Chapter 379: Returning 9.

"Because the third indicator is still lit."

"What happens there?"

Luo Ren took a breath.

"The final scene."

"Meaning?"

"The dragon stops in the center."

"Then?"

"The head opens."

Yan Cijin waited.

"And?"

"Fireworks."

Yan Cijin stared.

"Inside the city?"

"Yes."

"Right now?"

"Probably."

Bai Li looked at the old fireworks tubes mounted along the dragon’s back.

"Those are real?"

Luo Ren looked worried.

"They were."

"Then this is more dangerous than you said."

"That’s why I was trying to stop it."

The dragon entered the square.

Its movement became slower.

The stage inside opened completely.

A small curtain lifted.

Painted puppets began moving.

The central platform rose.

The old music reached its loudest point.

Bai Li looked at the dragon.

"How do we stop the fireworks?"

Luo Ren pointed to a panel near the head.

"There is a safety switch."

"Where?"

"Inside."

"Of course."

The dragon stopped.

Yan Cijin brought the motorcycle to a halt behind it.

The square was silent.

For a moment, nothing moved.

Then the dragon’s mouth opened.

A hidden set of lights illuminated the inside.

The main puppet appeared.

A giant wooden sun wearing a crown.

The crowd of zombies groaned around the square.

Bai Li looked at them.

"At least they’re watching."

Yan Cijin almost laughed.

"They have terrible taste."

The music changed.

A softer melody began.

The giant sun puppet raised both arms.

Hundreds of small paper flowers opened across the dragon’s body.

The scene was beautiful.

And completely ridiculous.

Then a loud click came from somewhere underneath the stage.

Luo Ren’s face went pale.

"The fireworks system armed."

Bai Li turned.

"How long?"

He looked at the old mechanical timer.

"Thirty seconds."

Yan Cijin stared.

"You’re joking."

"No."

"Can you shut it down?"

"Not from here."

"Where?"

"The head."

Bai Li was already moving.

She climbed onto the dragon.

Yan Cijin followed.

The giant mouth opened above them.

They entered.

Inside was another small chamber.

A maze of pipes led toward a cylindrical metal box.

Bai Li opened the cover.

A row of old igniters waited inside.

She frowned.

"These are connected."

Luo Ren looked in.

"Yes."

"One switch?"

"One."

Bai Li found it.

She pulled.

Nothing happened.

She pulled harder.

Still nothing.

Yan Cijin looked at the timer.

Twenty seconds.

"Bai Li."

"I know."

Luo Ren pointed at a second mechanism.

"The safety pin."

"Where?"

"There!"

Bai Li saw a metal pin tucked beneath the wiring.

She reached for it.

A gear shifted.

The chamber shook.

The dragon’s head began turning.

"Ten seconds!"

Bai Li grabbed the pin.

It would not move.

"Stuck."

Yan Cijin put both hands over Bai Li’s.

"Together."

They pulled.

The pin moved.

Three seconds.

The timer clicked.

Two.

Bai Li yanked the pin free.

One.

Everything stopped.

Silence.

Yan Cijin released her breath.

Luo Ren stared.

Then he laughed.

"We did it."

Bai Li smiled.

"Good."

A soft bell rang.

Ding.

The three women looked up.

Luo Ren’s smile disappeared.

"That is not a shutdown bell."

Bai Li looked at him.

"What does it mean?"

"The show isn’t over."

Yan Cijin frowned.

"But the fireworks are disabled."

"Yes."

"So what is left?"

Luo Ren looked toward the old stage.

"The final movement."

A deep mechanical sound rolled through the dragon.

The entire structure began unfolding.

Panels opened.

Platforms extended.

The dragon’s body rose.

Bai Li grabbed the railing.

Yan Cijin held onto her.

"What is it doing?"

Luo Ren whispered.

"The dragon is going to stand."

Bai Li stared.

"Stand?"

"Yes."

The enormous head tilted upward.

The long body lifted section by section.

Hydraulic pistons groaned.

Chains pulled.

Wood cracked.

The entire parade machine transformed before their eyes.

The front legs became supports.

The rear wheels folded inward.

The red dragon rose higher.

Higher.

Higher.

Until its head towered above the surrounding buildings.

The old festival lights all switched on at once.

The ruined square was suddenly filled with red, gold, blue, and green light.

Survivors appeared in windows.

They stared.

Zombies filled the streets.

Nobody moved.

Then the dragon opened its mouth.

A circular platform emerged.

A giant brass bell sat in the center.

Luo Ren looked horrified.

"The final bell."

Bai Li watched.

"Then ring it."

"What?"

"Maybe that ends the performance."

Luo Ren shook his head.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because nobody ever reached this part before."

Yan Cijin looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"The old festival performances were always stopped manually before the final bell."

"Why?"

"Because the final bell was only for special occasions."

Bai Li’s expression sharpened.

"What happens when it rings?"

Luo Ren stared at the giant bell.

"I don’t know."

The bell rope dropped.

It hung in front of them.

The dragon’s head remained completely still.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then the rope moved by itself.

It swung once.

Twice.

A deep mechanical click sounded.

The bell began to rise.

Bai Li tightened her grip on Whisperfang.

Yan Cijin loaded a bolt.

Luo Ren whispered.

"I think the final sequence is beginning."

The brass bell lifted higher.

The entire dragon leaned backward.

Its front legs locked.

Its body pulled taut.

The old festival music stopped.

Every zombie in the square suddenly looked toward the dragon.

Every survivor in every nearby building became silent.

Then the dragon opened its enormous mouth wider.

A bright white light appeared inside.

Bai Li stared.

"What is that?"

Luo Ren’s face went completely pale.

"I’ve never seen that before."

Yan Cijin looked from him to the light.

"Bai Li."

"I see it."

The white light grew brighter.

The dragon’s head tilted toward the city.

The giant bell swung forward.

And just before it struck,

Bai Li heard the unmistakable sound of something else waking beneath the square.

The sound came from beneath the square.

Not from the dragon.

Not from the bell.

Not from the zombies.

It was deeper.

A heavy grinding sound moved through the ground.

Bai Li looked down.

The dragon’s wooden feet were planted on the old festival platform.

Beneath that platform, something was turning.

.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED.