Lu Guang sat at his desk, meticulously organizing the stacks of photos that had accumulated over the past few days. Cheng Xiaoshi was slouched on the worn-out couch, twirling a film canister between his fingers.

“Man, I’m bored. Today’s so quiet,” Cheng Xiaoshi groaned as he looked out

“Enjoy the peace while it lasts,” Lu Guang replied without looking up. His calm voice carried a weight Cheng Xiaoshi had learned not to argue with.

Suddenly, a small photo slipped out from a stack and fluttered to the ground. Cheng Xiaoshi, seizing the opportunity for distraction, hopped up and grabbed it.

“Hey, Lu Guang. This photo… was it always here?”

Lu Guang’s eyes flickered over, narrowing slightly as he took the photo from Cheng Xiaoshi’s hands. It depicted a child, perhaps no older than twelve, standing in front of four tall men that appeared to be some kind of doctors or scientists. The place they were standing in front of looked like an old shrine. The child’s face was partially obscured by shadows, but something about the image felt… off.

“No date stamp, no client name. I don’t remember this coming in.” Lu Guang’s voice lowered, his analytical gaze scanning the photo.

Cheng Xiaoshi chuckled nervously. “Maybe we just forgot about it?”

Lu Guang shook his head. “I don’t forget things like this.”

The room grew quieter. Rain lightly tapped against the studio’s window. Cheng Xiaoshi looked at the photo once again, tilting his head to the side. “I feel like I’ve seen this kid somewhere before…”

Lu Guang looked at the back of the photo, seeing the small drawing of a strange creature and the child next to it.

Neither Lu Guang nor Xiaoshi knew how this photo ended up in their studio. Cheng Xiaoshi spoke up. “Should I go in the picture and take a look?”

Lu Guang shook his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I’m not sure.”