Hold On to Me, Don't Let Go!

"Luo Wen," a crack split open at the center of that thing, and a voice came from within. It was utterly emotionless, like a stone rolling down from a great height. "Time's up. Bring them aboard."

Lu Chi stood on the threshold, barefoot, the soles of his feet against the icy stone slabs, but he could not feel the cold. He felt as though he was still dreaming. Yesterday, he had gone to the Third Prince's estate for tea; today, a massive thing that could speak had fallen from the sky. None of this belonged in the world he knew. He pinched his arm. It hurt.

Luo Wen emerged from the house wearing clothes Lu Chi had never seen before. The material was strange—black and close-fitting, with dark blue patterns glimmering under the light. They did not resemble the weave of ordinary cloth, but rather veins rising beneath the skin. His hair had been tied up again with a thin black cord, hanging down his back. When he stepped outside, Lu Chi almost failed to recognize him. He looked completely different from usual, his face carrying a gravity Lu Chi had never seen before.

"Mr. Luo," Lu Chi stepped forward, and a small stone jabbed the sole of his foot. "Are you leaving?"

Luo Wen turned to look at him, something flickering in his gaze. He looked at Lu Chi for a while, then at Ning Xiaohe standing beneath the eaves, before turning back toward the silver-gray thing in the sky. His lips were pressed tightly together.

"Luo Wen," that voice sounded again. "How many people did you bring?"

"Two," Luo Wen said.

"Do not bring anyone you should not bring. Company regulations prohibit outsiders from boarding."

Luo Wen fell silent. The wind swept through the courtyard, stirring the hem