Chapter One: Crimson Twilight
3
The sensation of weightlessness hit him without warning.
Like falling from a towering skyscraper, his heart leapt into his throat as blood rushed to his head. A piercing buzzing filled his ears, and his skin felt pricked by countless tiny needles. Zhao Yan tried to scream, but no sound came out; he tried to move, but his body refused to obey. He couldn't tell how long it lasted—it felt like an eternity, yet like an instant.
The only thing clear were the fragments flashing before his eyes.
Not data streams, but images. The shadow of Tokyo Tower, the apex of a pyramid, crevasses in glaciers, jungle vines, desert dunes, urban ruins... Countless scenes flashed by rapidly, finally settling on a massive torii gate, crimson red, standing in boundless darkness.
Then he caught the scent.
A thick, choking perfume mingled with sweat, food odors, and... rust. Plus an indescribable, strange smell—like rotting plants, or perhaps seafood left too long, a fishy stench.
His foot struck something hard.
Zhao Yan stumbled, his knees buckling as he nearly fell to his knees. Instinctively reaching out, he grasped a cold metal railing covered in fine rust. Dizziness still swirled, his stomach churning violently. Gritting his teeth to suppress the urge to vomit, he forced his eyes open.
At first, only blurry patches of light came into view.
Then slowly came into focus.
Then—
His heart skipped a beat.