Early morning, 5:59.
Shanqi Xian sat in tranquility on the top floor of the Jiushijiu Tower.
He was accustomed to rising early to enjoy the sunrise from his office. In past days, the warm sun would break through the clouds, painting the sky the fiery red of flames. The sunlight at the horizon met Weiyuan City's ever-present neon lights, ensuring that Zero Island was never plagued by darkness. Each time he witnessed this scene, it reminded him how bright the world could be.
But today's weather mirrored his mood—somber. Over Weiyuan City, thick clouds piled up, scattering an iron-gray shadow. The sun still rose, unstoppable by human will, yet today's clouds were too dense, even blocking out the sunrise's rays. The horizon still turned red, but lacked the vitality of flames and appeared sinister, ominous under the cloud cover...
It looked like blood.
"Blood-red skies... How fitting."
