Heaven's path hath stopped by none,
Hell's raging fire never ceases,
The moonlight's beacon shining ardour,
Fill hearts with cries and tears of anguish,
For loadstars to decide celestial order,
Drive minds into bottomless recesses,
Only for the revolution to be undone.
Prologue
"Brother, look! A shooting star!" a vivacious voice cried. A girl around her early teens stood under the wide night sky, with her feet under the shallow depth of a lake, gazing at the multitudinous sea of celestial orbs, glittering ever so delicately into her eyes.
A boy roughly in his middle teens sat on a hill by the lake. "Well what do you know? You know what they say; a shooting star means something wonderful is born into the Earth, like your hopes and dreams," he boy said, accompanied by his Satake telescope.
"I will," the girl clasped her hands and shut her eyelids as multiple shooting stars darted across the celestial sea, like little pearls with tails attached to them. The boy stood up and looked into the eyepiece of his precious telescope and said, "Wah! The night sky is having a party tonight!" The girl ignored what he said and continued to make her wish.
"Isn't the night sky just wonderful when the stars are out? It makes you wonder if other people just like you and me are looking at their image of the sky. If so, perhaps they are wishing a wish just like yours," the boy remarked in wonder.
"Brother, I had that thought before. Who knows, perhaps another version of me is out there somewhere, stargazing with her brother!" she queried whimsically.
The boy thought to himself: Oh how I want to learn more about the night sky and unveil its grand mysteries to the people. Its elegance is beyond wonder in a dimensionless ardour to captivate the hearts of persons young and old. The night skies have captured my heart and the heart of my sister's. That is how I wish it to be.
The boy began to dismantle his telescope as the girl ran out of the shallow lake water and asked, "Where are we going brother?"
"To Yangshuo （阳朔）," he replied.
"Yangshuo? But Guilin's scenery was so surreal and special today, why are we leaving this heaven?"
"You know what they say, Guilin （桂林） scenery is top notch but Yangshuo is one notch higher."
"Really?"
"Really, the skies will be prettier than tonight's."
"You promise?"
"I promise because I know!"
The boy thought to himself: I wish mom and dad were here to see this. He paused for a moment but regained time and zipped his bag, with the Satake telescope inside and started to work his way uphill to a gravel path of enchanting Guilin.
"Wait for me!" his sister hollered from behind.
In an instant, the skies turned purple and hazy, with the bright and beautiful stars gradually dimming in luminosity. With the sudden change of hues in the night sky, the boy turned around and glared at the empty heavens. A minute ago, the sky was a panoramic view of cosmological wonder. Now, it is a wonder in different respects; a wonder of inconceivable oddity. The boy saw one star, equidistant from heaven and Earth, resting there in a lonesome manner. A bright light shone wildly in the blank, violet sky, as it approached his sister who was standing on the grass beside the shallow lake, with her head turned facing the one star present before her. The boy dropped his telescope onto the gravel road and ran downhill towards his sister. As he did so, he slipped on a rock and rolled down the hill in pain. His left knee was bleeding from a cut against a sharp rock but he continued to struggle in reach for his sister's welfare. The boy's face was directly facing his sister's as he gaped at the bright light before her. It was something he never came across in his lifetime before, a light more beautiful than a full moon but equally painful to watch. The blinding radiance slowly embedded itself throughout the girl's body, as her brother stared in shock that sent signals of pain to his eyes. Thenceforth, two stars appeared in the night sky, as the girl fell on her back, breathing slowly but sleeping soundly. The boy lost consciousness and laid there, exhausted from the recent hurly-burly.
Chapter 1: Day of the fallen stars
The boy woke up and found himself curled up on a bamboo mat. He saw his sister sitting at a corner, staring blankly into space. She was not her original self, unlike yesterday, with her awe-inspired eyes and full-inspirited energy. Instead she just sat there, motionless, thoughtless and unfeelingly at a corner. The boy stared at her bored expression, without any clue on how to approach her.
