.
"Rover, you're crazy!" Chixia hissed, grabbing at her sleeve. "I know it's Jeff, but you've got to think rationally—"
"I know what I'm doing," Rover cut her off, her voice sharp.
Jeff gave her the smallest nod, his eyes softening despite the tension. It was enough. She steadied her breath, shoulders relaxing just slightly as she drew closer.
When she reached him, Jeff whispered, voice low enough for only her ears: "I'll tell you all about it later but trust me. Come with us."
She didn't know the details, but she nodded anyway. She trusted him.
Yinlin rolled her eyes, tugging at the strings. "Are you lovebirds done? Let's go."
The threads wrapped around them both, binding them close.
From behind, Chixia let out a bitter laugh from disbelief, her voice breaking. "What did I just say? I freaking knew it you liar! To think Rover of all people would fall for it. Is this what love does to people? Make them blind?"
Jeff didn't look back. He forced his focus forward as Yinlin pulled them toward the looming shadow of the Puppet Factory.
Yinlin's strings tugged Jeff and Rover forward through the yawning doorway. Their footsteps echoed against the iron floor.
"Yes…" Yinlin muttered, her lips curling as she glanced toward the far walls where faint growls and screeches lingered. "Some TDs slipped inside, and now the Patrollers have the place crawling with cops. Hard to make it out of here with the specimens."
A voice, low and commanding, crackled through a hidden speaker.
"Fortunately, you caught Jeff. And the woman with him… Rover, was it? Two distinguished guest of her Magistrate herself. Excellent. Whether they prove useful for the research or not, they'll buy us time."
Rover's eyes narrowed, fury burning in them. Her hands clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms until her knuckles went white.
Yinlin tilted her head, her expression shifting to one of obedient calm. "What should I do next, Master?"
From the speaker, the Dollmaker's voice carried a strange, hollow weight. "Here are the coordinates. Bring them to me. I'm in the inner chamber."
Yinlin's gaze flicked toward Jeff, sharp and knowing. "Jeff's a sly one. He'll try to bolt the first chance he gets."
"No matter," the Dollmaker replied. "I've planted trackers on him. He won't get far in my territory."
The line went dead. The silence that followed was heavier than before.
"You heard him," Yinlin said, her tone turning sharp again. "You're in our turf now. Better not get any bright ideas."
Rover's voice trembled not from fear, but from anger so raw it felt like it could splinter her chest. "You'll pay for this…"
Yinlin laughed softly, the sound like silk being torn. "Not your problem anymore. Besides, no one's coming to your rescue anytime soon." Her eyes gleamed as they landed on Jeff. "I guess you managed to send out a distress call? Somehow it slipped past us… Ah, right. The encrypted transmitter tablet."
She stepped closer, hand outstretched. "Hand it over. Don't try to deceive me."
Jeff met her eyes for a long moment. He could feel Rover's sharp inhale beside him, ready to protest. Slowly, he pulled the tablet from under his vest and placed it in her hand.
Yinlin's smirk widened. "Good boy."
Jeff's lips twisted into a humorless smile. "You can dream."
Her eyes narrowed. "Funny. You think you still have a choice." She leaned in, her voice dropping to a hiss. "You're a valuable test subject, Jeff. I don't want to make this difficult. But I will, if you force my hand. Got it?"
Rover started to step forward, fire rising in her throat, but Jeff raised his hand just slightly a subtle signal that froze her in place. His eyes told her everything: not now.
A faint vibration buzzed from the tablet in Yinlin's grip. Jeff glanced at it, then at Rover. Words flickered faintly across the screen where only they could see.
Zapstring: (Here's the thing. Dollmaker's listening to our every word. If he suspects anything, everything's over.)
Zapstring: (I'll type here. Follow my instructions.)
Rover blinked once, then gave a small, tense nod. Jeff mirrored her.
Yinlin, oblivious, draped her strings more tightly around their arms. "Very well. If you can refrain from unnecessary struggle, we won't have to do things the hard way."
Jeff forced his tone to stay even. "Where are we?"
Yinlin's expression didn't waver. "You don't need to know. Now move."
The tablet flickered again as they walked, Jeff angling it so Rover could see.
Zapstring: (We're in the factory where he makes his puppets. The place is riddled with traps and crawling with his minions. Stay sharp it's dangerous.)
Rover's voice cut through, brittle with restrained fury. "At least tell me what he's planning to do with Jeff."
Yinlin smirked, her gaze lingering on them both. "Patience. You'll find out soon enough."
The tablet pulsed again.
Zapstring: (Dollmaker's working with the Fractsidus. He's trading Overclock-inducing puppets for resources and funding.)
Zapstring: (I need your help to collect proof of his crimes. Play along.)
"No more wasting time," Yinlin snapped, tugging the strings. "Let's go."
The tablet flashed one last line as the shadows grew thicker.
Zapstring: (I'll release your restraints on the way. But you must pretend you're still bound. Don't slip.)
Jeff gave the faintest nod, voice low and steady. "Understood."
Yinlin moved ahead, her remote-controlled doll whirring and clicking as it crawled across the broken floor. The pale glow of its eyes lit the blocked passage.
