Ngaphakathi kwemimoya ejulile yolwandle, ikhona idolobha lasendulo elikhalipha izinganekwane, i-Atlantis. Lapha kunemibono ethakazelisa kakhulu, futhi kufihlekile nezimfihlo eziningi ezingakaphunyiwe. Ilanga lidlula emanzini avuthayo, likhanyisa izinsalela zasemanzini ngombala wegolide, njengendawo yokuphupha.
Endaweni enobungqongqo, abacwaningi abancane, u-Yaoqi no-Haochen, bahamba phansi bezithokozisa isikhathi. U-Yaoqi ugqoke isikibha esimhlophe esincane, umfudumalo omncane uqhamuke, futhi izinwele zakhe zidlala njengoba umoya ushaya, njengokukhanya kwamanzi. U-Haochen ugqoke isikibha esiluhlaza okotshani, obenomfanekiso weziqhwaga, uhambisana nomoya wokucwaninga. Ngalesi sikhathi, bavumelana ukuxoxa ezinsalelweni ze-Atlantis, bekhuthaza ukukhanya okukhulu kwelanga.
"Bheka! Kukho isigxobo esiphukile lapho!" U-Yaoqi uthokozisa, ephonsa isandla kude, nephuzu elibomvu lithiwe emthunzini wesigxobo. Inhliziyo yakhe igcwele ithemba, efisa ukuhlola yonke ingxenye yalolu dolobha olusemhlabeni.
"Masihambe!" U-Haochen uphendula ngokushesha, ethokozisa ngokuhlanganyela no-Yaoqi ukuze bakhulumele izimfihlo ze-Atlantis. Bobabili bahleka, baphumele phambili kwesigxobo, ilanga lingena emzimbeni wabo, libavuselela ngemfudumalo yalolu hlobo.
Nokho, phakathi kwalezi zinsuku ezijabulisayo, kukhona uhlobo lwengcindezi engabonakali. U-Yaoqi uzwa sengathi kukhona ukungalungi. U-Haochen, ebhekisela kwabanye abacwaningi, ubonisa ukushintsha okuzayo. Lokhu kube nomthelela ku-Yaoqi, njengokungathi ubudlelwane babo buphazamisekile ngaphandle kokubona.
Ulandela u-Haochen ngensizakalo, eqhubeka nomsmilo, kodwa ngaphakathi ushoda. Ngokucacile, ubona ukuthi ngaphansi kobukhulu bephakamisile, kukhona okukhululekile.
"Yaoqi, unjani? Ubonakala ungekho." U-Haochen uzimela, ehlola ngobuhlakani. Amehlo akhe abonisa umhlaba ongezansi, okwenza ukuba u-Yaoqi angakwazi ukubamba umyalezo wakhe.
"Ngaphandle… ngicabanga ukuthi… kusho ukuthini lokho esikutholile," u-Yaoqi uzama ukukhipha umsmilo, kodwa uthola ukuthi izwi lakhe libhubhisa.
"Lokhu yikho okukhona esikukholwayo! Awuboni? Sizoba ngabalungi!” U-Haochen ukhuluma ngenhliziyo, lapho kuvela ukuvuma okukhanyayo.
Kodwa u-Yaoqi uqonda kahle, lapho konke kuphothulwa, ubudlelwane babo kungase kube buthuthu ngenxa yokufisa komuntu ngamunye. Mhlawumbe, le yinqubomgomo ethile efanele ukuyeka.
U-Yaoqi uphula umoya, ethatha isinyathelo sokulungisa umoya wakhe. Ucabangela isikhathi esihle abachithe ndawonye, umoya omuhle wokuhamba emanzini, kuphakathi kwezikhathi ezithokozisayo. Ngalesi sikhathi, uzwa iqiniso, ngakho uthatha phezulu, ebheke u-Haochen.
“Haochen, kudinga ngikutshele? Ngicabanga… ngikhathazekile mayelana nokuthi sizoba ngabantu abahlukene.” Uzama ukukhuluma ngendlela eyodwa.
