"The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas."
Lumineapolis
West University Avenue
Lumiere-Shi Science Library
Anthropocene-1073-0921
8:27 A.M
The young man, lazily leaning against an ergonomic chair on the library's second floor, let out a long yawn. He rubbed his tired, red eyes, which were sore from lack of sleep. After a sleepless night, the heat of Lumineapolis felt oppressive even though it was late September. After riding his bike to the library in the sweltering heat, he felt dizzy and sticky, as if his skin were melting. If not for the important matters he had to attend to today, he would have preferred to go back to his dorm for a shower and a decent nap. In his dazed state, he considered getting up to find a vending machine and buy an energy drink.
"…I'm so useless. I knew I had a meeting with Professor Aphelion today, but I stayed up so late…"
He muttered as he slowly moved from his chair,
"Ugh… if I keep up with this lazy, sleepless lifestyle, I'll probably be dead by thirty… maybe I'll even die in the lab one day…"
The combination of extreme fatigue and high excitement made his walk unsteady. He stumbled slightly, then steadied himself by holding onto the edge of a table. The young man's name was Ling Yunshun, a sophomore at Lumineapolis Institute of Technology. He was of average height, fit, and slender. His once bright amber eyes were now dim, and his usual deep blue sweatshirt with the LIT logo and shorts and sneakers gave him the typical look of a male university student. His hair, trimmed only twice a semester, and slightly stained metal-frame glasses made him indistinguishable from other students at the institute.
"Lemme walk around a bit. I remember there was a vending machine outside…"
As soon as he pushed open the library door, the blinding sunlight nearly made him squint. The rays filtered through the gaps in the ginkgo leaves, adding moving patterns to his otherwise plain clothes. A few minutes later, Yunshun emerged from the corner vending machine, holding a newly opened can of energy drink. Two hundred milligrams of caffeine, he thought. That should be enough to get me through the morning and deal with Professor Aphelion. He tilted his head back and gulped down the drink, the condensation on the cold can dripping down his fingers.
"Professor Aphelion said he sent someone to meet me at the library at 8:30. Why haven't I seen anyone yet?"
"Could it be that the meeting was canceled at the last minute? That would be quite a coincidence."
Yunshun shook the can absentmindedly. He knew that without an email notification, the plan wouldn't change—he was definitely expected at the lab today. A few months ago, he had seen an advertisement on the university's website for a research assistant position in Professor Aphelion's lab. Out of boredom, he submitted his resume, and to his surprise, Professor Aphelion responded and invited him to visit the lab and discuss research interests after the semester started. Yunshun was usually lazy and aimless, and submitting his resume was merely a whim—Professor Aphelion primarily conducted research on "Infected Ones," which happened to be an area of interest for Yunshun. However, when it came to discussing "scientific research," which Yunshun was not good at, his only option might be to simply stay silent. Additionally, since he spent the whole night playing video games due to "underdeveloped self-control," it was hard for him to discuss lunch plans, let alone scientific research.
"I'm such a waste… if I fall asleep in front of Professor Aphelion, I'll be finished…"
The young man moved his feet slowly under the dappled sunlight filtering through the ginkgo trees. His face displayed a curious blend of youth and age: weary eyes, bloodshot from countless sleepless nights, and creaking knees that made a faint, bubbly sound reminiscent of a squeezed mineral water bottle. This combination gave his otherwise clear, naïve college student appearance an intriguingly deceptive quality. Suddenly, a figure caught his eye.
It was as if the back of that figure had a magnetic pull.
Just three minutes ago, there had been no one there. Now, at one of the tables three rows ahead, a person sat. The figure was very slender, with light blue hair cascading lightly over the shoulders. From the back, it was difficult to tell whether the person was a gender-neutral woman or an excessively beautiful man.
Yunshun walked straight toward the figure. Coincidentally, the figure turned to face him. Their eyes met, and a look of delight immediately appeared on the face of the blue-haired person, who stood up and walked towards Yunshun. At the same time, Yunshun also realized the purpose of the approaching person and quickly stood up.
Before Yunshun could speak, the blue-haired young man spoke first,
"Hello, mister. Are you Ling Yunshun? Professor Aphelion sent me to meet you today…"
"Ah… yes, that's me. I'm Ling Yunshun."
As the blue-haired youth approached, Yunshun could see his face clearly and was struck by his stunning beauty—a face too delicate and refined for a man. The youth wore a black trench coat, and his meticulously styled light blue short hair framed deep, ocean-like eyes that were profound and clear, hidden beneath slightly curled eyelashes. His cheeks were adorned with a faint, slightly shy smile. However, what was most captivating was the faint, melancholic, and mysterious aura surrounding him, which added a hint of bitterness to his smile that contrasted with his youthful appearance. Yunshun's mind involuntarily conjured the term "storytelling quality."
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Luca Tiktaalik, a research assistant at Professor Aphelion's lab. Nice to meet you, Ling."
"Please, just call me Yunshun." Out of courtesy, Yunshun tried not to scrutinize the other person from head to toe, though Luca's beauty was indeed astonishing, making Yunshun momentarily question whether the person was truly human.
"Thank you for coming to get me… Just a moment, I'll tidy up my table, and we can head out…?"
"Well, you don't have to rush. The professor won't be in the office until nine, so he asked me to give you a brief introduction to the lab… the history and achievements..." Luca paused, then added, "We'll just be talking about 'Infected Ones,' it won't take too long."
"Sure, that works. We can chat while walking. It's a good way to pass the time, and if you'd like, we can talk about other things, too."
"Alright, then, I'll lead the way. Let's go."
Meanwhile, at a certain intersection of time and space.
Anthropocene-1073-0921
8:33 A.M.
Darkness. Only darkness.
In the void, a hollow voice spoke.
"Hey, 'Asmodeus.'"
"…I heard His murmurs…"
"Yes, it's Him… It can't be wrong, it's 'Hume'…"
This frenzied murmur was abruptly interrupted. The raspy voice of the one called 'Asmodeus' tore through the calm like a storm.
"Stop deceiving me, you foolish fortune-telling mad woman! Hume was torn to pieces a long time ago!"
"Ah… 'Hume,' 'Hume'…! This resonance… ah, ah… no, 'Asmodeus,' I beg you… I swear by 'Abraxas'…"
"It really is Him, 'Hume,' our brother… He has deceived Death… ah…along with… a faint fire…"
"Another fire… how amusing. Quite interesting. Haha… alright, 'Phoebe.' Since you've said this much… following the name of 'Abraxas' is a mission we cannot defy…"
"But if you dare deceive me, let me remind you…"
"Do not forget my true nature of 'Gluttony.'"