Prologue – Summer’s End

Knock knock knock…

Knock knock knock…

Bai Ci heard the knocking outside and buried his head deeper into the blanket.

He had pulled an all-nighter gaming until four in the morning, and now he couldn’t even lift his eyelids.

……………………

And the next moment, the mysterious creature outside delivered a brutal lesson to Bai Ci about the consequences of oversleeping—by sheer force.

Bang!

The sound of shattering glass exploded right beside Bai Ci’s ear.

“!!”

Gasping for breath, Bai Ci shot upright in bed, staring at his bedroom window—which was now nothing but a pile of broken glass scattered across the floor.

A small figure, wielding a baseball bat, gracefully leapt through the shattered window and landed inside.

It was Yue Ling, his next-door childhood friend. Today, she looked like she’d dressed up on purpose—her deep blue uniform snugly hugging her slender waist, the necktie neatly tied against her snow-white neck.

Between her pleated skirt and thigh-high socks lay the perfect stretch of bare skin, with just a hint of soft flesh pressing against the fabric. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled mischievously as they locked onto Bai Ci.

Yet, despite being an absolute vision of a girl, in Bai Ci’s eyes, she was terrifying.

“Dude… seriously, cut it out…”

Bai Ci’s voice trembled from shock.

“This is the third time this month I’ve had to replace the damn window.”

Yue Ling glanced at the wreckage, tilted her head, then tapped the baseball bat lightly against Bai Ci’s forehead.

“I tried knocking at the front door first. But you were faking sleep and wouldn’t answer.”

“Pay for my glass,” Bai Ci groaned weakly.

Yue Ling kicked at the shards of glass on the floor.

“Relax, Miss Me will get you a new one. After all, Auntie gave me plenty of allowance.”

“But today…”

Suddenly, Yue Ling lunged onto Bai Ci’s bed, her cute, lively face nearly touching the tip of his nose.

“There’s something way more important!”

“What do you want?”

Bai Ci asked warily, subtly sliding the game controller under his pillow deeper beneath the covers.

It was a rare weekend—he had planned to spend the entire day defeating that boss that had been stumping him for two weeks straight.

Without a word, Yue Ling reached into her tiny rabbit-shaped handbag and pulled out a calendar, hurling it at Bai Ci’s face at lightning speed.

“Ow… what the hell…”

The calendar slid down onto his lap.

Today’s date was circled heavily in red marker, surrounded by dozens of little hearts.

Ah……

“Remember now?”

The girl stood proudly with hands on her hips.

“According to Article 3, Section 5 of the Friendly Treaty Between Bai Ci and Yue Ling,
I have the sacred duty to accompany you on every single birthday!”

Looks like there’s no escaping today, Bai Ci sighed inwardly.

……

Not long after, the city’s shopping district welcomed yet another pair of young figures.

An excited Yue Ling, and a Bai Ci who looked utterly defeated.

“Hey, perk up! It’s your birthday, you know.”

Muttering to herself, Yue Ling turned around and shoved her ice cream straight into Bai Ci’s face.

“Here, baby, take a bite.”

“If you want me to eat after you, fine—but could you at least aim for my mouth next time?”

The icy, sticky sensation shot straight up Bai Ci’s sinuses.

Yue Ling giggled, completely unbothered that the ice cream had just been contaminated by Bai Ci’s nose, and took another lick.

Wiping his nose, Bai Ci let out a deep sigh.

Truthfully, he didn’t really care much about birthdays. But Yue Ling—she looked forward to this day every single year.

Since when did this start, anyway…?

It all began with his own foolishness—signing that ridiculous “friendly treaty” with the girl.

As Bai Ci thought this, he stole a glance at her.

Yue Ling noticed his gaze.

“What?”

She narrowed her eyes, a sly smirk curling at the corner of her lips.

“Finally realizing Miss Me’s charm, huh?”

Before Bai Ci could reply,

he suddenly noticed—why were Yue Ling’s pupils red today?

Like flames… and within them, he could faintly see his own reflection.

“Did you put in colored contacts or something?” Bai Ci leaned in closer to inspect.

Yue Ling froze.

Her ice cream dropped to the ground, melting into a disgusting puddle.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Ci asked.

Yue Ling didn’t respond.

“Yue Ling?” Bai Ci waved a hand in front of her eyes.

The girl stared blankly at him, her body trembling uncontrollably.

The world fell silent.

The noise of the crowd, the mall’s background music, even Bai Ci’s own breathing—everything vanished.

Only a dull, buzzing hum echoed inside Bai Ci’s skull.

Yue Ling’s mouth moved, opening and closing,

but no sound reached him.

Her expression shifted—from confusion, to terror.

And her gaze had already passed over Bai Ci’s shoulder, fixated on something behind him.

Bai Ci turned around.

What was that?

Fire.

The same color as Yue Ling’s eyes.

