Ning changed the route strips when she saw how often families stopped to ask what the colors meant. She drew a roof for the school shelter, a bowl for the clinic, and a bridge for the river crossing. Bai tested the symbols with three family leaders. Each recognized the route without a runner explaining it.
The western gate flow steadied. Sick people rode in covered carts, while water carriers stayed near the clinic team. Bai’s runners marked the school shelters with blue cloth. Ning asked each family leader to repeat the shelter name before they crossed the gate.
One mother refused to move. Her brother lived near the old Registry wall, where the lane had been closed after the barrier surge. The street captain could not confirm whether the stair was clear.
“I won’t leave him behind,” she said.
Ning asked for his name and the last known address. The woman gave both but held onto her blue strip. “The gate sent us to another route once already. I need to know someone will check.”
Yan went to the relay post above the gate. It was attuned to a prepared station inside the ward. He sent a Soul-Lantern projection through the marker. The dim figure could carry a short message and make one limited strike. It could not hold a gate, lift a beam, or rescue anyone.
