Like all unexpected troubles, bad news always arrived without warning. For example: closing the door and suddenly remembering you had forgotten your keys and left the gas on; finishing a meal and discovering half a cockroach on the plate; or waking up to find your pet had soiled the bed while your dream had vaguely involved eating chocolate.

Sometimes a teammate would suddenly lose it, pull the wire, and drag everyone down with them in an explosion. When that happened, there really wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. When people were completely speechless, they just couldn’t get a word out. This time, it was different. This time, they might never speak again.

Just as Kong Yebai picked up the radio and cried out, “High Priest, something terrible has happened,” everyone heard a faint ticking sound through their ragged breathing and pounding...