The World of Mine

打開過去的相片　我們的從前
天真無邪的那些笑臉　已消失不見

Opening a photo album, revealing our past.

Those innocent and bright smiles have long disappeared.

(First Opium War)

Zao coughed slightly as he opened the dusty storage room. The dust danced into his eyes blinding him for a short while before he was able to take a step in and start cleaning. Things were bad, to say the least, and Zao thought that cleaning might help him take his mind off of this mess for a little bit. They were both coping in different ways... except that Yao had given up.

"Zao, we've been alive for five thousand years aru. It's time to let go and hand the world to those youngsters."

Zao couldn't help but ball his hand into a fist remembering those words again. It took him every will to not punch Yao after he had said those words.

"China has grown weak, you two are merely guarding a withering peony, it may blossom flamboyantly but it withers fast... too fast."

"Isn't it clear? You two are dying. You two will die with this country."

"Nothing can or will stop that."

The Englishman's snickering crowded his mind as he buried his face into his hands. Those words, they snuck into his mind, breaking him and torturing him.

Then, with a sudden motion of hand, Zao suddenly slammed the wooden chest to his right into the ground.

...

With heavy breathing, Zao looked towards the wooden chest he had flipped over. Blurry black and white pictures that were taken a few decades back spilled out all over the floor.

Zao kneeled down as he picked a picture up with shaky fingers. It was the emperor's birthday when they had gotten the camera from that Englishman. He and Yao had asked the emperor's son to take it for them. He could still see the huge smile Yao wore and his stubborn and unwilling face. If he knew what was going to happen, he would've gave the biggest, brightest smile he could muster...

But it's all too late now...

Zao sighed as his gaze fell towards their house that reeked of that sickly sweet drug. He could see Yao becoming frailer, paler and thinner each day. Those burning golden flames are replaced with a dead, unfocused gaze.

He hasn't seen Yao smile for ten years now...

想擁抱新的感覺　是否那是一種錯覺

是在虛妄中蔓延的那一廂情願

I want to embrace this new kind of feeling but is it just an illusion?

Yes, it's just wishful thinking that had creeped out of this illusion.

(Second Opium War)

A puff of thick white smoke escaped out of Zao's mouth as he took another smoke. His unfocused gaze fell onto his twin who was sitting on a chair by the table.

"Zao, you have to stop, I need you to fight with me."

He heard his twin's pleading tone, but his voice was so distant that he felt like he can't grasp onto it and comprehend it...