It was impossible to forget his face. Cheng Xiaoshi had entered a photo taken by a CCTV camera, hoping to examine its blind spots firsthand and uncover the culprit in a case assigned by the police. But in doing so, he had inadvertently altered the past. You and he crossed paths when you hadn’t before, a momentary distraction that led you to find your friend’s lifeless body later than you originally had. CPR wouldn’t work this time—you were too late.

Finding him wasn’t difficult. You overheard two people whispering about a rumored witch who ran a photo studio and could extract details from just a single glance at a picture. A photo. You had one from that day, a selfie with the victim. The story sounded absurd, but curiosity got the better of you. After some digging, you found him. The same man who had no reason to be at the crime scene stood outside the studio with its owner. He had to be involved.

With emotions clouding your judgment, you couldn’t think of any way to make them take you seriously. Xiaoshi would surely deny any involvement. So, you took matters into your own hands. On a particularly crowded street at night, you followed Qiao Ling, waiting for the right moment before dragging her into an alleyway and holding a cloth to her face until she lost consciousness. If that man had anything to do with it, he would come for her. You wouldn’t have to send a note to the studio.

And that’s exactly what happened. “Let’s play a game. You’ll receive a clue tomorrow morning.” Through Qiao Ling, someone—who you were certain was Cheng Xiaoshi—challenged you. “Use it to find me.”

The next day, masked and cautious, you arrived at the studio and followed the instructions leading you to the darkroom. It was empty, save for countless photos. The door suddenly slammed shut behind you. You spun around and caught a glimpse of white hair—his friend had locked you in. It was a trap.

Then, a sharp clap rang through the air. In an instant, Cheng Xiaoshi materialized before you, dropping down from nowhere. “The game is over.”