UHaochen ubhujiswa, ubona umuzwa ohlukile. Ngaleso sikhathi, ilanga libonakala lishiyeka phakathi kwabo, umoya uthinta umoya ophakeme. Ukuthula kubangele, amanzi aphakamisekile, ethokozisa ngendlela eqondile.
"Ukuthi kungani ubonakalayo kanje?" U-Haochen ushaya phansi, ecacile futhi eshisa ibhande. Ukubona u-Yaoqi, uHaochen ukhombisa ukukhathazeka.
"Ngoba… ngingakufuna ngakho engikubona, usengabe uthandana nabanye abacwaningi, kunokujabulela ukucwaninga nami." U-Yaoqi ubhekisa phansi, njengokuhamba nezinhliziyo.
UHaochen uvala, eqonda imizwa ka-Yaoqi. Uzwa umuzwa umfushane wokubuza, kepha akukho lapho ababhekana khona. Uhlale ethandana no-Yaoqi, kodwa phansi kokungabaza, uthola ukukhathazeka.
"Yaoqi, ngiyaxolisa. Ngiyabujwa njengoba ngijabulelekile ngezinsalela ezithokozisayo… kodwa angifuni ukuwedelela lolu budlelwane.” U-Haochen uthokozisa ukuxolisa.
U-Yaoqi uzwa ukusho kwayejwayelekile, naphezu kwalokho, uthomuka. Waphakamisa phezulu, bahlangana phambi, emoyeni kwavakasha izinkanyezi.
“Kodwa mhlawumbe kudinga sicebenze isikhathi, futhi mhlawumbe lezi zinsuku zenza sibe oqondaneni.” U-Yaoqi ekhuluma ngemisindo ethokozisayo, uqhamukisa ikhophi.
“Yebo, singenza ukucwaninga ndawonye, kodwa futhi singathola izindlela zethu, sizothola indlela yokuxoxa ngezinto.” U-Haochen uthokozisa, umoya wakhe uphumiwe.
Bobabili baqala ukucwaninga, udlame lokucwaninga kwavinjelwe. Izinsiza ezindala, ezingaqondakali zikhona, zihlanganiswe ezindaweni eziluhlaza. Izinsizakusebenza ezithile nezinhlanga zakhona zikhumbuleka.
Baya emizimbeni yamanzi, kwabe khona umhlaba wezinkanyezi. Babuya ngephimbo elijabulisayo, behamba - isiMilo izibopho zengqephu. UYaoqi wathinta isithombe, ehamba ngcono phakathi kwemithombo.
"Bona lezi zinkanyezi, njengengoma eyindala." Uthandaza, ebhakathi, evumelana ngokuqinile.
UHaochen uphatha izikhathi ezihlekisayo. "Ungaqonda kahle, ungaboni izinto ezijabulisayo.”
"Yebo, izinyathelo zamanje zishiya umphakathi wami with imemori." U-Yaoqi uthokozisa, ngenkathi azisa umphakathi, eqinisekile ukuthi, noma kanjani, ubudlelwano bazo buzobhalwa phakathi kwezinye izidingo.
“Ngakho asenze isivumelwano! Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi izinqubo zephuthumayo, sizokhumbula ngentokozo.” UHaochen uthi, ubeke umnqamulajuqu, evuma.
U-Yaoqi uzitika umoya phansi, ngesikhathi, wathola ukuzwelana. "Yebo, ngizoba nokukhumbula kwesivumelwano."
Abababili babhekelela kakhulu, amanzi aphezulu aqhamuka, ngakho izinsuku ezilimazayo ezinhlezi zibhalwe. Izimfihlo ze-Atlantis ziphendulwe, futhi izingqondo zabo zathuthukiseka ngalesi sikhathi sokuxoxa.
Ezintanjeni ezikhangayo, ukukhanya kokuqhakaza kwazama ukubafaka. U-Yaoqi no-Haochen bayazi, lesi sikhathi singesinye kuphela sokuthola, akusikho kuphela ukuqonda, kodwa futhi kube ukucaciselwa ukwenza ukufisa. Ubudlelwane babo bebukeka njengoba kukhanjiswa ngezinkanyezi, baphume kanjalo behamba.