Sunny emerges from the vent with his family as the entire facility seems to collapse around them.

“Right over there!” he shouts, “Uncle Mao was showing it to me earlier!”

The group looks in the direction of his finger to the large tank parked in the Armory.

“Sunny, please,” Suyin says, “This isn’t the time for jokes.”

“No, really!” Sunny replies, “That key isn’t meant for a door! It’s the ignition key for this tank!”

“You’re kidding,” Juanli replies.

“No, really! Come on, climb inside! Quick!”

Sunny climbs on top of the tank and opens the hatch in its roof. He raises it up, allowing Suyin to climb inside. She sits down in the back, against the interior wall of the tank, as Juanli climbs in and takes the captain’s seat. Sunny follows her down, closing the door and sitting in her lap.

Juanli stares incredulously at the tank’s controls. She eventually spots the keyhole and pulls out the Earth Key. She plunges it into the keyhole and turns it. The tank quickly starts up, and several lights on the display turn on.

“I-I don’t know how to drive this thing!” Juanli shouts.

“Come on, Mama! It can’t be that different from driving a car…and you’ll get to be like an awesome soldier!”

“Just drive, sis,” Suyin snaps, “Before I bleed out over here.”

Juanli peers through the window at the large shutter blocking the only exit from the room.

“B-But the shutter’s closed! How are we supposed to get out?”

Sunny turns and glares at Juanli.

“Mama!” he shouts, “We have a tank!”

BOOM!

On the outside of the temple, a large iron shutter bursts to pieces and scatters across the scorched yard. Out of the hole where it used to be rolls a large camouflaged tank. It rumbles across the grass, pivoting its head around the palace’s walled exterior and then turning wide on its tread.

“Woohoo!” Sunny shouts, pumping his fists in the air. “That was awesome, Mama!”

“Yes, I suppose it was,” Juanli says, laughing. “Now we just need to find an exit. But all I see are these walls…”

“I think we’re at the back of the temple,” Suyin says, craning her neck to look out the window. “There should be a big gate on the other side.”

“Let’s go take a look then.”

Juanli pulls one lever back and another forward. The massive tank awkwardly turns and roars back toward the front gate, passing by the side of the temple.

Sunny presses his hands against the window, watching in concern as curls of black smoke rise from the top of the temple.

“Geez,” Sunny mumbles, “I hope everyone down in the bunker is safe.”

“They’ll be fine,” Suyin says, pressing a hand against her forehead. “I’m sure the walls have been fireproofed.”

“They wouldn’t have to worry about it if someone hadn’t been so trigger happy,” Juanli replies, “Still, this just means we need to bring help sooner.”

The tank passes the front of the temple and steadily approaches the entrance gate in the distance.

“Speaking of which…” Suyin mumbles.

She pulls out the green flash drive containing Yin’s consciousness from her pocket and tosses it dismissively to the side. It clatters uselessly to the floor of the tank.

Juanli drives between the shadows of looming guard towers, eventually spotting the entrance gate in front of her. It’s doors are shut tight.

“Ugh, I hate to destroy architecture as beautiful as this,” Juanli mumbles, “But I suppose the government destroyed most of it already.”

“Just bust it down!” Sunny shouts, “Like a powerful dragon!”

Juanli chuckles to herself.

“Alright, if I must.”

She fires a shell from the nozzle of the tank. It crashes into the wooden doors and explodes, carving them to smoldering splinters. They collapse to the ground in a swirl of dust.

“We’re going home, Sunny!”

Juanli drives both levers forward, and the imposing tank crawls through the entrance of the temple.

The nights passed in the bunker were long, and they were terribly dull. Taikong was inconsolable. It was up to Amethyst to make the meals. She usually just set them in front of Taikong and hoped he ate them.

Eventually, his moods seemed to improve, but he seemed to prefer talking to himself to talking to Amethyst. The two mostly ignored each other.

Neither of them used the sleeping pods. They couldn’t help but fear that if they stepped into them, they’d never wake up.

Eventually, they hear something truly unexpected. Footsteps, and they’re coming from the Afterlife Gate.

A handsome Chinese man with a broad smile appears on the other side. He’s decked out in combat gear with a rifle over his shoulder.

“Someone order a rescue?” he asks.

Amethyst stumbles to her feet, overcome with joy.

“Yes! Yes yes yes!” she shouts, “Get up, Taikong! We’re getting out!”

“What…?” Taikong says, slowly getting to his feet.

“We already heard the details from the justice minister,” he explains, “Sounds like you can’t get through this black gate, huh? Well, good news is, we’ve got some C4.”

He turns to shout at someone in the corridor.

“Light it up!”

“Wait, don’t!” Taikong shouts.

The handsome man leaps into the room. Seconds later, a boom rings out as an explosion busts a hole through the wall. Unfortunately, the rumbling doesn’t stop when the bomb goes off. The bunker shakes as large stones begin to drop from the ceiling.

“Oops!” the soldier says, “Not sure what happened there! Must’ve been a fault here or something! Let’s move, everyone! Quickly now!”

Needing no further prompting, Amethyst rushes through the hole. Taikong follows her. The handsome man gives him a friendly pat on the back as he steps across.

