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The day the world as Galo knew it ended started out much like any other. He was standing on the bridge in the park with his boyfriend, enjoying the morning sun. Unfortunately, said boyfriend had taken issue with the term, much to Galo’s frustration.
“Boyfriend? Are we putting labels on this now?” The gorgeous blond standing next to Galo at the railing sipped from his takeaway coffee as he stared out across the water.
“I don’t know. It’s just that we’ve been sort of seeing each other for a while now,” Galo said. “People are starting to talk.”
Lio gave him a shrewd look. “You mean, your friends are starting to tease you,” he guessed.
He was right, and Galo whacked his arm in retaliation. Lio shuffled away from him before leaning his arms on the railing.
“I don’t see why it matters to you what other people think,” he said. “You like spending time with me. I like spending time with you. I don’t see why we need to call it anything.”
Lio’s stance on the subject wasn’t surprising to Galo. Lio hated labels, as people in his life had often tried to stick them on him, along with all the expectations that came with them. Yet Galo was also feeling a little hurt by Lio’s dismissal. Was Lio serious about their relationship? If he wasn’t willing to put a label on it, then how would Galo know where they were at? Were they still in the friend zone, or was this deeper than that? It was deeper for Galo, but was Lio on the same page?
“Lio,” Galo began, but before he could say anything else, Lio straightened.
“Did you feel that?” he asked, turning to Galo with alert eyes, coffee still in hand. His knuckles were white on the cup.
“What? Feel what?” Galo questioned.
“It felt like an earthquake. A small one?” Lio’s brow furrowed.
“No. I didn’t feel anything.” Galo glanced around them, noting that a few people in the park had stopped what they were doing. Those people looked either confused or worried. But others were still going about their business like they’d noticed nothing.
“Really? You didn’t feel the ground shake?” Lio asked, his tone disbelieving.
“No,” Galo said.
“That’s strange.” Lio tossed his coffee cup into the trash bin nearby with admirable aim before turning back to Galo. “We should go,” he said. “My parents will be calling soon.”
Galo checked his watch and realised that Lio was right. Lio’s parents were expecting him home for a garden party that afternoon. If he wasn’t home, they’d start searching for him. Once, Lio had ignored their phone calls and his parents had tracked his phone and come to get him. Lio had been livid. Galo had felt two feet tall as Lio’s father had given him a look that clearly indicated that he thought Galo was not the right sort of boy for his son to be fraternising with.
Lio’s parents would have much preferred that Lio spend time with peers in his own social class. They were both wealthy businesspeople, and expected Lio to inherit their business. Lio got top marks in his classes, dressed in the preppy clothes his parents bought for him, played the dutiful son at events, but he was happiest when he was with his friends Meis and Gueira, or with Galo.
Galo had heard Lio’s father lecture him after finding Lio with Galo at the arcade once. He’d told Lio that children’s games were a waste of his time. Lio’s protests that the arcade games weren’t all for children had been cut down mercilessly by his father’s sharp words.
In contrast, Galo’s mother had been charmed when she’d first met Lio. Over time, however, Galo had noticed that she looked at Lio with sympathy every time he mentioned his parents or had to leave for home.
“Are your parents on your case again about college?” Galo inquired as Lio began walking toward the park entrance, Galo at his side.
“They’ve been on my case about college since I was three,” Lio said with a wry smile. “I wish my parents were like yours.”
“I think Mum wishes she could adopt you,” Galo replied. “Or swap me for you. She’s given up on the idea of me attending college.”
Lio suddenly stopped, his eyes going wide. He brought one hand to the left side of his chest. His face drained of colour, like sand pouring out of a bucket.
“Lio?” Galo asked, concerned.
“Medicine,” Lio croaked out weakly.
Galo grabbed for Lio’s messenger bag. He rummaged around inside it, feeling for the pill bottle that Lio carried everywhere with him. “Here,” he said, hand sliding out with the bottle.
Lio grabbed for it before sinking down to the pavement. Galo watched him shake out the pills onto his hand before swallowing them dry.
Galo knelt beside him as Lio lowered his head, hand pressed to his chest again.
“Sorry,” Lio breathed out.
Galo rubbed his back. “It’s okay. Do you want me to help you over to a seat?”
Lio shook his head. “I’ll be all right in a minute. The pills will help.”
