July 19, 2032

In the skies above the ancient Peruvian temple, the Mayan mothership turned into a massive fireball, illuminating half the Earth's sky as it ascended into the atmosphere. Its immense force generated an unstoppable whirlwind in the stratosphere, bringing the sun back to the night sky. As dusk settled over the Cape of Good Hope and midnight cloaked South America, a radiant celestial body shone brighter than any star.

An orange-yellow ring of light rippled outward, causing waves across the atmosphere like the crown of a brilliant blue planet.

In Antarctica’s main city, towering structures of steel and iron stretched upwards. The towering poles extended skyward, narrowing as they reached into the atmosphere until they became thin, shimmering spires almost 30,000 meters high. At the top of one of these spires sat a gleaming particle conductor.

"Charging complete."

General Wei pressed the activation button. It was a historic moment—one that marked not only 4.6 billion years since Earth’s birth, but also 700,000 years since humanity first walked upon it. The past had been filled with despair, while the future remained uncertain. A white-haired, dark-eyed old man initiated a new era, paving the way for humanity with the blood and sacrifice of heroes.

As the particle generator released its radiant energy, the mothership exploded, hurtling toward the ground. Earth's magnetic poles instantly reversed. In the darkness of that fateful night, a powerful particle stream spanned the North and South Poles, covering the sky in a luminous river of light. Blue, red, purple, and orange auroras danced across every corner of the planet, visible from every place on Earth.

The Eastern Hemisphere’s atmosphere churned with dust, casting the Earth into prolonged darkness. The sky was filled with auroras, with a glowing band spanning the equator, a reminder of the star souls that had perished.

“They did it,” Zheng Rong said, gazing at the sky. “Xiang Yu is gone.”

Anthony responded, “Your brother finally achieved his life's goal.”

Zheng Rong replied softly, “That was Xiang Yu’s decision.”

“Humanity will be forever grateful to him,” Anthony remarked.

Zheng Rong lowered his voice, “He wouldn’t have cared.”

“The auroras,” Zheng Rong continued, “they are the souls of the stars. Born 20 billion years ago, they perished on Earth. We’re saved.”

Zheng Rong stood in the darkness for a long time, watching the celestial lights swirl above like fireworks. The storms ceased, and the tides of the oceans ebbed and flowed, washing over the Earth’s surface. A military helicopter approached from the west, landing at the hangar doors.

“Brother!” Zheng Rong instinctively shouted.

He rushed toward the hangar but slowed his pace when he realized the cockpit was empty. It was an unmanned aircraft. Tied to the control stick was a golden medal. Zheng Rong picked it up—it was Xiang Yu’s hero medal.

He had seen it many times before. This medal was only awarded to those who had achieved legendary feats in humanity's defense. Typically, hero medals were posthumously awarded by the highest-ranking military official of the deceased’s unit. Zheng Feng had received one, as had Li Ying. This one belonged to Xiang Yu, and Zheng Rong recognized the character "Yu" engraved at the center.

Flipping the medal over, he found the same inscription written on the back, almost identical to those of Zheng Feng and Li Ying:

"To my dearest: Zheng Rong."

Zheng Rong closed his eyes, wiping away tears. After a moment, he asked, “Anthony, can you fly a military helicopter?”

“Yes, what do you need, Doctor?”

“Let’s go. Activate the radar. We’re heading to Peru.”

Three days later, Earth’s magnetic poles had fully reversed. The particle conductor caused a chaotic shift in the planetary magnetic field, rotating the equator counterclockwise until it aligned with the poles. As the dust in the atmosphere dissipated, the remnants of the Mayan consciousness dispersed into basic particles, fading into the air. The ice sheets of the Arctic and Antarctic melted, flooding the planet. The auroras converged over the Malaysian archipelago and the western Pacific, forming a new magnetic pole.

Earth, like a sleeping giant, stirred and slowly adjusted its position on its axis before settling back into another long slumber. The new equator crossed the Tibetan Plateau and passed through Antarctica. In the British Isles, the sun began to rise from the south and set in the north.

Survivors didn’t have time to adjust to these changes. Helicopters flew over the oceans, carrying rescue teams from the Arabian military base. Survivors were relocated to the roof of the world—the Tibetan Plateau. Although the war continued in some places, Lance led his troops, chasing down the lingering star souls that had survived the mothership’s explosion and were still controlling the mechanical killers.

When the skies were fully covered by auroras, the remaining metal pods finally left, rising into the atmosphere. Lance’s air force engaged in fierce battles in the troposphere, explosions lighting up the night sky like fireworks. In the final battle, the main enemy aircraft crashed, and Lance parachuted to safety.

Over the vast ocean, a helicopter skimmed the surface. Zheng Rong sat in the co-pilot seat, pressing the search key. The radar showed no more enemy signals—all the machines had been destroyed.