“No soldier left behind, eh?”

“Yes, of course.”

Taikong stops in his tracks after the soldier steps through. He holds his hand out to the hole, reaching for the empty space where a person should be.

“You heard him, Mei. Let’s go!”

The rumbling bunker is completely empty—

Mei takes Taikong’s hand as she heads through the opening. Her expression doesn’t change, as if she were stepping from a grave to a crematorium.

“Sure, Taikong. Don’t wait up on me.”

She shifts her medical bag to her other shoulder as—

Taikong continues down the corridor alone, following Amethyst out.

“I’m so glad I found you again.”

The bunker continues to collapse as the group rushes up the stairs.

Sunny was ten when the war ended.

After a long, drawn out conflict, China achieved victory. Many people suffered and died, but at last, it was finally over.

China held a victory celebration at the recently refurbished Bird’s Nest Stadium. After quite a bit of urging, Sunny finally convinced Juanli to buy tickets for the two of them and Suyin to attend. With the profits from Juanli’s store and Suyin’s allowance, the family easily raised the money.

On the night of the show, Juanli sits in the stands of the stadium, dressed in her finest clothes. But this time, she isn’t alone. Sunny sits on her left, and Suyin on her right. Both of their eyes are fixed on the stadium below, where Chinese performers dance in complicated arrays as a skilled songstress blasts her melody through the stadium.

“Wow, this is amazing!” Sunny shouts, “I’m so happy that we beat the Americans! This is the most fun I’ve had in years!”

“Just wait until you’re older,” Suyin replies, glancing wistfully at the box seats. “The real fun is happening up there.”

Juanli lightly elbows her sister.

“Don’t make me kick you out of the house again,” she hisses playfully.

Suyin chuckles. She waits until the others aren’t looking and pulls a flask out of her bag. She discreetly takes a sip.

“Look, Mama! They’re setting up the fireworks!” Sunny shouts.

“Oh, dear,” Juanli says, reaching instinctively toward her scarred eye. “Are they now?”

“They’re going to be awesome!” Sunny replies, “Just wait and see! Trust me!”

“Alright…I believe you, Sunny.”

Juanli reaches over and tightly clasps her son’s hand.

Finally, the fireworks are lit. Juanli flinches as the first crack rings out. However, everything goes according to plan. Bright red and yellow flowers fill the sky high above, casting their radiant glow on the crowd.

As the fireworks blaze in the sky, Suyin leans over to her sister.

“Listen, sis,” she says, “I’m sorry. I know I treated you poorly, and I wouldn’t blame you if you kicked me out again…but I’m glad you haven’t.”

Juanli turns to Suyin and smiles.

“It’s alright, Suyin! I’m just glad we’re all together.”

“It's not alright.” Suyin shakes her head and continues. “I was jealous. Everyone knew you and not me. It made me angry. I wanted what you had, and if I couldn't have it then I didn't want you to have it either. That's why I treated you the way I did. Torturing you and destroying your papercrafts... It was wrong. And I'm truly sorry I put you through all of that.”

Juanli’s face softens for a moment, taken a little by surprise. Her expression changes to one of pure relief.

“Thank you, I’m glad you at least understand. I think I’m ready to let the past stay in the past.”

The two pause for a moment to watch the fireworks.

"Y'know,” Suyin says, “this kind of reminds me when Mom and Dad would take us to the Temple of the Sun. That was one of the few places we'd get along. It's nice to feel this way again.”

“It really is,” Juanli says, smiling. “With all of us together now, I think we can handle whatever the future brings.”

Sunny lets out a cheer as another firework explodes. For the first time in years, everything is as it should be.

Sunny was thirteen. He was beginning to develop a deeper understanding of the world. Someone had left the television on, and Sunny watched intently.

On the screen, a newscaster calmly delivers a report. Meanwhile, an in-set reveals a chaotic scene of several armed guards converging on a single, unassuming man.

“Key government officials today have indicted Congressman Sun Taikong on charges of conspiracy to treason,” the newscaster explains, “New evidence has also called his mental stability into question. It is believed that he may be a U.S. sympathizer. Now reporting live from the scene.”

Sun Taikong thrashes against the guards around him. He spots the camera and screams into it.

“I’m telling you! It’s not safe here!” He screams, “Don’t forget me!”

He glances toward one of the other guards and flinches.

“Hey! Get your hands off her!”

Someone hits him over the head and puts him in cuffs. They begin taking him away.

“Sun has been exhibiting rebellious tendencies for some time now,” the newscaster explains, “He has repeatedly spoken out against supposed corruption in the government. However, it is clear that—”

Sunny turns the TV off and walks to the other room, where Juanli sits at the table. She gently massages her forehead.

“Mama?” Sunny says, “I was just watching the news. Apparently Sun Taikong got…arrested. Remember him?”

Juanli casts a weary gaze at the young boy.

“He said he…would help look after us,” she replies.

“I’m scared, Mama,” Sunny says sighing.

Juanli reaches out. She takes her son’s hand.

“Listen, Sunny. I don’t know what will happen, but…I need you to be strong. For your Auntie, and for me.”

