WORDS OF THE SKY——MORNING STAR

Is this a mirrored world? Is the sky really empty? What lies above the cloud layer? What lies within the cloud layer? Who am I? Why am I here? ... Zhuang Moyan once again hears a voice in his recurring nightmare, asking these questions. Strangely, the voice keeps changing - sometimes elderly and wise, sometimes sweet and melodic, other times deep and resonant, and occasionally seductive and enchanting. Suddenly, a rousing music plays, fully waking Zhuang Moyan. He sits up on his bed, surveying the 4x4 square meters cabin of the ship. It contains a 2-meter long, 1.5-meter wide single bed, a set of table and chairs, a private bathroom, and two storage lockers. This cabin is considered an A-grade single suite on the ship "Nina." Captain Le Luo's rough voice resonates through the air: "My dear passengers, the Nina is about to pass through the eternal night and enter the polar day ocean. Those interested are invited to wear protective goggles and enjoy the symphony of light and darkness in 15 minutes at the string windows. Our Nina will switch from hover mode to navigation mode and is expected to reach the destination, New World Dawn City, at 3:45 PM tomorrow." This is a completely new galaxy named "Hope," the Hope Galaxy. It is a typical binary star system, consisting of two suns akin to twin siblings, revolving around each other while carrying twelve planets on their enigmatic orbits towards the unknown. Highpass Star is the ninth planet of the Hope Galaxy. Due to the influence of the twin suns, it experiences eternal night on one side and eternal day on the other. As a result, life can only thrive on the boundary where night and day intersect. Somehow, humans, these tiny creatures in the cosmos, established twelve cities on the boundary. These cities are named after ancient deities, including Azure Dragon, Ming Hall, Heavenly Punishment, Vermilion Bird, Golden Chest, Heavenly Virtue, White Tiger, Jade Hall, Heavenly Prison, Black Tortoise, Death Officer, and Hook Chen. The first six cities are located in the polar day area, and the latter six in the polar night area. Heavenly Virtue City, the first city in the polar day area, is also known as Dawn City. The Nina is an atmospheric-faring airship designed for long-range travels within a planet's atmosphere. It has a spherical structure divided into six layers: three upper layers and three lower layers. The four inhabited layers are C-layer, mostly used for cargo and mixed occupancy, B-layer with double cabins, A-layer with single cabins, and S-layer with luxurious compound suites - only three sets available. As light and darkness interweave, the Nina gradually lowers its altitude. The circular exhaust valves at the bottom emit copious white steam, falling into the somewhat dark sea. The distant sea appears azure, merging with the sky on the far horizon, resembling a golden line. In the sky, there are two suns, one near and one far. The closer one shines intensely, appearing much larger, while the farther one radiates a gentle glow, reminiscent of twilight. Zhuang Moyan is experiencing the polar day area for the first time after spending over a decade struggling to survive in the polar night area's Death Officer City, living in perpetual darkness. What's more, Death Officer City is the only city among the twelve that forbids the use of electricity, allowing only traditional oil lamps, firewood, or the deep-sea pearls used by the Death Officer officials, or flame beast spirit flames. According to the infamous swindler Yuan Tiangang, Death Officer City must observe the starry sky of the dome to predict celestial events, hence the reliance on natural sources of light and the prohibition of artificial illumination. With clear skies and warm sunshine, the sea breeze soothes him. Zhuang Moyan strolls towards the middle deck's recreational area on the Nina, contemplating what delicious delicacies he can indulge in to reward himself for escaping the ordeal. He also daydreams about the life awaiting him in the New World.