After Awakening
Sinister eyes lurk beyond the window, while murky darkness circles all around. Amid the roar of steam and gunfire, dreadful, suffocating howls echo in the air; beneath the chill and indifferent shadows, the light of conviction glimmers. The wheel of history rumbles relentlessly onward, turning a brand-new page for the age. This is an era of exploitation and oppression, an era of struggle and awakening, an age when the ignorant summon the bizarre, and the clear-minded blaze with brilliance. Humanity’s march never ceases—for as long as there are those who harbor courage, the torch that pierces the night will be kindled. If the future stretches forth in pitch blackness, then I shall become the very first ray of light!
After Awakening
Li Xiu was in the midst of a nightmare. Smoke and flames of battle filled the air, and he was thrust into brutal, bloody struggles, each one more harrowing than the last. Even though it was just a dream, the pain was excruciatingly real. The thunder of gunfire and the roar of cannons pounded his ears, deafening and relentless. At the dream’s end, monstrous tanks belched steam and smoke across the battlefield, their terrifying presence weighing on every soldier—and on him, their commander.
His eyelids flickered violently as he jerked awake, body trembling from the lingering terror. The instant he tried to move, waves of sharp pain coursed through him.
“Hiss…”
He gritted his teeth against the agony, only managing to adapt after several deep breaths.
No wonder it hurt so much in the dream—this pain was no illusion.
With his uninjured right hand, he gingerly lifted the thin blanket. Following the trail of pain, he saw bandages wrapped around his shoulder and upper left arm. His right thigh, exposed, was also swathed in blood-stained bandages.
What had happened?
Panic flared within him. What had he been through? How had he gotten hurt?
Suddenly recalling something, he lifted his shirt with his right hand despite the pain, exposing his side and abdomen. Only when he found no new wounds did he let out a sigh of relief and rest his head back on the pillow.
He wiped the sweat from his face, unsure whether it was from pain or nightmare, and opened his eyes again.
As his vision cleared, his attention was drawn upward. He f