"Strange," she muttered, frowning, lips tightening as she crouched to fiddle with the controls. A lock of her dark hair fell across her cheek, but she ignored it. "The path is jammed. That thing should open it back up… I'll handle it."
Jeff exchanged a quick look with Rover. Her brows furrowed, jaw tense same unease mirrored in his chest.
They pushed further until a cluster of Exiles appeared at the next chamber, their shadows twitching against the wall like broken marionettes.
"Are you guarding this place for Master Dollmaker?" Yinlin's voice was sharp,and demanding.
The lead Exile only stared eyes bloodshot, lips trembling like he was trying to form words.
Jeff's gut knotted. "Something's not right," he muttered under his breath.
And then it came. A guttural rasp.
"...Family… my family…"
His voice cracked with grief and madness. Veins along his arms glowed faintly, the Overclock tearing through him. His fingers curled into claws as his whole body shuddered.
"They're overclocking," Yinlin hissed, already stepping forward, her doll sparking with energy in her hands. "Too much exposure to the puppets."
"Watch out!" Rover's warning came too late the man lunged, raw desperation in every movement.
"Give… My family back!"
In a flash of blue light, Yinlin's hand shot out. The crackle of electricity filled the air as the Exile convulsed violently, a strangled cry escaping his throat before he collapsed, twitching on the ground. The acrid smell of burnt flesh seeped into the air.
Jeff exhaled sharply, caught between disgust and relief. "Damn… that was quick."
Yinlin shook out her hand, sparks fading. No hint of remorse crossed her face just cold efficiency.
They pressed forward, weaving deeper into the factory's heart. Steel doors loomed ahead, sealed tight.
"I can't get through here," Yinlin muttered, crouching low, voice clipped with irritation. She tapped her device, and her little doll slipped under the grate with a metallic scuttle. "Zapstring will open it."
A low rumble shook the walls as locks disengaged.
Rover crossed her arms, her eyes scanning the pipes above. "That should kill the alarms on the lower levels."
Jeff tested the control panel nearby, grimacing when it buzzed lifelessly. "Tsk. System's fried. We'll have to push through the hard way."
The doll clinked back into Yinlin's hands, its glass eyes reflecting the dim factory lights. The heavy doors groaned open.
Rows of half-finished puppets greeted them faces pale, empty eyes staring into nothing. The smell of lacquer and iron clung to the chamber.
"Good. Those Exiles can't reach us now," Yinlin said, stepping between the suspended frames of lifeless dolls. Her tone was casual, but her gaze lingered a beat too long on the mechanical horrors hanging above. "Master Dollmaker's chamber is just up ahead. Don't die on me now."
Jeff's jaw tightened. Every puppet they passed was a reminder that this wasn't just a factory it was a graveyard in the making.
"So many prototypes," Yinlin whispered, brushing her fingers across the cold cheek of one puppet. For the first time, something like awe flickered across her expression. "How many secrets does this place hold?"
She shoved a small Sense Camera into Jeff's hands, her eyes narrowing. "Here. Record the status of these puppets. The master needs precise documentation."
Zapstring's words flickered quietly across the tablet in Jeff :
(These are his masterpieces. We need evidence. Every detail counts.)
Jeff raised the device, forcing his hand to stay steady as he captured the images. Each click of the lens echoed in the silence like a gunshot.
"As you wish," he muttered.
Yinlin smirked faintly. "Hmph. That's more like it. Make sure you don't miss a single detail… I'll be watching you."
Jeff raised the Sense Camera.
The first shot clicked into place an angular shadow of steel and wires filling the frame. Half-assembled military mechs loomed against the walls, their armor still stained with grease.
Yinlin stepped closer, the reflection of cold metal painting sharp lines across her cheekbones. Her brows knitted together, lips pulling tight.
"Military-grade mechs…" she murmured, fingers brushing over a jagged dent in the plating. "How the hell did they get their hands on these?"
Jeff lowered the camera slightly, swallowing the sour taste in his mouth. He had seen mechs utilized on earth before, but never stockpiled like this and not outside a battlefield.
The next section of the chamber was lined with row after row of puppets, all bound to stands like soldiers waiting for orders. Their porcelain faces gleamed pale in the half-light, empty sockets staring into the void
Yinlin's gaze swept across the endless lines of puppets, her arms folding as though bracing against the chill. "That's the total number of prototype puppets," she said flatly, though her voice carried an edge of unease. "Imagine what would happen if they were all activated at once."
Rover's lips parted, but no words came. Her fists clenched white at her sides.
They moved deeper, the factory's heartbeat louder now. At the center, a series of massive metal canisters hissed with a faint glow, wires snaking outward into the walls.
Jeff raised the camera again, focusing on the eerie shimmer inside each container before the shutter clicked. The sound felt louder here, echoing through the chamber.
"All powered by these," Yinlin said, voice hushed, as if the canisters themselves were listening. She crouched near one, her reflection rippling faintly across its surface. "Metal cores. That's how even non-Resonators can activate the puppets."
Across from him, Rover's eyes met his. She didn't speak, but the way her shoulders stiffened said enough. She understood too.
Jeff let out a slow breath through his nose, steadying himself. We've got proof now. Proof that might finally stop all this. It has to be enough.
"Let's keep moving,"
And then they walked forward, toward whatever waited in the chamber ahead.