“Calling Antarctic Base, this is the Westwind City survey helicopter, currently over the Peruvian highlands,” Zheng Rong spoke into the communicator.

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The radio crackled with interference from the magnetic disruption. All aircraft had lost contact and were operating independently.

“Damn it,” Zheng Rong muttered. “When will communications be restored?”

The radio hissed before a faint voice broke through: “Mayday, mayday, requesting rescue...”

“A stranded pilot?” Zheng Rong asked. “Change course. Let’s find the signal.”

“Aren’t we heading to Peru?” Anthony asked.

“We’ll rescue the pilot first,” Zheng Rong replied.

Lance had been adrift in the ocean for nearly a week, bobbing in and out of consciousness in his life vest. Dehydrated and exhausted, he pressed the distress signal.

A helicopter appeared overhead, lowering a rope ladder. As Lance climbed up, he felt a sense of déjà vu. It reminded him of the time years ago when the Mediterranean military base had been destroyed, and Zheng Feng had been forcefully evacuated to safety.

At that time, Lance had commandeered a rescue plane to save Li Ying and Zheng Rong, who were trapped amidst the rubble. Snow fell lightly from the sky as they huddled under blankets, waiting for rescue.

Now, Zheng Rong reached out from the helicopter, frantically shouting to Lance below.

Anthony asked, “Are we still going to investigate Peru?”

Zheng Rong didn’t answer immediately. He forced open Lance’s mouth, administering medicine and injecting him with a powerful stimulant.

“It hurts,” Lance muttered, trembling.

Zheng Rong held him close. “You’ll be alright.”

Five years later, in Northern Ireland.

“No one’s answering? Fine, class dismissed. Your grades are abysmal,” Zheng Rong said as the bell rang.

Students groaned, protesting, “Come on, professor, you haven’t even told us what’s going to be on the exam!”

Zheng Rong gathered his books, smiling. “The entire four-volume History of Human Evolution is your exam material. You can either go back and study or pray.”

“Pray to who, the demon professor?” one student joked.

Zheng Rong replied dryly, “Pray to any god you believe in. If they think it’s worth it, they can negotiate with me. Maybe they’ll offer their soul in exchange for your passing grade.”

The students laughed and chattered as they left, but Zheng Rong paid them no mind. He walked out of the school, books in hand.

The world had been reborn from the apocalypse, though the drastic population decline brought many challenges. Laborers were scarce, and civilization had to start anew. Much of the land was uninhabited, and nature quickly erased the scars of human destruction. With the magnetic poles stabilizing, the world was once again covered in lush greenery and wildflowers.

The air was pristine, like something out of a paradise. Humanity slowly rebuilt, and Northern Ireland became one of the most desirable places to live. After the floods receded, soldiers led the remaining population in finding suitable lands for farming. Northern Ireland became the focal point from which humanity began to expand once more.

A year after the floods subsided, Zheng Rong left the Tibetan Plateau, only returning to Northern Ireland two years later. He had earned two hero medals—one for himself, and one for Lance. By the time Zheng Rong returned, Lance had already left the main city, leading a team to cultivate new lands in Africa. News soon came that they had found a fertile plain suitable for human habitation.

Humanity's resilience proved unparalleled. In just a few short years, thousands of new babies were born. In Hope City, the local area network was restored, and life slowly returned to normal. Zheng Rong took up a post as a high school teacher, known for his strictness and earning the nickname "Demon Professor."

During these two years, Lance sent a flurry of letters. After Zheng Rong replied to the first, Lance sent back a hero medal inscribed: "To my dearest, Zheng Rong."

Zheng Rong chose to stay. He applied for residence in Hope City and secured both a home and a salary. The surviving population, scattered across the world, began to rebuild. Nearly 300 million people were eventually found, proving that humanity was indeed a species impossible to exterminate. Hidden underground, in caves, they had outwitted the mechanical killers. When the crisis passed, they reemerged, dragging their families along.

Zheng Rong focused on passing knowledge to the next generation, teaching students of all races and colors. His high standards made him feared by the students, who referred to him as the "Demon Professor." Despite their best efforts, they couldn't find a way to challenge his lessons, nor could they file complaints—no one dared accuse a hero of discrimination. All they could do was endure his tough grading.

Snow fell in Northern Ireland. Standing at the school gates, Zheng Rong waited. Watching the students leave, he thought back to his days in the refugee school. On weekends, Li Ying and Lance would sneak out of military school, meeting little Zheng Rong at the gates.

Zheng Feng would arrive late, taking them all out to eat and wander the streets. Afterward, Li Ying and Lance would sneak back into school while Zheng Feng took Zheng Rong home.

Zheng Rong could barely remember his brother’s face and voice anymore. The image of Xiang Yu seemed to have merged with that of his brother.