The commercial building that should have stood tall was now, upon turning back, reduced to a burning skeleton.

In the sky, crimson clouds twisted into a swirling vortex.

Then Bai Ci saw them—

countless indescribable, monstrous entities circling above the city.

The next second, sound returned to Bai Ci’s world—in the most despairing way possible.

Explosions. Screams. The collapse of buildings. All erupted at once.

The crowd instantly descended into panic, shoving and wailing as they scattered in every direction.

Bai Ci’s mind felt like an overheated phone battery—

struggling to function, yet unable to grasp a single coherent thought.

Staring at the colossal, twisted creatures hovering above and the tide of people rushing past him,

Bai Ci finally understood:

These people… they’re running away, aren’t they?

So shouldn’t he be doing the same?

“Attention all citizens. Unidentified organisms have appeared in the skies and streets of our city. Those at home, please secure your doors and windows and remain indoors. Those outside, please proceed calmly to designated shelters…”

Only when the emergency broadcast repeated did Bai Ci finally regain control of his legs.

Yue Ling was still trembling in place.

Without hesitation, Bai Ci scooped up the petite girl and dashed into the fleeing crowd toward the shelter.

Yue Ling’s breath warmed his neck, carrying the faint sweet scent of strawberry lip balm.

“Am I dreaming?”

Feeling the warmth of Bai Ci’s embrace, Yue Ling whispered softly.

Her small hands clutched tightly at his clothes, as if afraid the next second would steal this feeling forever.

“If only it were…”

Bai Ci gasped for air, narrowly dodging a falling shard of glass plummeting from above.

“Ahh!!!”

A scream rang out nearby—a middle-aged man instantly impaled by a tentacle fired from one of the monsters above.

“Seriously… even if it’s not a dream, could you at least lie to me?”

Yue Ling muttered, slightly pouting at Bai Ci’s reply.

But then again… maybe this isn’t so bad…

She nestled deeper into Bai Ci’s arms, comforted.

Bai Ci wanted to say something, but suddenly felt Yue Ling’s body tense in his arms.

“Watch out behind you!”

Hearing her shout, Bai Ci hadn’t even turned around when he felt her weight vanish.

The small girl abruptly broke free from his hold.

Time seemed to freeze.

All Bai Ci saw was Yue Ling’s tiny body throwing itself in front of him—blocking a sharp spike launched from behind.

But her back was pierced, a massive wound tearing open.

“Yue Ling!!”

Bai Ci cried out in horror, rushing forward to catch her collapsing form before it hit the ground.

Gritting his teeth, he clutched the weakening girl and turned, sprinting toward the hospital.

“Xiao Ci… put me down…”

Yue Ling murmured, her delicate face drenched in sweat.

“No way.”

Feeling her voice fading, blood streaming down his arm and soaking his thighs,

Bai Ci’s pupils began to dilate.

“You’re such an idiot… If you keep this up, we’ll both die…”

“But… this stubborn Xiao Ci… is exactly the prince I’ve always dreamed of…”

Curled in Bai Ci’s arms, Yue Ling whispered,

“It’ll be okay… There must be a way… We’re going to the hospital…”

Bai Ci’s mouth moved mechanically, repeating the same words over and over. His legs grew heavier, stumbling with each step.

Yue Ling shook her head faintly, murmuring:

“Do you remember… ever since I was little, I never had any friends. I didn’t even know what a birthday was.”

“But then that silly boy told me… birthdays are special. They deserve to be celebrated properly.”

“And that’s how I got my very first birthday present—a hideous, tattered plush ball.”

“Do you remember? Back then, you held up that ugly thing and said: ‘Even if you’re alone, you should still celebrate your birthday.’”

With great effort, Yue Ling slowly pulled a fuzzy plush ball from the small rabbit bag at her waist.

“I wanted to give it to you later… but looks like the dream’s ending…”

Yue Ling’s eyes crinkled into crescent moons.

“Even if you’re alone… don’t forget… to celebrate your birthday.”

“Happy birthday.”

Yue Ling’s hand hung in midair.

The handmade plush, soaked in thick, sticky blood, rolled off and fell to the ground.

Then, trampled aside by the stampeding crowd fleeing for their lives.

Bai Ci stood frozen, staring at the scene before him.

He stopped moving.

In his arms, Yue Ling’s breathing ceased.

Soon after, with the help of arriving military forces,

Bai Ci barely survived—but he lost the girl who used to wake him up every morning without fail.

****

One week later,

under the assault of those beings, Earth’s population had decreased by twenty percent.

Fortunately, with humanity’s existing technology and swift emergency measures,

the death toll was stabilized—for now. But it was merely resistance.

Those annihilating creatures came to be known as the Extinction Species.

Their bodies weren’t made of carbon, nor any known element.

A completely new element—designated T—formed these grotesque, otherworldly beings capable of wiping out all life on Earth.