“Where did this piece come from?”
A-Ka shifted forward to take a look, only to see Heishi’s slender, long fingers holding a crystal made of an obsidian material. It was like the swooping shape of one of the black, metallic wings that he used to fly.
“Move over a little,” Heishi said. “You’re blocking the light.”
A-Ka threw up his hands and moved to one side, at a loss for what to say at Heishi’s rudeness. Heishi glanced up at A-Ka but said nothing before turning his attention back to the gem on the bracelet.
A-Ka watched for a bit, the sound of Moran’s prayer fading into the background. From the little bag that A-Ka carried by his side, he pulled out the other bracelet. With a simple soldering iron, he attached a signal transmitter the size of a button onto the bracelet.
“Let me borrow that,” Heishi said.
A-Ka handed the soldering iron to him. Heishi’s fingers pressed against the hot part of the iron as he moved to turn it on.
“Careful!” A-Ka yelped. He could smell the scent of something burning as he hurriedly tugged Heishi’s hand aside and found that his index finger had a blackened scorch mark across it. A-Ka quickly stuck the injured finger in his mouth to soothe it. At that, Heishi froze again, then he awkwardly tried to pull it back. However, A-Ka wouldn’t let go.
His face a little red, Heishi yanked his finger out of A-Ka’s grasp. “Is this some form of expression for you humans?”
“Huh? I did that because you got hurt. It helps.”
“I can heal on my own.”
“Even so, you can’t just let it happen!” A-Ka snapped. “Don’t you feel pain?!”
Heishi indicated that A-Ka should take a look at his finger, which had already healed as if it had never been wounded in the first place. At that, A-Ka sighed and gave up.
“It’s done.” Heishi was like a satisfied child as he admired the silver bracelet that he had made. For some reason, he seemed a little taken aback as he murmured, “Even I can create.”
“Of course you can,” A-Ka said, still annoyed.
“Only humans can create. Other living beings do not have the skill, which is why the Creator had always searched for life-forms with that ability.”
“Is that right?” A-Ka sensed that they were about to come to some important realization. “Do other living beings really not know how to make things?”
“They need to be given the ability to do so, or they need to spontaneously produce something—extraordinary occurrences like that are the only way they can,” Heishi replied, gazing off into the plaza. “I don’t know why that is. My Heavenly Father didn’t leave this information in my memories. Maybe even he didn’t know why intelligent life-forms possess the ability to create.”
“Could it be because of love?” A-Ka asked. “In the ancient poems and songs and records, I saw that love can spur the creativity of humans.”
Heishi didn’t respond. A moment later, Moran’s prayer ended, and the crowd cheered again. The ceremony seemed to have come to an end, and the lights on the plaza were extinguished once more.
“It’s for you,” Heishi and A-Ka said, almost in the same breath.
As they looked at each other, A-Ka’s and Heishi’s expressions contained the same surprise. A-Ka was holding out his bracelet, while Heishi held out the other one.
A-Ka couldn’t resist laughing, but Heishi was extremely serious, squeezing the bracelet with his fingers as he nudged it toward A-Ka.
“Let me help you put it on,” A-Ka offered.
He pulled Heishi’s hand over, fastening the bracelet on his powerful, sturdy wrist. Right then, in the distance, a high, clear sound echoed through the sky. The bright-tailed streak of a firework ascended above them, and its piercing whistle roused the happy cries of thousands of people.
With a huge boom, the firework exploded, lighting up their faces. Dumbstruck, A-Ka lifted his head to watch the night sky, his joy running wild.
Heishi properly fastened the bracelet he’d given to A-Ka, and the two of them looked up at the night sky, watching blossom after blossom of colorful fireworks erupt.
“How beautiful,” A-Ka said softly.
More and more fireworks covered the pitch-black evening sky. The flashes in the sky looked dreamlike, and as A-Ka turned his face up to watch, he sank into a bright, blossoming reverie.
Heishi, however, inadvertently turned his head to study A-Ka’s face. A-Ka continued to watch the show for a little bit before he realized that Heishi was looking at him.
A-Ka grinned. “It’s so beautiful! Have you seen this before? It’s just like…just like…”
“The stars separating from each other during the birth of the universe,” Heishi answered. “My Heavenly Father gave me that memory.”
“Yes!” A-Ka said excitedly. “That’s more apt than any metaphor!”
A-Ka and Heishi sat shoulder to shoulder as the fireworks that spiraled into the night sky went off in front of them. Unable to resist, A-Ka turned his head once more to observe Heishi.
“If there came a day when we had to separate,” A-Ka asked quietly, “would you be unwilling to part with me?”
Heishi looked at A-Ka like he had something to say, but he didn’t, in the end.
A-Ka stared into his black eyes—into the depths of his pupils, where gorgeous, colorful light was dancing. He felt that this entire series of events was like a grandiose, splendid play. His heart quivered at that, and even he couldn’t say what thought had caused the movement. Closing his eyes, he felt Heishi’s gentle breaths.
That night, thousands of fireworks lit up the sky, one after the other. The show lasted for an entire hour, covering Dragonmaw City with a temporary white light. It wasn’t until the very end that everything settled back into its original silence. The glowing birds of late spring circled the city as the populace gradually sank into sleep. A peaceful silence draped over everything.
Up high, on top of the church, A-Ka leaned into Heishi and fell asleep, too.
When the first rays of light peeked over the horizon the next morning, they shone upon Heishi walking through a hallway.
Feiluo, who was following behind him, stopped at one point to speak. “I cannot confirm that you will succeed, but…good luck, Heishi.”
Heishi turned around, draped in his long windbreaker, his hands clad in fingerless gloves that were tucked in his pockets. When he reached a hand out to Feiluo, Heishi’s wrist was encircled by the silver bracelet that A-Ka had gifted him.
“Thank you,” Heishi said solemnly. Feiluo and Heishi gripped each other’s arms, their fingers squeezing tightly for a moment.
“Come back alive,” Feiluo said.
Heishi nodded. “I’ve found that being human isn’t so bad.”
Feiluo began to grin. “You’ve really changed.”
Heishi whistled before turning and walking into the sacred hall.
At the same time, A-Ka slipped on his hat and exited his room. As he passed through the hallway, Percy ran out from a doorway and hugged him tightly.
“A-Ka, you have to return safely!” Percy pleaded.
A-Ka hugged Percy in return. He had on a shirt and a pair of long pants, and when he pushed up his sleeves, he revealed that he, too, was wearing the bracelet that Heishi had given him. At the center of the silver bracelet was a black gemstone in the shape of a tear that gave off a minute purple glow.
“You as well. Do your best,” A-Ka said quietly.
After parting from Percy, A-Ka headed toward the sacred hall, where he saw Heishi standing there, waiting for him. Then, the group of them walked into the sacred hall where Moran was, and Archbishop Igor closed the main doors.