The night had deepened.
In a high-rise apartment in the central district of Boundary City, Baili Qing, clad in a nightgown, poured herself a strong drink and strolled to the large floor-to-ceiling window.
There were no lights turned on in the room, only a dim yellow glow from a nightlight in the corner casting outlines of the furniture. Outside the large window, the spectacular night view hit her face; the vast city was lit by neon, its magnificent colors shimmering like some breathing entity among the staggered layers and sequences of buildings, flowing endlessly, the land seemingly boundless. The lights and shadows of the city's buildings stretched infinitely into the distance until they vanished into the hazy night, making Baili Qing's reflection in the glass appear especially frail.
Fog started to form outside the floor-to-ceiling window.
