Scorching sunlight poured down from overhead. Even when he raised a hand to shield his eyes, it still felt as though his retinas were being stabbed with pain.
Perhaps he had spent too long in Britain, where the skies were gray all day long, and could no longer adapt to such intense sunlight.
Wade narrowed his eyes and looked around.
In the blinding sunlight, everything seemed covered by a layer of scattered light, hazy and dreamlike.
The air was thick with rich, complicated scents: the cloying sweetness of overripe fruit, the pungency of burning diesel, and a trace of salty fishiness carried in by the sea breeze.
The overly saturated smells made him frown in discomfort, and he instinctively turned his head to search around him.
He remembered coming here on holiday with his companions... Where were they?
A girl in a sari walked toward him, carrying two cups of ice-cold drinks, a sweet smile blooming on her face.
Golden-threaded lotuses swayed gracefully across the long silk cloth.
Wade could not help but smile too, and he hurried toward her.
This was his girl, the one he would spend the rest of his life with...
Sweat trickled down his forehead. He lowered his head and wiped it away, feeling as though the humid air here was so heavy he could squeeze water from it.
When he looked up again, a flash of light caught his attention.
He turned to look and saw two crows beneath a tall hotel, fighting over a reflective candy wrapper.
On the Bell Tower farther away, the minute hand slowly moved one notch, forming a sharp angle with the hour hand.
The drink vendor was counting crumpled banknotes when he suddenly seemed to hear something. He looked up, terror appearing on his face.
The drinks slipped