At seven in the morning during winter, the sky was still shrouded in a dull gray, and the world remained dim.
The vast city of GZ was still bathed in the glow of yellow streetlights, but the alleys and streets had already begun to fill with faint clamor. On the wide and smooth roads, the honking of cars and the roar of engines echoed without end. This bustling international metropolis had never once bowed to the darkness.
I stood by the side of NLX Road, watching the streams of people coming and going. Beside me appeared a person dressed entirely in black, slightly shorter than me. Due to the poor lighting, I couldn't see his face clearly, but standing here, I certainly wasn't unfamiliar with him. Like me, he gazed at the crowd, occasionally blinking as he looked at the towering skyscrapers, seemingly lost in thought.
I glanced at him and asked, "Do you recognize the way, Xiao Rui?"
The one called Xiao Rui took a step forward, nodded, and said, "Don't worry, I memorized the entire map before coming. I won't forget."
I nodded in response. Xiao Rui glanced at me, hesitated as if wanting to say something, then stopped.
I chuckled, "What's on your mind? Got something to say?"
Xiao Rui nodded, then shook his head, and finally nodded again before softly saying, "I just feel... what you're doing has no real meaning."
"And then?" I asked.
"So I think... there's no need for us to be here," Xiao Rui finally blurted out.
I was taken aback. I looked at the sky gradually lightening and, after a long pause, replied, "Whether it has meaning or not doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that my feelings for her... they've never changed."
At that moment, Xiao Rui, two years younger than me, seemed much older. He sighed lightly and said, "Do as you wish. Since we're here, we might as well settle in. I just hope we can wrap this up quickly. The situation with Maya can't be delayed; that date may arrive sooner than we think."
I didn't take his words to heart, merely smiled and said, "Don't worry. Once this is over, I'll definitely take you on a full tour of LX."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Rui's youthful face lit up with a smile. Though he possessed extraordinary talent, he was still just a fifteen-year-old boy—easily placated. Of course, I didn't intend to merely humor him. After all, I had promised him this for a long time. Once this business was finished, it would indeed be time to take him out to enjoy himself.
As the sky brightened, the yellow streetlights around us began to dim one by one. Xiao Rui looked around and said to me, "It's getting late, let's go."
I nodded, and my figure dissolved into an almost imperceptible flash of white light, vanishing from the roadside. Xiao Rui followed suit, turning into light as well.
In the year 2012, rumors spread that the world would end. The date was said to be December 22, 2012, and the entire world would disappear under the destruction foretold by the Maya. Most people dismissed this as nothing more than ridiculous superstition. But no one could have known the truth, a truth more precious than pearls.
The prophecy of the Maya's apocalypse was never passed down by chance. The Mayans possessed powers far beyond those of humanity. It was said that they were the forsaken descendants of the gods. Dissatisfied with humanity's dominion over the Earth, they disappeared without a trace after leaving behind their glorious civilization many years ago.
For generations, no one could explain their sudden disappearance. However, after decades of research by experts, it became clear that their vanishing was not without reason. When ancient texts were deciphered, a shocking secret was revealed: the Mayans vanished in preparation for one day—the day they would return on December 22, 2012, to destroy humanity and reclaim their place as rulers of the world.
This revelation was earth-shattering, but even if made public, without concrete proof, no one would believe it—except for us.
While humanity was no match for the Maya, in the thousands of years of human history, they had still created their own brilliant civilizations. Whether from the East or the West, they had made significant contributions to the world. Though conflicts arose between them, those were internal affairs. When faced with an external threat, unity was the only path.
Thus, Xiao Rui and I were born for this purpose.
Like others of our kind, we exist to counter the Mayans. Originally, we were ordinary people. But perhaps by fate, we gained extraordinary powers in a chance encounter, enabling us to fly through the skies and traverse the earth, split mountains and fill the seas. Under the influence of Chinese culture, we even learned to soar on swords, just like in the novels.
It was nothing short of a miraculous turn of events. Among the countless masses, fate had chosen us. I knew there were others like us, even in the West. And our sole purpose for existing was to stop the Maya and prevent their return in 2012.
However, things didn't go according to plan. Perhaps the Maya changed their minds, for before 2012 arrived, their presence began to appear sporadically on Earth. Though rare, and seldom seen by the public, Xiao Rui and I could still sense their existence. We also noticed something alarming: the Maya's return to destroy the world might happen sooner than expected.
But before that day comes, words are meaningless. No one can predict what will happen next. The most important thing right now is that I'm fighting for myself.
DQ High School, one of GZ's most renowned schools, was located near the subway station. It was currently the peak of the school day, with students streaming out of the station and heading towards campus. With students arriving by other means as well, the school gate was soon crowded.
Fortunately, thanks to modern education, these students were relatively disciplined, and the large crowd didn't cause much disturbance.
Among them, a girl stood out. She wore her hair in a ponytail, white shoes, and carried a backpack that seemed full of books. What was most noticeable, however, was the hat perched on her head. Her ponytail peeked out through a small hole in the back, bouncing as she walked.
A few girls, seemingly her classmates, walked hand-in-hand beside her as they entered the school gates.
"Hey, Youqin, take off your hat. If the dean catches you, you'll get scolded again," said a delicate-looking girl as she reached to remove the hat. But when she saw the ponytail poking through the hole, she realized it would be a hassle to take down and just smoothed her hair instead.
Youqin glanced around. Everyone else was dressed in the same blue school uniform, and she was the only one wearing a hat, making her stand out. Though the chance of running into the so-called "Iron-Blooded Killer" dean was slim, it didn't feel right to be the only one bending the rules. After a moment of hesitation, she reached up with her pale hand and undid the strap at the back. In no time, the gray cap was tucked into her backpack.
"Wow, Youqin, you're carrying so many books today. Did you... Oh! Your eyes... they're so red. Did you cry last night?" The girl on her left had just intended to comment on the heavy load of books but, upon noticing Youqin's red, swollen eyes, her words took a different turn.
The other three girls surrounded Youqin after hearing this. Sure enough, her eyes were slightly red, a clear sign she had been crying for quite some time.
No wonder she wore that old baseball cap when she left the house today.
"What's wrong, Youqin? Who bullied you? Tell me, and I'll go have a word with them..." The plump girl in the group was the first to speak up indignantly, her small nose showing a few faint freckles.
"Yeah, who bullied you? We'll give them a piece of our mind! Who dares to pick on our Youqin?" The others chimed in one after another, their faces showing great displeasure. It was clear that seeing their normally cheerful and lively friend with red-rimmed eyes today meant someone had obviously wronged her, and as her close friends, they were naturally ready to "get justice."
Faced with the concern of her friends, Youqin simply kept her head down without saying a word. After a long pause, she forced a smile and said, "I'm fine, really..."
The plump girl didn't believe her at all and raised her voice, "Fine? You don't even know how swollen your eyes are right now!"