"Sister," the boy said.
She did not respond.
"Sister!" the boy said again and shook her body, "Why won't you talk to me!"
"Ah, I see the two of you are awake," said a woman who entered the room. She wore a simple white blouse and grey pants, much like a peasant, with the classic neck-length black hair covering her crown. The boy turned his head immediately and asked, "Who are you?"
"You can call me auntie Ye, and you?" she inquired.
"I am Li Shunsheng （李舜生） and this is my sister Li Lihua （李丽华）," the boy replied.
"Well then, my husband found the two of you sleeping by a lake and noticed your injury, so he brought the two of you here in his car," the woman kindly explained.
"Thank you madam," the boy said as he kowtowed before the woman.
"Where are your parents?" the woman asked.
Li looked at the woman with a mournful look and said, "They passed away."
"I am sorry to hear that," the woman said.
"By any chance, is that yours?" the woman asked while she pointed at a tubular bag on the floor, trying to change the subject.
"Yes, that is my telescope; I want to be an astronomer when I grow up," said Li Shunsheng.
"What a good boy you are. Come in and have breakfast. Bring your sister in too," the woman insisted.
Li Shunsheng supported his sister using his left shoulder and dragged her limp body into a well-lit dining room. In the dining room, a small dining table of knee height was situated in the middle of the room. A pot of congee and other side dishes were placed neatly on the table, with a tower of bowls and spoons beside them.
Li sat by the table, with both knees kneeling on the floor and poured some congee into a bowl using a ladle found resting in the pot. He did the same for his sister. He then placed pieces of chicken and vegetables in both their bowls and began to eat. Lihua did not touch her food and stared blankly into her bowl.
"What's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" Li questioned with food in his mouth.
Lihua responded with the slightest nod and moved her hands. But it was in vain, as her strength collapsed before it touched the spoon within her reach. Shunsheng dropped his food, picked up her bowl and spoon-fed her like an infant. A strand of Lihua's jet black hair fell into the bowl. Shunsheng looked at the strand in surprise and picked it up from the bowl. He stared at her face, still plump, not malnourished or lacking in any aspect. With a shrug, Shunsheng threw the strand of hair on the floor without second thought. In contrast to his casual behaviour, he developed a deep concern for his sister's well-being after the shocking incident.
"What is the matter with you? Why are you so lazy all of a sudden?" asked Shunsheng.
"Help me," a faint expression left her mouth.
"What was that?"
"Help me. I cannot move."
"Should I call a doctor?"
"No."
"Then how am I supposed to cure you?"
"We cannot stay here. We have to run away," her speech became more comprehensible.
"What do you mean?"
"People chasing us… I will be gone… You lonely."
"That will not happen! I will never leave you! Mom and dad would never let me!"
"We must run away," Lihua said monotonously.
"Auntie Ye," Shunsheng called.
"What is it," auntie Ye asked, stepping into the dining room.
"Can we see a doctor?" Shunsheng asked.
"What for, your injury wasn't fatal, you will be fine," Mrs. Ye replied.
"No, something is wrong about my sister."
"Your sister?"
"She cannot move and have difficulty speaking."
"You don't say."
Li nodded and said, "We need to take her to a doctor."
"Then my husband will drive you there," Mrs. Ye said.
"Thank you," Li Shunsheng said.
That morning, Mr. Ye and Li brought Lihua to a local hospital. It was raining heavily, grey and sombre, ruining the sky from its usual morning glory. Li looked out the window in the waiting room and gazed at the flurry of rain pouring down on the parking lot outside, producing massive puddles. He turned his head to the room in which his sister entered for examination. The door opened and a man wearing round spectacles, with combed hair, clean shaven and a white coat walked out.
"Ye Shaoyong, is there a Ye Shaoyong （叶邵雍） here?" said the man.
"I am here," Mr. Ye said.
"Is she alright," Li asked the doctor as he stood up from his seat.
