A comet streaked across the sky, dragging its bright tail behind it as it visited this ancient planet once more. Whether in the past or the future, the night sky had never been so clear, nor had the comet within it ever been so dazzling.
In the past, comets had always been burdened with meanings that did not belong to them. People in ancient times regarded them as the beginning or end of a glorious age; theologians linked them to the birth of saints; and in the Middle Ages, they were most often depicted as ominous signs.
The tides of time surged, and the wheels of history rolled on. In the end, scientists used pure theory to strip away the symbols that did not belong to this comet. Yet surprisingly, the fragments torn from a comet—meteors—still served as witnesses for lovers.
"Eden, did you know?" Elysia's ever-bright, cheerful eyes gazed toward the distant horizon. The long nuclear winter had not yet passed, but even the sky needed time to catch its breath, like now.
"No, you should know." Her cheeks puffed up as though she were annoyed at her own foolishness.
"This comet has been traveling along its orbit for a very long time—so long that scientists estimate it may have remained in orbit for as many as 150,000 years."
Then Elysia said playfully, "But you probably don't know this."
Eden, standing beside her, merely watched the sky. Yet her gaze was not on that radiant comet; she seemed instead to be dazedly feeling the brilliance of the stars.
"The stars are still dazzling." Eden spread her hands, and starlight fell into her palms. The interwoven light and shadow were so distinct upon her at that moment.
"But many stars died long ago." Her eyes, gleaming like flowing gold, turned