This wasn’t the first time Galo had witnessed Lio in this state. Galo wasn’t clear on the details, but he’d been told that Lio had a heart condition and that he was supposed to avoid stressful situations—which was hilarious because Lio’s own family stressed him out more than anybody else in his life.
“This…feels weird,” Lio murmured. “Not like the other times.”
“Are the pills not working?” Galo inquired. “Do you want me to call your parents or an ambulance?”
Lio stood slowly, using Galo for support. Galo slid Lio’s bag from his shoulder and pulled it over his own. Lio tucked the pill bottle back into it. Galo saw with relief that his colour had improved and his breathing was evening out.
“It’s not that. I think they’re working. But I feel…hot.”
Lio frowned, and Galo realised that Lio’s face was redder than it should be. Beads of sweat were forming on his brow. Galo reached out to rest his hand on Lio’s cheek. It felt warm, as hot as the sidewalk in summer.
“I think there’s something wrong with me,” Lio said quietly.
“I’ll go get you a cup of cold water. I think you should sit back down, too,” Galo advised.
Galo started to head for the nearby cafe, which he knew sold bottles of refrigerated water. He’d only gone a few steps when he heard someone scream.
He turned toward the sound to see a pillar of fire. People were hurrying away from the flames, very understandably heeding the primal instinct of self-preservation over any desire to save nearby property. Galo turned back toward Lio, reaching for him—
—but Lio wasn’t there. Instead, there was another pillar of flame. Galo yanked his hand back, the heat stinging it.
“Lio!” he yelled. He backed away from the fire and scanned the area for Lio, but Lio was nowhere to be found. There were other fires however, seemingly having sprung up in random locations.
Where was Lio? He’d been right there…
And then the flames puffed out as if a giant boot had smothered them—and Lio was standing there, looking completely stunned. On his chest, right over his heart, Galo could see a glow emanating from beneath his skin. It was easy to make out because Lio’s clothes were little more than tattered, ashy remnants hanging off his body.
Relief flooded Galo. Lio was okay. Lio wasn’t burned. He grabbed Lio in a tight hug.
Lio shoved him away. “Don’t touch me,” he said. “Keep your distance.”
“What?” Galo asked.
“I don’t want to hurt you. Stay back,” Lio insisted.
“Lio?”
“I don’t know what’s happening. I was on fire, and I don’t know why. I don’t want to hurt you, Galo.” Lio pressed his hand to his heart. “It’s here. There’s something here. It wants to burn.”
“Lio…your eyes.”
Lio’s eyes were no longer the clear blue that Galo knew so well. Now they were a sunset pink.
“My eyes?” Lio asked, voice shaking.
“They’re not blue anymore. They’re pink.”
Lio looked floored by the revelation, though it was the least shocking thing that had happened that day.
Later, Galo would learn that Lio was one of many people around the world who had spontaneously burst into flames. The event caused global chaos.
Promepolis had been one of the lucky cities. None of the fires had been large enough to do severe damage. Other cities hadn’t been so lucky. Some were nothing but ash.
Those who had so suddenly burst into flame were treated with extreme suspicion. All too quickly, they went from being seen as victims to being seen as the perpetrators of a crime. People wanted someone to blame for the disasters, and the authorities (those that remained, anyway) were keen to pin the blame on anybody but themselves.
Yet, Galo would never forget the stunned look in Lio’s sunset eyes, or the desperation in his voice when he’d told Galo to stay back, when he’d told Galo that he didn’t want to hurt him.
As Galo watched those people being herded into research facilities that were really prisons, all he could see was Lio. It hurt, even when Lio was sitting right beside him on the sofa, gripping his hand.
“I hate them,” Lio said quietly as a politician made yet another speech trying to reassure the public that the threat was under control.
Galo glanced over to him to see that Lio’s jaw was clenched.
“They’re scared, Lio,” Galo reminded him gently.
“That’s no excuse!” Lio burst out. The raw emotion and anger underpinning Lio’s voice was no surprise to Galo. Lio’s own parents had tried to have him committed to a mental facility after discovering that he was one of those people. Lio was, very understandably, bitter about it. He hadn’t spoken to his parents for several weeks now.
