Silence fell over the table. Even Kee Kee stopped mid-bite, ember cake crumbs falling from his tiny mouth.
"That's impossible," Rui whispered.
"All souls come here. That's how it works."
Madam Meng's bangles clinked as she set down her teacup.
"Indeed, Princess. That is precisely why I find it troubling."
Rui's hands trembled.
"But how? Where could he be?"
"Come," Madam Meng stood.
"Let me show you something."
She led them through a series of increasingly narrow corridors, each dimmer than the last, until they reached a massive circular chamber.
Thousands of glowing threads stretched from floor to ceiling, each pulsing with a different rhythm.
"This is the Soul Registry," Madam Meng explained.
"Every soul that passes through the Underworld is recorded here."
Kee Kee scrambled up Rui's shoulder for a better look.
"Fancy light show. So where's Jin's thread?"
Madam Meng waved her hand, and the threads parted, creating a pathway.
