That evening, Lin Chen sat by his window. The red sky glowed softly, like a warm blanket over the city.
He opened his system panel and checked his inventory—water, food, bandages, flashlight, and some tools he had collected.
Then, he heard it: a sound, faint but clear, like wind blowing through a tunnel.
Lin Chen stood up, walking to the window. He pressed his palm against the cool glass, trying to see through the red mist.
The sound grew louder.
Then—boom.
A distant explosion. Far away, but loud enough to shake the air.
Lin Chen's heart raced. What was happening?
He grabbed his steel pipe and headed for the door. His mind raced—was it an attack? An accident? Or something else?
He opened the door, listening. The sound was still there, a low hum like a giant machine.
He walked down the stairs, moving toward the lobby. The building was quiet, almost silent.
At the front door, he paused. Outside, the world looked different. The red light dimmed, and the sky turned a strange shade of purple.
Lin Chen took a deep breath and stepped outside.
The sound became clearer—a wind blowing from the north, carrying something unknown.
He looked up.
In the sky, a faint light appeared. Then another.
And another.
Like stars falling from the sky.
Lin Chen watched, wide-eyed, as the lights drifted slowly downward.