Sunny nods. He reaches out to wrap Juanli in a hug.

“I will, Mama. You can trust me.”

A stern-faced man sits at his desk and opens a history textbook. He watches as his class files in one after the other. Each walks in a dignified line, stepping perfectly in time as they efficiently approach their desks. They sit down in unison and stare at the blackboard, struggling to suppress their child-like urge to turn to their neighbors or fidget with their red armbands.

The man watches his class with the eyes of a hawk. He rises but doesn’t smile, directing their attention to the blackboard behind them.

“Today we will return to the topic of the Third World War, how it led to the formation of the Chinese empire, and what your place in this empire will be.”

He steps over to a computer on his desk. All of his motions are precise and practiced, like those of a robot. He plugs the computer in with one fluid motion.

“But first,” he continues in a steady drone, “We must honor the strength and courage of our ancestors who brought us here. Can anyone tell me what day it is?”

Tension fills the room. Most of the kids would rather not speak, afraid of saying the wrong thing. One girl near the front finally replies.

“This is the anniversary of our victory over the U.S., sir.”

“Correct,” he replies, “To honor this occasion, a special gala is being held in Beijing, where our glorious president will spare a few words.”

The teacher pulls down a screen for the projector. The webpage is already pulled up, and the president is already speaking. Taciturn but with energetic tones, he throws out his oration as if speaking to an army.

“Today, we celebrate the service of exceptional Chinese men. We admire their bravery, courage, and tenacity in the face of American oppression. We admire those who brought Chinese ideals throughout the world, allowing future generations to inherit a world free of strife. One where all Chinese families can live in peace—”

Suddenly, the feed cuts out. The stern-faced president is gone, replaced by a man standing in a dark room talking to someone off-screen. He takes occasional glances toward the camera before jumping in his seat.

“Gah! We got in? Oh, we got in!”

The man turns to the camera and does something the class hasn’t seen in a long time—he smiles. His brown hair is ruffled lightly, and he wears an unassuming hoodie, but they can see in his eyes the resolve of a leader.

“So, uhh…hey, everyone!” he continues, “I’ll make this quick. You can call me Sunny. I hate to interrupt the president’s annual rant and rave, but I have something more important to talk about.”

For the first time, the teacher’s face is raw with emotion. This clearly isn’t part of the class curriculum. He runs to the door and swings it open.

“Where is this broadcast coming from?” he shouts, “Are you all seeing this?”

Sunny leans in close to the screen. His eyes turn hard.

“Now, listen closely. The China you’ve all been taught to love—it’s darker than you think. Some people aren’t welcome in the president’s image of China. People like my mother, my aunt. Like me. You probably all know this right? Many of them are being taken straight out of their homes.”

A look of horror crosses the teacher’s face. He rushes over to unplug the monitor, but someone gets up to stop him. The young girl who answered the question earlier tightly grips the power cord.

“No! We need to hear this!”

“Get back to your seat this instant,” the teacher hisses.

“Or you’ll what?” she shouts through tears. “Take me away?”

“But the good news is that we won’t just let it happen,” Sunny continues, “See, I have a little group called the Paper Dragons. We’re scattered all throughout the empire, and we’re ready to fight back. We’re gonna start a revolution and build a China that’s open for all of us. And we’re counting on your help!”

The teacher reaches into the desk and pulls out a switch. He raises it at the student…

But another hand grabs it. It’s one of her friends, who already left her seat.

Then another student stands up. Then another, and another. And soon everyone is to their feet, rushing to defend their friend. They easily overwhelm the teacher, taking the switch from his hands. Someone kicks him. Then another.

“What do you say?” Sunny shouts over the chaos, closing his fist in front of him. “Let’s show them what Chinese courage really means!”

The video feed cuts out.

…

This timeline picks up roughly after the discovery of the Battle of Wood. Most of the group is spread throughout the facility, with some in the East Wing and others near the throne room. Fujisaki wasn’t drained at the beginning of the game.

Server Room: Amethyst, Amandi, X, Taikong
Throne Room: Monk, Juanli, Suyin, Mao, Fujisaki, Mei

The Battle of Water:

The game will divide players into two opposing teams. One team will be designated as Guards, and the other will be designated as Prisoners. All players except Dragon must participate in this battle.

The team leaders for this game will be Ox and Pig.

The battle will take place in a series of three rounds. Each round will last approximately four hours. At the end of each round, the CDP of all players will decrease as long as they remain in the Dungeon.

At the beginning of the first round, the Prisoners will receive the Water Key, which will allow their team to escape. However, they cannot leave until the end of the third round. The Guards may leave at any time, but only if they receive the Water Key from the prisoners. The Guards are permitted to use whatever means necessary to get information from the Prisoners.

Guards will have access to the large metal door at the back of the Washrooms. Inside they will find weapons and restraining devices. In the back of the door is an Afterlife Gate which may be used to immediately drain the points of unruly prisoners.

The teams are as follows:

Guards: Ox, Rat, Sheep, Monkey, Dog
Prisoners: Pig, Tiger, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Rooster

Prisoners—please check your bracelets for the location of the Water Key.

May good fortune be upon you.