Heat

The summer heat was only just beginning to die as the exited the building out onto the street again. In the short timespan that they had been gone the streets outside had spawned stalls and decorations and a crowd. The five of the tried to stay as close together as possible as not to be separated. Wang Zhaoshu linked his arm through Li Huai's, and gestured at him to do the same with Chen Shan.

Standing arm-in-arm with his friends was only normal, but not on this day.

"Where to next?" Wang Zhaoshu asked him.

"Uh…the park?"

"The park it is, then!"

Along the wide brick pathway were stalls as well, and brightly colored lanterns, streamers, and charms were hung from the branches above.

"Buy a little something for good fortune in your new school year?" called a nearby vendor.

Wang Zhaoshu grinned and waved at him. "Maybe later! But I think I've got all the good fortune I need here!" He gestured at his friends, and Li Huai felt warm inside.

That was how Wang Zhaoshu was. Most normal people would just ignore the vendors, but Wang Zhaoshu would always reply. By saying something friendly, giving a smile, and quickly moving on.

"It's a wonder that you're even still in the same class as us now," Lin Yuxing grumbled. "Your grades always the lowest."

"Haha, that's because you guys are my good-luck charms, right, Li Huai?" Wang Zhaoshu grinned at him.

"That sounds really weird if you put it that way," Li Huai mumbled. "But I'm glad you're still with us."

"Coming through!"

The five kids stepped to the side, waiting for a paper dragon to pass. And Li Huai was, once more, sucked into a dream.

It was a dragon this time, silvery and transparent, in the shape and form like the great old ones. It looked straight at Li Huai, and Li Huai suddenly understood why Zhang Sengyou always drew the eyes last.

[I have come to answer one question of yours. Say it, and I will tell you what you seek.]

Li Huai swallowed, and he felt himself almost paralyzed by the heat of the dragon's glare. A bead of sweat rolled down his back as he asked, "How will the end of the world come to pass?"

[You mean, the end of your world as you know it.]

"I mean tomorrow."

[Of course. I understand.]

Li Huai waited, his mind blank. He had to hear it for himself, before finally making a decision…

[That story is, indeed, a made-up story. Tomorrow, the earth will shake and break. Enemies will fly in, dropping explosions. Buildings will crumble, fires will rise. And amidst all of it, the people will die.]

"And to stop it—"

[You only have to do just that.]

"I understand." Li Huai looked away for a fraction of a second, but when he glanced back, the heat on the back of his neck was gone, and so was the dragon.

There were more people passing through, so the five of them managed to squeeze themselves on a park bench. Above them, the charms clinked together like wind chimes in the soft summer breeze.

"You know, Li Huai…" Wang Zhaoshu sighed, stretching out, "I would do anything for you. For any of you guys, really."

"Really?" A strange, but not uncharacteristic thing for Wang Zhaoshu to say. Li Huai glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "How so?"

"Mmm…take a bullet for you," Wang Zhaoshu yawned. "Hit by a car for you. Even let you marry Shan Mei."

"Hey!" Li Huai felt himself grow hot. "Where's all this coming from?"

Wang Zhaoshu cracked an eye open and grinned at him. "I'm just kidding, of course. I'd never let you marry Shan Mei. Only Yuxing can."

"What are we talking about, again?" Lin Yuxing asked, peering at them.

"Nothing, nothing," Wang Zhaoshu said dismissively. "Ready to go, guys?"

Why was his friend being so strange again? Sure, it wasn't uncommon for Wang Zhaoshu to say things such as that, but today…

Wang Zhaoshu's eyes darkened for the barest millisecond, and he turned away.

Wait…did he know?

Li Huai ran up to his friend, grabbing his elbow. "Wait!"

"What is it?" Wang Zhaoshu turned to face him, hands in pockets. His face seemed impassive, calm, but there was none of the lightness that it had possessed only a moment before.

Li Huai glanced over his shoulder at Lin Yuxing, Hua Fu, and Chen Shan. "Nothing. I mean, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Wang Zhaoshu replied, kicking an empty can across the pathway, then bending over and picking it up. "Can you help me find a trash can?"

There was a trash can right there, but Li Huai followed him down to one further away, so that they would be out of earshot from the others. After Wang Zhaoshu tossed the can in, he paused, then turned around and grabbed Li Huai by the shoulders.

"W-what is it?" Li Huai looked at him, startled.

"Is it true that you're going to die tonight?" Wang Zhaoshu's eyes were wide, and almost fearful, and he was practically shouting at Li Huai.

"What do you mean?" Li Huai tried to hold his gaze.

"Tell me first!"

"N-no, it's not true. I'm not going to die. Don't worry." Li Huai tried to smile at him. "Don't worry."

Wang Zhaoshu let go of Li Huai's shoulders and stepped back, almost as if breathing a sigh of relief. "So it was just a dream after all…" he murmured. "But I was so sure it was real…"

"What do you mean?" Li Huai asked again.

Wang Zhaoshu looked at him. "You wouldn't lie to me, would you, Li Huai?"

Li Huai didn't stop himself from saying, "Of course not." But as he said it, a chill ran down his spine.

"Good. Good," Wang Zhaoshu muttered, again and again, under his breath as he turned away. "As long as you don't…"

Li Huai trailed after him, watching him. What a good friend he was…

"What's up with him?" Hua Fu asked Li Huai as they approached.

"Oh, just…tired, I suppose," Li Huai answered. "Don't worry about it." And he tried to smile.