Pang Long Village, Wuhan | September 2025Natalie Park’s POV
My wristwatch indicated a little past 9:00 PM.
The sound of young frogs calling for mates echoed incessantly on the lotus leaves. I sat swinging my legs, kicking the water, letting my emotions drift at the end of a wooden bridge in the middle of a pond at the center of the village.
A small campfire at the foot of the bridge had faded, leaving only gray smoke drifting with the wind.
A faint smell of burning...
Mixed with the cold, damp air of the Wuhan valleys, it made me feel like I was trapped in an invisible bunker.
The moonless sky was so clear that millions of stars could be seen sparkling. They shimmered like shards of glass scattered across a black velvet cloth. I looked up at them, repeatedly asking questions in my mind... In this vast universe, is there anyone else struggling to survive on another planet like me?
I have always believed that humans are not the only living beings, and their technology might be advanced beyond our imagination. But looking back at this world... everything seems completely distorted.
Superpowers compete by pouring massive amounts of money into exploring Mars, trying to find a new home for the human race, as if they knew in advance that the old world was reaching its end... or perhaps they were just preparing an escape plan after plundering and destroying nature until it was in ruins.
The wealthy elite, the powerful, the leaders who claim legitimacy... these people plunder and leave pollution behind as a legacy. When the world breaks, they simply move their residency to a new planet, leaving millions of impoverished citizens to suffer the consequences of pollution they did not create.
That Mars project? The simple question is: who will get to board the ship? Those enormous budgets—if they were combined to eliminate the garbage patches in the ocean or repair this world, it would be much better than discarding the old pile of trash to create a new pile of trash on another planet.
"Sigh..."
I let out a long sigh, shaking my head to clear the suffocating thoughts crowding my mind. The more I thought about it, the more disgusted I felt with the existing system.
I reached out to grab the backpack beside me, unzipped it, and used a small flashlight to shine on the contents inside. The light hit a tightly locked black box... the heart of the project that had put my life in danger.
"Sleep well."
I whispered to the backpack before hugging it to my chest as if it were a part of my body.
I must leave China with this thing, no matter what I have to face tomorrow or if I have to run to the end of the world.
"Meow! Meow!" The sounds of nocturnal insects were deafening; small fireflies flashed their lights over the water's surface. A young frog climbed up to sit beside its mate on a lotus leaf, its wish fulfilled.
I rested my chin on the backpack, peering through the darkness ahead. The events of the chase this evening still replayed in my head like a horror movie. The taste of a near-death experience was still vivid... and I knew well that this was only the beginning of the true nightmare.
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Earlier that evening at the science laboratory, 15th floor, The Triple Monolith building.
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Inside the stark white research room, it was so silent I could hear my own breathing. The room that was once full of people was now empty. The room had been abandoned after the scientists were transferred to work in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, near North Korea.
Microscopes were still lined up in order against the wall like soldiers left behind. Spherical lamps hung down with interconnected wires arranged systematically. On the white rack, multicolored test tubes stood out conspicuously. The meeting whiteboard on the left wall still had faint eraser marks... the last traces of work that had ended.
I looked left and right in trepidation before walking to the pressure-controlled cabinet in the corner of the room.
Suddenly...
"Jiang! Have all the trailers left yet?"
"Huh!"
My heart skipped a beat; I quickly crouched under the table upon hearing Moses's voice. Why did he come back? I had seen him leave the building already.
"They’ve all gone, sir."
"The job is done. Take the subordinates to rest." He walked away into another zone.
I peeked through the safety door, quickly pulled out a glass tube, placed it into the temperature-controlled box, and crawled to the desk, carefully sweeping everything into my backpack.
I swung the backpack onto my shoulders, darting my eyes toward the point where Moses had disappeared. The blinds closed, and the conversation went silent. My eyes caught the dark shadow of the Leviathan's tail that bound this building. The sunlight, beginning to weaken, signaled that my time was running out.
I aimed for the elevator on the left, bending down to pull my shoelaces as tight as possible. The moment I looked up...
"Whoa!!"
The whole world tilted. My arms splayed out as my body was flung back by a massive force. The backpack slipped from my shoulders right before my eyes.
"Moses! That belongs to me!" I lunged toward the giant president, trying to snatch it back.
The large, stout Westerner, like a giant, used his hand to push my face away; I was powerless to reach him. I struggled and tugged to get it back with all my life.
*************************************
"Give it back!"
I grabbed only air. How could the strength of a woman like me fight even a slight swing from him?
