He didn't know why the unfamiliar genius 'Ling' chose death, but he knew that his own end was separated from 'Ling's' by a mere thread. If 'Ling' hadn't died, it might have been him lying on the tree branch under the sunset.
Without 'Ling's' relinquished spot, he wouldn't have been able to afford the tuition for a university in another Star Domain and would have been forced to continue facing the ticking sound from the next bedroom night after night. This prolonged despair and pressure had slowly eroded everything in his world, turning it pale and ice-cold.
With the help of the staff at the landing platform, Shan went through various procedures step by step, finally boarding the gray, old Flight.
Sitting by the window, as the mechanical announcement ended, the safety restraint lowered, securing Shan's body, and then the Flight's underside gradually emitted a blue stream, rising slowly.