"She isn't showing any physical abnormalities except a shutdown in her motor skills, I am afraid she might be suffering from ALS," the doctor said.
"ALS, can it be cured?" Li asked.
"I am afraid I cannot confirm if she has ALS, since you came premature. It is incurable and I do not have the proper treatment. Let us hope this is only a temporary symptom," the doctor stated.
"Okay," Li said with a little glint of optimism in his eyes.
"Are you their father," the doctor asked the man who brought them to the hospital.
"Uh, I am Ye Shaoyong, their uncle and guardian," was his white lie.
"I advise you to get her medical attention at a government hospital."
"How much would it cost?"
"Five hundred thousand Yuan for transportation and hospital care; it is cheaper at a government hospital. Is money a problem because we are unable to subsidize," the doctor warned.
"No it is not a problem," Ye Shaoyong retorted.
"There is a good and affordable hospital in Macau called the Central Hospital, I am a certified state physician and can grant you permission to butt in line, for a fee of course."
Ye Shaoyong looked at Li and her sister. Li looked at him in desperation and his sister wore a woeful expression on her face. With his benevolent nature, he could not resist to abandon the misfortunate children. Mr. Ye faced the doctor with a clear expression.
"I will pay for everything, how much is the fee?" Ye Shaoyong responded.
"Ten thousand Yuan: no more, no less."
"Alright then, ten thousand it is."
The doctor handed Mr. Ye a piece of state medical documentation from his desk.
"Just sign here, here and here. Make sure the patient's name is filled out."
"Alright," said Ye. He grabbed a pen from the counter and signed the blanks.
"I will sign here and the deal is done. You have to pay us by cheque and the deadline is in one week. The girl must board a train in two days' time."
"Anything to save my niece," Ye said trying to act like a genuine, caring family member.
The three returned to the car and Mr. Ye opened the doors.
"How will I ever repay you," Li asked.
"When you grow older and make some big money, find me and take my wife and me on a long vacation around the world," was Mr. Ye's response.
"I will," Li promised.
Mr. Ye got out of his car and carried Lihua into the room Li and his sister stayed last night. Li remained in his seat and looked down at his lap. "Why does it have to be my sister? Why couldn't it have been me? She was so happy yesterday, stargazing with me. If I was standing in her place, she wouldn't have ended up like this! It is my entire fault, why did I have to slip," Li started to weep.
"Shunsheng," Mr. Ye said as he came out of the house. He walked to his car and took a good look at Shunsheng.
"Are you crying, men do not cry," he stated.
"My sister ended up like this because of me, I failed to protect her," Li said while sniffling.
"What are you talking about," Mr. Ye inquired.
"Last night, my sister and I were stargazing. Lihua was so happy, standing independently in the lake, free from any worries. Later that night, the stars suddenly disappeared as if a large cloud blocked everything but no cloud could be seen. Then all of a sudden, a bright light appeared and it hit my sister. After that, she stopped being herself."
"You cannot guarantee that, what happened to her was fate, any intervention was against nature's ways. Besides, time only moves forward you know, we cannot go back."
"Then why is nature so cruel?"
"If you replaced your sister, how do you think she would feel?"
"Miserable."
"Exactly, you know if you replaced your sister, she will feel equally sad as you right now. Fate gave her the pain of not being able to move, but fate also gave you suffering."
"It is still unfair!"
"Life is unfair, but we have to face it. That is why live."
"We live because it is unfair?"
"If life was smooth and fair for the entire journey, then it would be boring. This cruelty of life is what causes conflict, making life worth living."
"I guess you are right," Li said while sniffling. He wiped his eyes and walked out of the car, dissatisfied by Mr. Ye's reasoning.
"That's my good boy," Mr. Ye said, messing Li's dark hair with his palms.
"How old are the two of you?" Mr. Ye asked.
"I am fifteen. Lihua is twelve," Li responded.