"Whoosh!..." My body went flying, landing in a heap on the floor until my chest throbbed with pain.
"Enough, Natalie!" he roared while claiming the backpack, leaving me sitting there watching helplessly on the floor of the walkway.
"Traitor," he said, his face flushed red. Those fierce eyes stared intently as he held the backpack over his head.
"Aeon 30
I forced through the pain and shouted after him... "Moses! We need to talk first!"
He ignored me and barked into the phone... "Jiang, get up to the 15th floor right now."
"Give my things back." I lunged at him, trying to reach out, but he held it high, at the full extent of his arm's reach.
"That's enough! Hmph!" He swung his arm, hitting me full in the face. I fell back but still refused to give up.
He turned to walk and called again... "Has Jiang arrived yet?"
I ran after him from behind, aiming at his stepping rhythm. Waiting for the moment he took a step...
"Hup!"
I extended my foot to trip his left leg at the moment he stepped. His right foot took the weight, his left foot tripped, and he went headfirst...
"Thud! Splat!" Moses's massive body lost its balance and slammed into the concrete floor with a loud crash.
"I won't be kind to you anymore. You're going to get hurt!" He groaned in pain, his bulky body trying to brace his arms to sit up.
I ran in to grab the backpack just as Moses snatched the other strap. The force of the tugging pulled me back.
"Crrrack!" The sound of the threads stitching the shoulder strap to the backpack split open until a gap appeared.
I decided to stomp my heel onto his wrist with all my strength until he let out a scream and let go. I quickly grabbed the backpack with its tattered strap and ran toward the elevator...
"Ding!..." The door opened, and the bald guy and his crew stepped right out.
"Whoosh!..." I ducked and dodged the moment he swept his hand to grab me, and I ran past them.
"Catch her! Don't let her escape!"
The group of thugs chased closely. I reached the fire exit; my brain commanded only one thing: run as fast as possible.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Stop! Or I'll shoot!" The death order was very close.
I pushed open the fire exit; a strong wind hit my face violently. Running down the stairs wouldn't be in time; I turned and saw another door, quickly decided to open it, and jumped into the body of the Leviathan immediately.
"Whoa!!"
The feeling was like being snatched away, a sickening sensation in my gut. Beams of light peeked through the holes of the bronze scales periodically within the dim interior of the giant serpent.
I lay flat, sliding down. The body of the Leviathan curved and wound around the circular building structure.
When fear reached its peak, the friend that always comes to comfort me when I face terror appeared automatically... "Structure and components of animal cells... 1. Cell membrane... a thin membrane consisting of proteins and fats... functioning to control the cell's shape!" I closed my eyes and shouted against the sound of the wind and the dampness of the pipe.
My body slid and swirled along the curves. The centrifugal force made the world spin; I didn't dare open my eyes, chanting the comforting spell...
"2. Cytoplasm... the fluid containing substances... sugars, fats, proteins, and waste!"
My body slammed hard against a bend, but the biology terms kept pouring out without stopping....
"3. Nucleus! Nucleolus has DNA and RNA... creating proteins... exporting out of the cell!" It was a true friend when fear breathed down my neck. The knowledge I had studied my whole life became the final wall between sanity and madness. The giant serpent's body hurled me toward the bottom at a terrifying speed.
The moment I opened my eyes and saw its gaping bronze fangs ahead, I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed at the top of my lungs...
"Aaaaagh!!!"
My body flew through the air and slammed into the water's surface in the middle of the pool. I scrambled out of the water with difficulty and ran for my life.
The sound of gunfire behind me didn't make my legs stop. I reached the Jin Long Intersection. I turned back at the sound of a roaring engine; a bright red car surged out of the building at high speed. But in that split second, a Wuhan police car swerved in and parked, blocking the exit perfectly. I immediately decided to turn left into Wangshen Road. I ran along the shadows of the shophouses to camouflage myself from people's eyes. After putting some distance from the intersection for a while, I decided to turn left toward the Xi'an Market. The only goal in my head was to find a change of clothes as quickly as possible.
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First Meeting
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Old, dilapidated gray shophouses contrasted with the dim neon lights of the grocery store. The concrete road had cracks and tar stains. Narrow alleys that felt like a labyrinth.
I half-walked, half-ran into the wildlife meat market with familiarity, knowing there was a shop I needed in here. There! A familiar English shop sign: Fairy Sportswear
I tried to walk into the shop with a normal demeanor but still felt like laser eyes were watching my every step.
