Two dark nights came together, one riding the other
A delirious cripple in the heavy snow tore at the sky's stomach in midair
There stomachs had accumulated, chestnuts and fire had accumulated, beneath the armor
The largest head, it had climbed to the pinnacle of madness
-Excerpt from "Big Wind," by Ge Mai
Rain drifted down from the gloomy sky. When it wet leaves and grass, it was beautiful; when it wet stray dogs with nowhere to go and garbage strewn everywhere, it was ugly.
Whether something was poetic often depended not on the viewer's mood at the time, but only on the surroundings.
This planet was remote and heavily polluted. The protective shield could only provide the basic conditions for survival, while the recycling system was terribly designed, so the environment was naturally wretched as well.
Poets rarely emerged from the people living here, but whenever one did, they were certain to be exceptionally good. The same went for artists.
The rain was highly acidic, constantly eating away at the metal roofs. No wonder the red drawing on the wall had faded so much in less than a year, blurring until it looked like a stick.
Cold Cicada was knocked flying and landed in the rain. He remained stunned for a while before understanding what had happened.
He glanced at his work, then at Jing Jiu lying in the rain. The same bewilderment filled his countless pupils-he had been in this world for some time, but could not understand why his mistress had become like this. Now that his master had arrived, he had been ready to follow him away without hesitation. Why had his master become like this too?
"Ying, ying."
Snow Ji's somewhat weak, frightened voice rang out in the rain.
She was covered in