“No, it’s not. But please try to see things from their point of view,” Galo advised. “Once they calm down and realise that you’re just as scared as they are, things will get better.”
“Would you ever do that to me? Would you ever shove me in a cell and do experiments on me?” Lio demanded.
“Of course not,” Galo said. “But I’m your boyfriend.” And he didn’t care if Lio took issue with that label. He could just suck it up because Galo was not going to let him diminish their relationship, not when they both needed each other so badly, now more than ever. “I know you’d never intentionally hurt me.”
All the anger drained out of Lio’s face as he glanced at Galo’s bandaged arm. Guilt took its place. Lio looked down at his lap, silent.
Lio had accidentally set Galo’s arm alight during an argument. Galo didn’t hold him responsible for the incident, but Lio clearly still felt terrible about it.
“I’m sure they’ll come to understand,” Galo said soothingly. “They just need time.”
“I don’t think there is time,” Lio whispered. “This…” Lio touched his heart. “This wants to burn. It wants to burn the entire world.”
Galo shuddered as a news bulletin came on about a fresh outbreak of spontaneous combustion in a subway station across the city.
“Either they’ll get their way and the world will burn, or it’ll be torn apart by terrified people,” Lio said quietly. “Either way, we’re screwed.”
“Don’t say that. We’ll get through this,” Galo said, doing his best to inject some brightness into his voice.
Lio scoffed. “You’re a stupid optimist,” he accused. “But I hope you’re right,” he added in a low voice. “For all our sakes.”
Galo could see that he and Lio were on completely different pages when it came to this issue, maybe even reading from entirely different books. He felt no animosity toward Lio though, even if he couldn’t entirely see Lio’s point of view.
“I wish we could do more,” Lio grumbled as Galo switched the channel to a trivia game show.
“You’re already doing a lot, Lio,” Galo pointed out. “A lot of people are safe because of you.”
Lio wasn’t the only person being sheltered by friends or family. Contrary to what the media showed, a lot of people were willing to stand by and protect their loved ones, even if they had become living torches. Of course, not everyone was lucky enough to have such loyal and caring people in their lives, but there were people who were willing to take in strangers, and had the resources to do so. Galo’s mother was one such. When he and Lio had asked her to take in a classmate of Galo’s who had been kicked out of home, Mrs. Thymos had readily agreed. Since Galo had just moved out to get a place with Lio and as a result, his mother was feeling a little lonely, the arrangement worked very well for all involved. Lio had helped make arrangements for others as well, aided by his friends and like-minded classmates.
“it feels like it’s not enough,” Lio muttered. “Guy in the glasses.”
“What? I was gonna pick him!” Galo grumbled. “He looks smart.”
“Should’ve done it sooner,” Lio retorted.
“I guess I’ll pick the redhead, then,” Galo muttered.
“A little more enthusiasm wouldn’t hurt,” Lio suggested, digging his skinny elbow into Galo’s ribs. “If you cheer loud enough, some of your encouragement might reach her, and she might actually have half a chance at winning.”
On another day Galo might have taken Lio up on that suggestion, but he couldn’t muster up that much positive energy today.
“Do you really think the world will burn?” he inquired as the show went to an ad break.
“Some scientists are saying that the temperature of the Earth’s core is rising,” Lio said, his expression turning serious.
Galo had noticed that Lio had been reading scientific journals and articles but he’d assumed that Lio had been doing so in order to prepare for college.
“That doesn’t mean the world is ending…or that it’s because of you and the others like you,” Galo pointed out gently. “Maybe it’s climate change? Or a natural phenomenon that we’ve just never been able to observe before?”
Lio fiddled with the buttons on his Oxford shirt. “Maybe,” he said doubtfully.
Galo had been hoping for some reassurance from Lio when he’d asked his question, but it seemed like Lio was in need of some reassurance himself.
“You’re studying science, right?” Galo asked. “You’ve got that scholarship from the Foresight Foundation?”
Lio nodded in answer.
“So you’ll be able to study that. Find out what’s going on for yourself—and I bet you’ll be able to fix it too.”
“Just how smart do you think I am?” Lio inquired, turning his face up toward Galo. “Smart enough to save the world?”
“Probably smart enough to win this bet, at least,” Galo muttered as the game show resumed.
He was proven right and, as a consequence, was left to clean up their dinner dishes alone.