I chose everything in black for camouflage tonight: tight leggings for agility, sneakers, a long-sleeved T-shirt, a scarf, and a baseball cap to hide my face.
After changing into the new set, my anxiety eased. I pulled the price tags together to prepare for payment. The clean scent of the shop contrasted with the state of the wildlife meat market. But I still felt eyes watching.
"Crash!" I jumped in shock and instinctively crouched down.
"..........." My heart pounded once more. Had they caught up already?
The sound of footsteps approached and stopped behind the clothes rack.
"Thump! Thump!" I held my breath to the limit. Fear peaked.
"Can I help you?"
"Phew!..." The owner of the voice was a young Chinese girl.
A chubby-cheeked girl of about the same age. Her extremely fair skin contrasted with the premium black tight-fitting sportswear that perfectly accentuated her slender but well-proportioned physique. Her bangs and the bun tied at the back gave her face a sharp and agile look.
I peeked outside the shop. A vegetable cart had crashed into a table, scattering things. Merchants were helping each other pick them up. The young female merchant spoke in a clear voice...
"It's better to go to the counter."
She seemed friendly, but I was still worried about the outside, turning to look so often that she began to notice.
I wanted to leave this spot as quickly as possible. Without hesitation, I looked down and handed the price tags of everything to her with trembling hands.
"Take it easy. If you're tired, you can rest first. There's a fish pond behind the shop; do you want to sit and rest there?" She sent a smile, but I looked away.
She moved closer with a slightly mysterious smile before striking up a conversation...
"Beautiful lady! Are you going to enter the bicycle race? I'm entering too... My name is Pai Pai
"Are you running away from something?"
"Sigh..." I let out a sigh, glancing at her face. Why so slow?
"Wear this?" She handed me a black surgical mask.
"Th... Thanks." I quickly grabbed it and put it on.
"Is there a problem? I see you looking at the front of the shop often," she asked, hitting the mark.
"No... please hurry," I said, my voice hardening by instinct, commanding me to be cautious.
The beautiful girl smirked... "I see you buying a full set like this; I thought you were going to compete too. You are so beautiful that I want to know you. Even as a woman myself, I like you." She smiled broadly, her eyes sparkling while speaking slowly and friendly.
But the wall in my heart was still high; my trepidation was like a surging wave. I am not a person who sits around being touched by the compliments of strangers, especially at a time when death is chasing me like this.
"Where and when is the race?" I asked back out of politeness. I didn't really want to know about the race.
"The race is tomorrow, destination Chongqing!"
But the word 'Chongqing
The young girl chirped on... "A lot of people are entering! The start is tomorrow at 7:00 AM at the Jin Long Intersection, using the Wangshen Road. The first prize is ten thousand yuan!" She answered in a clear voice while tilting her head with a sweet smile, using the prize money to lure me... but in my mind, I thought that amount was pathetic.
"Yes." I turned and walked out of the shop without saying anything more, leaving the beautiful young merchant standing there with her mouth open.
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Caidian District, Wuhan Province, China.
POV: Tan : September 2025********************
“Did you notice? The Triple Monolith building at night is a total masterpiece of art. It’s so solemn and terrifying.”
“Yeah! I really want to see the face of the designer. He must have long hair just like me.”
“I don't know what kind of snake it is. It doesn't look like a typical snake at all.”
“It’s probably a giant python. Try asking Sawn.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Hey! Have you ever seen this news?” Tui asked, thrusting his mobile phone so close it almost hit my nose.
I squinted at the six-inch screen. The streets that were once bustling were now eerily silent. The camera shook as it recorded a body collapsing in the middle of a walkway, left completely ignored.
The scene cut to people on a sky train moving away from the sound of a single cough, their eyes filled with suspicion as if looking at an enemy.
Tui’s finger swiped the screen to change the camera angle. This time, it was an image of a man dying in a public space right before one's eyes. It had become a common sight that squeezed my heart. The death in that clip seemed to crawl out of the screen, entering every invisible molecule of air. It turned a once-prosperous city into a massive graveyard covered in silence and dead-end despair.
“The White Silence Pandemic snatched the fear of the whole world at once. It’s a centralized fear with a lot of potential, isn't it?” I felt horrified every time I saw these images.
“I feel indifferent. Swipe to the next clip!” Tui ordered, pointing his world-weary finger at the screen…
“A female Chinese doctor came out to reveal that the White Silence Pandemic leaked from a lab, giving an interview with Fox News.”
I swiped my finger as told. The shaky images of the graveyard city disappeared, replaced by a foreign news studio with a prominent red and blue logo. The face of a woman appeared, speaking with a grim expression.
