Dread filled the cavern where Yuguo’s heart had been. Come together and be something more. Or remain apart and be shattered.

Wei leapt up onto the table next to Lifen. “They cannot break us!” He cried. Patriotic fervor leapt forth from their minds.

Xiaobo, leapt onto the table next to them, waving a “FREE SUN LIU” sign. Other signs called out for scientific freedom, for an end to net censorship, for more election rights, or showed hand-painted flowers by the dozens, when there should have been billions.

No, Yuguo wanted to tell them. No.

They were too few. Shanghai had not come together. It had remained apart.

The night air shattered with the sound of explosions.

Projectiles whistled through the air.

Something struck Xiaobo as Yuguo watched, sent him flying off the wooden table, crashing into students arrayed behind him, the FREE SUN LIU sign tumbling loose to strike someone in the head.

A strangled cry cut the night. Someone’s horror bombarded his mind.

Yuguo realized it was his own voice, his own thoughts.

A canister whistled, crashed into Lifen’s midsection, folded her in two, knocked her body back. Her pain struck Yuguo full force, and he heard himself cry out again.

Wei fell even as he watched.

People crashed into Yuguo, panic rising from the crowd, flinging itself directly into his brain. He staggered on his feet, then fell to his knees as another body slammed into his. There was a canister in the mud, yellow gas rising from it. His lungs were on fire. His face was burning. He was coughing uncontrollably, his lungs spasming.

He tried to crawl in Lifen’s direction. A leg slammed into his shoulder, shoving him around. Another smashed into his face. He fell into the mud, reeling. When he rose to his knees, it was chaos. He was disoriented. Which way was he facing?

Through the forest of legs he saw booted feet, metal shields. Smoke. There were screams, thuds.

Where was Lifen? He couldn’t feel her mind. He couldn’t see anything.

“Run!” he heard. “Help!” Minds were crying out in pain and fear. All was chaos.

Someone pulled him to his feet. A bloody face loomed in front of his, a demon, the mind a nightmare of fear. It was Xiaobo!

“Run!” Xiaobo told him. “Run!”