Chapter 34: Dust-Covered Diary

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Dust-Covered Diary

Xu Mo had assumed that the questions plaguing him about the world’s past would have to wait. He figured he’d need for this long winter to finally end, to leave this small town and meet other survivors, before he could find even the slightest clue. It was even possible they would remain a mystery forever.

He’d never imagined that he could find any kind of systematic record in these ruins—a place that had been scavenged so thoroughly that almost nothing but wreckage and dust remained. Yet, turning points in life are often hidden in the most mundane of routines.

On this day, just like many others over the past two months, Xu Mo went about his routine. He crossed the street and pushed open a glass door with a sticker that read, "Welcome to Enjoy." Sixty seconds later, he was back in his shelter with still-warm food and replenished supplies of rice, flour, and cooking oil.

After lunch and a short rest, Xu Mo decided to scout the streets near his shelter that he hadn’t yet explored in detail. This time, his objective was information gathering.

He wasn’t scavenging for supplies—any obvious survival resources had already been picked clean by those who came before.

Xu Mo’s targets were the things others might have overlooked: books, newspapers, letters, even leftover electronic devices—anything that might carry information. It was a long shot, but it was better than sitting around and stewing in despair.

Pale sunlight cast a blinding glare across the snow-covered ruins, and the wind remained fierce. Dressed in full cold-weather gear, a lightweight stab-proof vest worn over it, Xu Mo navigated the rubble. He carried a hiking pack on his back and an AK in his hands. His eyes swept like searchlights over one building after another, each with its doors and windows gaping open, revealing a ransacked mess inside.

The insides of most buildings looked as if a hurricane had swept through, leaving only heavy furniture that couldn’t be carried off and trash strewn across the floors. Xu Mo rummaged through a few street-front shops and what appeared to be offices, but aside from a few water-soaked fashion magazines and business brochures with blurred, illegible text, he came up empty-handed.

Just as Xu Mo was about to give up and head down one last back alley, he stopped in front of a partially collapsed two-story building. The ground floor seemed to have been a small shop; its sign was long gone, leaving only a rusted metal frame. A corner of the second floor had caved in completely, blocking most of the entrance.

What caught Xu Mo’s attention was a brightly colored plastic cover at the edge of the collapsed rubble, half-buried beneath frozen earth and shattered bricks. Its color stood out starkly against the bleak, gray-and-white devastation.

His interest piqued, Xu Mo stepped forward and carefully used the muzzle of his gun to clear away the overlying ice and debris. It was a hardcover notebook, not very large, with a cartoon character printed on the front—the kind of diary a student might use. It had been left here carelessly. Perhaps it had slipped from its owner’s luggage during a hasty departure, only to be buried by the subsequent collapse. This, in turn, had fortuitously protected it from the complete erosion of rain and snow and the long-term effects of weathering.

Xu Mo crouched down and carefully picked up the notebook. After wiping the grime from its cover, he saw the cartoon design was still vibrant, though the corners were worn and curled. He took a deep breath, feeling like an archaeologist unearthing an ancient scroll, and gently opened it to the first page.

September 1st. Sunny.

School started today! I’m finally a sophomore! The weight on my shoulders feels even heavier now. Our homeroom teacher, Old Li, is as long-winded as ever. On the very first day, he served up a big helping of his usual pep talk—stuff like, "Sophomore year is a turning point," and "It’s not too late to start working hard..." My ears are about to fall off! Still, it was great to see all my classmates again. Fatty Wang looks like he got even rounder over the summer, haha! I just hope this semester goes well, and that physics doesn’t drag me down again.

The handwriting was a bit immature but neat, radiating a youthful energy—tinged with a hint of complaint—that was unique to school life. The diary’s author was named Liu Ning. They seemed to be an ordinary high school student.

Xu Mo quickly flipped through the pages. The first several dozen were filled with the trivialities of everyday school life: the stress of exams, minor squabbles with friends, a budding crush on a classmate, uncertainty and excitement about the future, small acts of rebellion against nagging parents... The words, so full of life, seemed to transport Xu Mo back to that peaceful, distant past, forming a contrast with his current, frozen hellscape that was so sharp it made his heart ache.

Xu Mo quickened his pace, his eyes keenly searching for any telltale signs that might foreshadow a dramatic shift. Finally, near the middle of the notebook, he found it. The handwriting started to grow messy, the entries became sporadic, and the content began to stray from the familiar track of school life.

October 13th. Weather? Forgot to check.

Holy shit! Did you see the news today? There was this super bright flash all over the world, right around dawn. Tons of people got it on camera, and the internet is blowing up! Some people are saying it was a supernova, others are saying aliens, and some are saying it was some kind of massive experimental accident... It feels so freaky. Everyone in our class group chat is talking about it. The physics rep even put on a show of analyzing it, saying it was some kind of atmospheric optical phenomenon? Whatever, it’s pretty weird. Hope it’s nothing serious.

October 15th. Overcast.

The government put out a statement debunking the rumors. They said it was a rare, large-scale aurora phenomenon combined with an upper-atmospheric disturbance, and told everyone not to panic or spread misinformation. It was a very polished explanation, and they even had experts backing them up. But I still have a bad feeling about it. Some of the videos and photos online are being deleted really fast, and it feels like they’re hiding something. Mom and Dad also said it’s nothing and told me not to let my imagination run wild, just to focus on my studies. Sigh. ’Maybe I really am just overthinking this?’