“The Mayans were strange people. They were the most precise astronomical observers of the ancient world, even capable of observing the far side of the moon, which never faces the Earth. They created the ‘Sun Calendar,’ which was not only a calendar and a history book but also a book of prophecy. They wrote the future into history because they believed everything was predestined. The history of this world is finite and doesn’t extend indefinitely. There are five sun ages in total. The first four sun ages all had advanced civilizations but ended in destruction. Matlactilqui was destroyed by a flood, Ehecatl by the Wind Serpent, Quiauitl by the Fire Rain, and Tzontemoc by shifting earth. Luckily, remnants of ancient civilizations were preserved after each disaster, and these remnants began new sun ages. But there is no sixth age. After the fifth sun age ends, there will be nothing left—zero, emptiness, the end of everything,” Anjou said. “Neither dragons nor humans will survive that ending.”
Lu Mingfei suddenly remembered something and shivered uncontrollably. “Wait, wait, those four prior disasters… Flood, Wind Serpent, Fire Rain… shifting earth…”
“Yes—earth, water, wind, fire, represented by the four Dragon Kings. The previous four destructions were caused by each of the four Kings, and as for the fifth…”
“The Black Emperor?” Lu Mingfei felt cold sweat forming.
“The Mayans didn’t specify. Perhaps it is the Black Emperor, perhaps the White Emperor, or perhaps all four Kings together. You enrolled almost 2 years ago—if we can’t prevent this disaster, I don’t think you’ll be able to get your graduation certificate,” Anjou shrugged.
“Hey, hey, isn’t this just superstition? Why should we believe the Mayans? They were just some primitive people, right? If the Mayans were that powerful, how did they end up getting wiped out? Wasn’t it those Spanish guys with guns and cannons who did it?” Lu Mingfei retorted.
“Ancient Mayan civilization began to decline in the eighth century AD. As the country fragmented, the priests lost their heritage. By the time the Spanish arrived, they had already lost all the ancient calendars and mystical knowledge,” Anjou spread his hands. “But that doesn’t mean the ancient Mayan prophecies were unreliable. In fact, we could say that none of the prophecies throughout history were written by humans… Humans were merely the scribes.”
“Dragons?” Lu Mingfei asked.
Anjou nodded. “Yes, this was left by the dragons.”
“Wait a minute, Principal. You just said that neither humans nor dragons could survive the Fifth Sun Age, and the Mayan calendar was made by dragons. Does that mean… the dragons predicted their own extinction?” Lu Mingfei asked.
“Exactly. The dragons’ prophecies were actually prophecies of destruction because, in the worldview of dragons, destruction is the inevitable end of the world. Norse mythology, which is heavily influenced by dragon culture, does not describe ‘reincarnation’ or ‘heaven’ as a desirable future. Instead, it speaks directly of ‘death.’ Ragnarok is the destined day of destruction, when giants and the dead will attack the gods’ territory. That’s why Odin built Valhalla, ordering the Valkyries to guide the souls of brave warriors there, where they train in martial skills day after day, drink, fight, and resurrect, preparing to join the battlefield on the final day. But even that won’t change the outcome. The myth clearly records the fate of each god, including who will kill whom, with even Odin not being an exception. Norse mythology develops linearly—there’s no cycle, no branches—like a thread spun on the loom of the Norns, moving straight towards… death! This is also the dragons’ worldview. Each dragon king has foreseen his own end, yet they continue to cocoon and awaken, trying to resist.”
“It sounds pretty sad,” Lu Mingfei said softly.
“That’s our worldview as well.”
“That’s not just sad; it’s tragically hopeless…” Lu Mingfei said, grimacing.
“This theme of destruction appears repeatedly in myths around the world, although some myths are more subtle and less bleak than Norse mythology,” Anjou said. “Have you read Journey to the West?”
“How could such a cheerful book have anything to do with the apocalypse?” Lu Mingfei widened his eyes.
“You thought of something, didn’t you?” Anjou looked at Lu Mingfei.
“It’s a lot like the Mayan myth,” Lu Mingfei said. “Earth, water, wind, and fire.”
“Yes, and there’s also the great flood mentioned in different myths. People who lived tens of thousands of miles apart both believed in a flood that destroyed the world. The Chinese say that Yu the Great controlled the floods, while the Bible says that God instructed Noah to build an ark out of gopher wood to escape the flood. The earliest record is a Sumerian clay tablet from around 3500 BC. While scholars still debate this, there is plenty of evidence proving that a flood once submerged most of the Earth, creating a gap in human history,” Anjou said. “The dragons’ prophecy of destruction has been repeatedly confirmed, but as for what will happen in 2012, no one knows. In truth, we’ve been waiting. We wanted to know what would happen… and now it really is happening. The long-silent dragon kings are awakening one by one, a collective awakening unprecedented in history. Mingfei, do you understand what you have to do now?”
“I don’t know? You’re scaring me, Principal! Have you built a big ship in the Himalayas? Are the tickets on discount?” Lu Mingfei looked blank, unable to think of an appropriate expression for the conversation. Life hadn’t even begun to get better, and it seemed like it was about to end.
“Cassell College is a Valhalla of sorts. We began organizing an army over a century ago, composed of the best-blooded hybrids. We don’t know what we will face, but this army must be strong enough to adapt to any battlefield,” Anjou patted Lu Mingfei’s shoulder. “And you are one of the best among them.”
“I’m one of the best? I have to say, Principal, your plan for dealing with the end of the world seems pretty unreliable! For example, imagine if aliens invaded Earth, the president delivered a rousing speech, and then appointed Nobita Nobi as the supreme commander—without even having Doraemon around! What if we fail? What if the world ends? Honestly, it sounds less reliable than just building a big ship!”
“This is the big ship,” Anjou gestured around them. “There are five underground spaces like this around the world, some deep in mines, some beneath glaciers. Each natural space has been excavated to store a large number of plants and animals, along with embryos, pollen, and seeds. The entirety of human civilization, along with the knowledge of alchemy and yanling, has been preserved here. We have a stockpile of machinery, food, and drinking water. In the depths of the Vault, there is also a miniature reactor, providing enough power to run this place for five hundred years. If you fail, I will live out my days here.”
“It sounds like the kind of thing where a general gets scared by the enemy’s charge, fires a few empty rounds, and then hides in a bunker…” Lu Mingfei covered his face.
“Someone has to go to the battlefield, and someone has to survive,” Anjou leaned against the railing by the concrete base, his white hair rustling in the wind. “Perhaps I’ll be the one who dies, and you’ll live out your days here.”
“That sounds a bit more honorable!”
“Remember what I told you about my friend Manecke?” Anjou said softly. “When we first founded the Lionheart Society, Manecke and I would often drink together. He’d say if one day we faced a dragon king and were the last ones standing, we should run. ‘Someone has to carry on the spirit of the Lionheart Society, right?’ He always said that. ‘Who should survive? Oh, actually, I’d like to survive, but I think Anjou should make it. He’s a ladies’ man. They say in genetics that women are drawn to men with good genes, and he has the potential to be a playboy, to have countless beautiful women and countless children, who will all grow up to be members of the Lionheart Society, hahaha!’”
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