4:00 AM, Western Huaqi Time. Berkeley.
Inside the municipal prison, Changyi sat cross-legged on his cell bed. His face was placid as he regulated his breathing. A circle of burly men of various ethnicities cowered in the corners, keeping their distance from him.
At the Abek Hotel on Seventeenth Street, Mr. and Mrs. Wang Dehai were too worried to sleep. They were still poring over the evidence used to accuse their son of poisoning, searching for any inconsistencies or loopholes.
In a suburban villa, Eric was asleep with a beautiful woman in his arms, a smug smile on his face.
On the pre-dawn streets, the sleepless and the early-morning workers began to appear in scattered numbers, subconsciously ignoring the homeless people huddled in the corners.
Just then, the people hurrying along with their heads down suddenly noticed the ground reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors. Muffled rumbles of thunder echoed from above.