Tui tilted his neck until the bones cracked— The sound echoed in the silent cabin.
“Do you think the same way?” I replied to test the waters. Personally, I leaned toward believing Western intelligence reports.
“This pandemic comes purely from nature, just like Ebola or Bird Flu. I heard it originated from monkeys,” he countered instantly.
“Maybe. Chinese people eat everything, too,” I agreed.
“................” He went still for a moment and then muttered... “If the military really concocted it... the world is going to shake. It would be the cruelest biological weapon, and now it has created fear and paranoia all over the world.”
He flipped the phone up to look again, then tucked it into his shirt pocket.
“Loweis was the one who sent it to me.” He pointed to the end of the long trailer convoy ahead, which was moving on the same road.
I nodded in acknowledgment. That would be Loweis, the tall Westerner with blue eyes who came with Sawn.
The engine roared as the trailer moved down from the high mountain peak toward the plains. The lights from the roadside streetlamps flashed into the cabin rhythmically.
We were driving to bypass Lu'an City to let our eyes rest and change our posture from the exhausting task of turning the steering wheel back and forth along the mountain curves.
“But if it really leaked from here, I wouldn't be surprised. Those Bamboo Curtain communists never stop threatening the world, constantly reaping trade benefits everywhere. I’ve seen this group go in to set up systems and manage everything in Africa until there’s almost no room left for the locals to breathe... These capital groups with state power backing them are the real viruses of the world.”
“Stop talking about this,” Tui cut me off, flipping his long black hair behind him.
“After going to England, did you ever come back to visit your grandfather, the Kamnan?”
“Since Na Aueng sent me to live with my father when I was a kid, I was sent on to England and never came back again.” I sighed. Memories of the past began to weigh on me.
“Have you been vaccinated yet?” he asked suddenly in a serious tone.
“I plan to get it when I get home, or maybe in Luang Prabang... I’ll just grab it from the back of this trailer,” I answered without hesitation.
Tui’s expression darkened immediately... “Don’t get injected. It’s dangerous.”
His voice was heavy with concern... “My uncle went to get the shot. As soon as he got home, his vision went cloudy. Everything became a blur, even though he was a very strong person before that.”
News about severe side effects from the vaccine appeared every day, but this was close to home. I had to listen intently... “And then what happened?”
“...” He let out a long breath, bowing his head low. His long hair fell down to obscure his face, making him look like a person in total defeat...
“His son went to inform the officials at the vaccination center, but those bastards refused and shrugged off responsibility. Jetdoe!... When he pestered them a bit, they threatened to sue him back. You know their nature well.”
I felt the emotion in his voice, sensing a cold rage surging up. This was the reason we had to amend the constitution to end inequality and destroy these dark powers.
“Tan!... Sometimes, poor people like us don't know how to deal with these corrupt officials. We plead and cry until we almost die, but they never even cast a glance. In the end...” His voice trembled, cutting deep into my feelings.
“In the end, what? What happened?” I was so frustrated I wanted to take the vaccines from the back of the trailer and pour them into the politicians' houses.
He pursed his lips until his jaw muscles bulged. The eyes that were once gentle were replaced by a gaze as cold as an executioner’s... “We just have to give up and go home like losers. Jetdoe!.. Just talking about it makes my blood boil!”
“.............” Silence covered the cabin. I felt even more disgusted by this rotten bureaucratic system where officials don't have to take responsibility for their mistakes.
“Aueng refused to follow up on the matter, but when the story leaked out, the Director of the center called himself.” The passing lights reflected the redness in his eyes.
This story really squeezed my heart. This is how it is when the country is in the hands of power groups and state officials act like masters. We must have a revolution to seriously abolish inequality.
“And what did the doctor say?” I asked, feeling discouraged along with him.
“He said a mistake occurred... the doctor ordered my uncle to go back to the center.” He bowed his head, his voice trembling like someone about to sob.
My heart was breaking seeing this tough man shed tears. I reached out to pat his arm gently to comfort him... “I’m sorry, Pee.”
He looked up, blinking rapidly, took a deep breath, and then leaned in to cup my ear.
My heart raced, waiting to hear the tragedy that God had played.
“The doctor said uncle forgot his glasses... come back and get them.”
“Huh?!”
“Hahaha!” He laughed loudly while clapping his hands in delight.
“.................”
“Jetdooooo!....” Hit again. I really felt like jerking the steering wheel and crashing into a utility pole to end it all. This guy has to pay!
...........................................
