Night.
One fifty-four.
Gaia City.
The suburban highway was covered with snow and ice.
The little girl walked briskly, seemingly forgetting everything around her as she focused solely on heading in the direction from her memory.
"I remember there's a traffic light up ahead," she said. "Dad said it's the most convenient way out of the city because we don't have to turn left or right."
"Just go straight!"
In the sky.
The goosefeather-like snow fell quietly, brushing past dim streetlights, turning the little girl's hair white.
Her face was red from the cold, but she kept her eyes on the road.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Then exhale again.
The city was silent; in the darkness, only the girl's panting could be heard.
She kept running without stopping for a moment.
"Baxter!" she suddenly cried out with joy.
"What?" Shen Ye asked.
"That flower bed—do you see it? One time when I couldn't walk anymore, I rested there, and Mom even admired the flowers with me."