The sound of a tram bell echoed as it approached. Lance stood on the other side of the street, wearing a long coat. He stared at Zheng Rong for a long time, until Zheng Rong finally took a step forward.

“Wait, don’t move!” Lance called, smiling. “I’ll come to you.”

Lance crossed the street, a little unsure of himself.

“Back for good?” Zheng Rong asked coolly.

Lance smiled, “I hardly recognize you anymore.”

Zheng Rong hailed a cab as Lance took his books. “Did the military give you housing?” Zheng Rong asked.

Lance hesitated, then said, “Uh, they gave me a form to apply at the refugee bureau.”

Zheng Rong nodded. “You can stay with me for now. My place... it’s small.”

Lance fidgeted nervously, rubbing his hands together. After a moment, he took Zheng Rong’s cold hand, warming it between his own.

“You’ve gotten dumber, Zheng Rong,” Lance teased, “Don’t be mad, I’m just joking.”

Zheng Rong stayed silent, shaking his head slightly.

After a pause, he asked, “They’re sending you to the refugee bureau... Does that mean you’ve retired?”

“Yes,” Lance replied. “And you?”

Zheng Rong chuckled, “What else would I do but teach?”

Lance added, “Yeah, about that...”

Zheng Rong pressed further, “What did they give you when you retired?”

“A form for a house, a car, and, um, a medal. I already gave that to you.”

Zheng Rong nodded.

Lance grew anxious again. Zheng Rong couldn’t help but smile at his awkwardness.

Switching topics, he said, “I need to find that medal. Westwind’s been playing with it, moving it around. I’ll have to go back and look for it.”

Lance smiled uneasily.

“I told him not to take it out, or put it in his mouth,” Zheng Rong added, laughing softly.

Lance thought for a moment before asking seriously, “I’ve retired, Zheng Rong. Do you want to live with me?”

Zheng Rong raised an eyebrow. “Your house, is it big?”

Lance nodded, “It’s huge. We can check it out, see if you like it.”

Zheng Rong added, “Westwind’s been asking for his own room. He’s fought me on it more than once.”

Lance assured him, “He’ll have his own room. I promise I’ll fulfill my duty... as a father.”

Zheng Rong was speechless.

“Are you going to say it again?” Zheng Rong asked, finally breaking the silence. “You’ve said it so many times, my answer is yes!”

Lance stammered, “No, that’s not what I meant. I mean, I... I want... I want to live with you.”

Zheng Rong yanked his hand away, snapping, “I know exactly what you mean! And I’m saying I want to live with you too, Lance! You’re the one who’s gotten dumber!”

Lance smiled, “I love you, Zheng Rong.”

Lance placed his hand on Zheng Rong’s knee, then wrapped his arm around his shoulder, pulling him close. He kissed Zheng Rong’s cheek, and Zheng Rong didn’t resist. He rested his head on Lance’s shoulder, gazing out the car window.

It was the first snowfall of the winter. Children played along the streets, hurling snowballs at one another, their laughter filling the air.

A new world—one blanketed in silver, warm, and full of promise.

Classified SS-Level File 4071, Custodian: Human Refugee Bureau

Filed by: Dr. Zheng Rong

Report Details:

During the two-decade-long war, a survey of the East Siberian Military Base yielded a groundbreaking discovery. Contrary to previous belief, the particle generator had not been destroyed. Instead, it had been buried underground during the unstable explosion from the first experiment. I found the upper part of the generator at the site. Based on my late mentor’s hypothesis, the particle conductor can pull free-floating consciousness waves from the universe. Meanwhile, the particle generator is capable of replicating individual entities that once existed in the time stream.

Research Proposal:

I propose a study on consciousness waves and host bodies, with the hope that military resources can assist in cracking this mystery. One day, all of our heroes may be reborn.

Military Directive:

The timing is not yet right. This research touches upon the secrets of the universe, which may destabilize or collapse known physical laws. It is an unpredictable, long-term project, and cannot be approved at this time.

Refugee Bureau Response:

Approved.

Scientific Instruments Acquired:

The particle generator and converter have been stored in the secure data vault beneath Antarctica, in humanity’s black box.

Classified SS-Level File 4072, Custodian: Human Refugee Bureau

Filed by: Dr. Zheng Rong

Report Details:

A black box was found beneath the ruins of the Mayan spacecraft crash site. It belonged to the human hero Xiang Yu. The black box is currently locked and has been handed over to the Refugee Bureau for decryption. It may be linked to Xiang Yu’s consciousness.

Military Directive:

The translation has been completed. The contents pertain to the transfer of life across the universe. Classified.

Refugee Bureau Directive:

Zheng Rong has not been informed. Both parties agree to keep this confidential. Stored in the archives.