"Men do not cry," that line stayed with Li for the remainder of his life. He felt the need to grow up and be a man in order to protect his sister from future dangers.
It was night-time. Shunsheng and Lihua were sound asleep. Mr. Ye and his wife were in the dining room, drinking Yanjing beer （燕京啤酒）.
"My wife, we have to leave for Macau," Mr. Ye informed.
"Why?" his wife asked.
"I agreed to help these two poor children and paid five hundred thousand Yuan for professional hospital treatment in Macau."
"You are too kind, my husband. Indeed they are poor children, with no place to live and a family to take care of."
"From now on, we must act as their guardians."
******************************************************************************Li sat by the window on his seat in the train. He looked out into the vast sunflower fields, rice paddies and wampi orchards that passed by and noticed one similarity: the beauty of nature's greens; swaying in the summer breeze; growing under the summer radiance. He looked around and found himself isolated from that natural paradise of care and growth. Instead, he was placed on a train, full of urban filth and depreciative residue. "We are almost there," Mr. Ye said. Li heard Mr. Ye's remark but did not respond. He was busy contemplating on the disparity between the outside farmland and the inside train.
About an hour passed since the last view of a mountain had passed and the herd of water buffalo was spotted. He looked up at a rack where his telescope rested and turned his head to face his sister, whose eyes seemed lacklustre from the incident two days ago. Li peered out the window once again and found the train approaching a metropolis. It was Macau, with its high rise skyscrapers, grand casinos and luxurious tourist destinations in view.
"It's time to leave Li, we have to find the hospital," Mr. Ye said while carrying Lihua. Li grabbed his telescope from the rack and followed Mr. and Mrs. Ye. They got out of the train onto the platform and followed rest of the crowd to a checkout station. By the time the company reached the checkout station, a man bumped into Li and snatched the bag he was carrying. Li turned around and yelled, "Thief! A thief stole my telescope!" The thief dashed away like there was no tomorrow. This angered Li Shunsheng and he started to run but was caught by the shoulders. He turned around and Mr. Ye shook his head, "There is nothing we can do about it, the main issue is getting Lihua to the hospital." Li turned around looking miserable and said, "I cannot even save anything, not even my telescope from that goddam bandit! How am I going to protect my sister?"
"There are evil people all around you and they will do anything for personal gain. You have to learn to be extra cautious when strangers are around," Mr. Ye said.
"Then am I a failure? Am I not worthy to be Lihua's brother?"
"You are not a failure. Follow me and nobody will get hurt."
Li looked at the ground in discontent, and ran out of the station. "Wait!" Mrs. Ye cried. She followed and caught him by the arm and said, "You cannot just run off like that young man, it is dangerous!"
"So what if it is dangerous? I am fifteen years old and capable of taking care of myself! My independence is my own right!" Li looked back with eyes of disappointment and hate.
"Our first priority is to find a taxi to get to the Central Hospital. If you want to see her well again, I advise you to calm down and follow our lead," Mr. Ye said.
Li, Ye Shaoyong and his wife ran through the main lobby of the hospital in a hurry. Mr. Ye took out a signed form and showed it to a desk worker at the front office, "We have an emergency permit from a state doctor."
"Okay sir, I will search for computer records," the desk worker said, "You are Ye Shaoyong and the patient's name is Li Lihua?"
"Yes I am, and this is an emergency."
"A doctor will be down to take her in a moment."
"Thank you."
Minutes later, four paramedics rushed down and carried Lihua away. The desk worker informed the company, "The three of you will have to wait in room 201 on the second floor until she is ready to leave," said the desk worker.
"Alright," Mr. Ye replied.
He turned around and saw Shunsheng looking down on the floor and said, "Your sister will be fine, I promise."
Li looked up at the man and hoped of the same as well. This was not the first time something fatal happened to a family member of his. His parents were killed in a vehicle accident two years ago, leaving the two children to take care of themselves in an empty apartment. For Shunsheng, losing another close family member would be mortally devastating.
