Chapter 18: Prologue to T

Late night.

The temperature is rather cool at night in City Lan during the summer.  The wind from Yangtze River blows from the North, moisturizing the entire city.  Many people are already asleep, while many others have just begun their day.

In the central part of the city, there’s an old district.

A forty or so year old man is standing on the balcony of his home shirtless while having a beer.  Inside the apartment, his wife is cleaning up the dishes on the table and cursing at him at the same time.

A mosquito flies across.  The man slaps his hand on his arm.

And then he’s stunned.

It’s because he seems to have heard a sound just now.

Like it came from his body.

He looks down, and is in shock.

On the left side of his chest where his heart is, a splat of red has appeared.  He touches it with his hand——it smells like red ink. Read more