Night fell.
The wind on the rooftop was much colder than on the street below. It slipped through the gaps of the rusty railing, letting out a low, mournful hum. A few folding chairs stood on the concrete floor, their metal frames trembling and creaking in the wind.
Yan, Yi Lin, and Mausen sat side by side. The dusk was deepening; the surrounding buildings loomed like slumbering giants, and windows lit up one by one, flickering in the night breeze.
Yi Lin took out his phone and tapped the screen a few times. With a soft beep, a pale blue projection rose from the back of the device.
Immediately after, a passionate, energetic female voice came from the speaker:
"In thirty minutes, the wandering comet—'Aukes'—will enter the observable point! By then, we will be able to witness this interstellar visitor up close! Let us look forward together to the true visage of this traveler of the heavens!"
The numbers on the projection flashed, switching to a prominent countdown: 00:30:00.
Wind swept past them, lifting a few fallen leaves. All three instinctively lifted their heads toward the pale sky.
While fiddling with a small telescope, Mausen muttered under his breath,"Lynzi, do you think this thing… might be aliens?"
Without looking up, Yi Lin replied,"Did you see the Federation's reaction? If it really were aliens, they'd have blown up the news feeds by now."
"Then tell me—do aliens even exist?"
Yi Lin paused."I'm more concerned about whether aliens would say: 'Hey, where are the dinosaurs I raised?'"
Mausen burst out laughing and continued adjusting the scope.
Yan didn't join their conversation.
He lay back in the lounge chair, hands tucked behind his head, quietly staring at the sky.
Above, only a pale ring of moonlight could be seen, haloed by a faint glow. That glow was formed by thousands of abandoned satellites and orbital debris—reflected at night like a metallic collar around the planet's neck.
He was used to such a night sky.
But even so, he still stared into that boundless depth. For an instant, he felt as small as dust—like a crawling insect trapped on the ground.
Yet that very sense of insignificance stirred a restless energy in his chest.
Slowly, he raised his right hand, pointing toward the dim dome above.
One day, he would conquer the stars. He would not remain this small.
The countdown continued to blink.
The wind continued to blow.
And none of them knew that thirty minutes later, the comet would bring a brand-new future.
The countdown reached the final five minutes.
The night grew colder. The wind roared past the rooftop, and the numbers on the projection turned a striking red, casting a faint glow across their faces.
They stopped talking, now taking turns checking the telescope to confirm the focus and angle.
They exchanged glances; each could feel the shared tension and excitement—like waiting for exam results that would decide whether the holiday would be paradise or hell.
Yi Lin raised his thumb.
"Alright, brothers—who's going first?"
"How about…" Mausen said suddenly, "rock-paper-scissors?"
Yan lifted a brow. "You serious?"
"Of course. It's a historic moment. We need some ceremony."
Mausen grinned and held out his hand. "Come on, rock-paper-scissors!"
All three threw their gestures at the same moment.
Rock, scissors, scissors.
"…I win." Yi Lin smirked. "Relax, I'll eat the meat first, but I'll definitely leave you guys some soup."
Naturally, such smugness earned him two middle fingers.
Ignoring them, Yi Lin hummed proudly and bent over the telescope, carefully adjusting the focus to ensure he would catch the first glimpse.
Time ticked away.
00:00:30.
Even the wind seemed to slow.
00:00:10.
They held their breath.
00:00:03—
With a crisp ding, the countdown hit zero.
Yi Lin leaned into the telescope.
Yan and Mausen both lifted their heads, trying to spot the comet with the naked eye.
A streak of azure blue suddenly lit up in the distance—it was so bright it split the night sky in half, overpowering even the moon.
The glow spread rapidly, flickering. Though predominantly blue, flashes of gold, red, and violet shimmered beneath the surface—layer upon layer of refracted light stacking on each other.
"—Don't look!"
Yi Lin jerked upright, drawing their attention. His face had gone pale; his eyes were shut tight as he muttered,"Too bright! Damn… I think I'm blind."
Feeling around, he collapsed into his chair.
Yan frowned, glanced at the telescope, then up at the sky. To avoid blinding himself, he pulled out his phone, pressed it to the eyepiece, and quickly adjusted the angle.
The true image of the comet Aukes appeared on the screen.
Suspended in darkness was an object radiating violent light; electricity-like arcs flickered around it.
"…Got it."
Yan whispered and tapped the record button.
The phone made a soft beep.
Hearing it, Mausen leaned over as well.
The light began pulsing rapidly. At first only the frequency increased, then even the intensity rose. But strangely, the real-world blue glow remained unchanged.
Yan's screen grew brighter and brighter—so bright the image was almost lost. Heat surged from the phone, burning through the case.
"Shit—!"
Reflexively, he let go. The phone fell against the telescope, somehow landing securely without dropping to the ground.
At that instant, the entire screen went pure white.
Then—The light vanished.
Night returned to the rooftop. Only the distant wind and faint city noise remained.
Yet their skin still felt a strange heat—not burning, but like a faint electric current brushing across the surface.
The tingling came fast and faded fast, but something foreign lingered beneath the skin.
Yan didn't care about that at the moment.
He looked down. His phone was filled with static, and the edges were swelling.
"…Oh no—"
He groaned in anguish. "I have to buy another phone again."
Mausen peeked at it."No way, you only got it a year ago."
Yi Lin rubbed his stinging eyes, barely managing to open them."Maybe the brightness cooked it? That glow was insane…"
"How would I know? Who'd expect recording a video could cook a phone?"
Yan sighed and removed the case. The swollen battery jammed it tightly; after struggling for a while, he pried it open, staring at the ballooned battery in despair.
"…It's dead for real."
He went quiet. The phone wasn't expensive, but burning up like this just from a recording?
This wasn't normal.
He recalled that piercing blue flash.
"That comet… is not right."
While the phone still worked, he quickly sent the video to Yi Lin and Mausen—he'd need a new phone soon, and losing data would be a disaster.
The sending bar finished. He exhaled and powered off the phone.
Yan lifted his head toward the night sky. The comet's glow had completely vanished, leaving only the faint moonlight.
Wind slipped through the metal railing, letting out a long, low hum.