"I hope you are right. I hope everything will be alright," Li said.
Mrs. Ye hugged the boy who was taller than she and said, "All we have to do is wait and hope. Hope there is nothing wrong. With only hope can there be the better happening."
Lihua was brought into a medical facility, resembling some sort of experiment chamber. The paramedics placed her on a CAT scan. She lay motionlessly like always as the paramedics prepare a proper scan of her body. In an instant, Lihua kicked one of the paramedics in the stomach and pounced on their chest, much like a ferocious tiger. She then grabbed the neck of the paramedic with both hands and sent a strong jolt of electricity pulsed throughout the figure. Mucous and blood poured out of the paramedic's cavities, which stained the floor. The other paramedics witnessed this horrific attack and headed for the door to escape this madness. But it was no use; Lihua with her mysterious new powers ran passed the other three and blocked the exit. The deaths of the remaining three paramedics were inevitable; pronounced by the shrill sound of bloodcurdling screams as it filled the room with blood splattered all over the walls.
Lihua stepped out of the examination room and shut the door tightly to prevent any clues from leaking out of the previous chaos. In addition, she used her powers of molecular manipulation to jam the door, as if it was glued tightly and air-locked to the wall. The examination room was left with four dead corpses lying on the floor, with their eyes, ears and mouth engorged and leaking blood. Her white dress was stained with the fresh blood of her victims but it did not concern her. Her cold expression indicated no remorse after slaying four innocent lives. She ran downstairs and located Shunsheng and the couple. "Lihua, you are alright! How did you recover… why is there blood on your clothes?" Shunsheng asked with an awkward stare.
"My name is Xing (星) and anyone who knows too much must die!" she said with a domineering voice.
"What has gotten into you?" Mrs. Ye asked.
Xing pounced onto Mr. Ye and shocked his heart until the palpitation halted. Mr. Ye fell to the ground with his eyes and mouth wide open, petrified like a stone grotto. Mrs. Ye's face turned pale and her body collapsed to the floor. Xing walked over and shocked her fainted corpse until every signature of life was sucked dry from the body. Terrified by this monstrosity, Li hid his eyes from the unbearable and cruel slaughter.
"We have to go," Xing said.
"Don't hurt me! You haven't been yourself for some time now, can you explain all this," Shunsheng inquired in fear.
"I will not kill you for you are still of use to me."
"I am still of use to you? What do you mean Lihua?"
"My name is Xing, Li Lihua no longer exists!" she obstinately defended.
"I do not understand," Shunsheng said, confused from this mess.
"You do not have to understand anything; just follow me to the Syndicate."
"What is that you speak of?"
"The Syndicate is an organization where my kind is doomed to follow to ensure the security of mankind."
"How do you know of this Syndicate?"
"My biorhythm links my mind to others of my kind, for the purpose of survival. It is an instinct too alien to your senses."
"I have one more question."
"Make it quick."
"Are you still my sister, or some possessive being, that 'kind' of yours?"
"I am still you sister, but my identity will forever be concealed for pragmatic reasons. Follow me closely and nothing will go wrong," she said in utmost confidence to guarantee his absolute safety.
Shunsheng followed Xing down the hallway and out of an emergency exit. The two, brother and sister escaped into the fresh outdoors, away from the sick insanity that was contained in the hospital. They fled quickly down the streets of urban Macau, leaving a trail of residual evil behind. The clear blue skies from before converted into a grey patch of rainclouds; interwoven to shed its sombre fluids. The light rain soothed Shunsheng, relieving him from his trauma. He could not wrap his head around his sister's transformation; from the deathly aura around his sister, confused by her randomly unusual behaviour and her sudden change of heart. It was as if she was killed and revived, attached with a cold and calculating persona from some wretched necromancy. Since that moment, Li Shunsheng no longer saw the world the way as before. As the skies continually poured harder and harder, the two sought for refuge in parks, away from the public.