She is Asian, wearing a calm, dark-colored hoodie and a denim skirt that falls below her knees.
Flat shoes are on her feet, and the leather strap of her bag hangs across her shoulder.
A wide-brimmed Panama hat blocks the golden Santa Barbara sunshine, and light brown sunglasses half-conceal her beauty.
The overall impression is that of typical tourist street fashion. Thanks to this, it is difficult to gauge her exact nationality.
She stays at the edge of the pier near West Beach until well past noon, taking in the sea breeze with her whole body. As noon approaches, people begin to crowd the wharf. It is especially busy near Moby Dick Restaurant at the end of the pier. Turning her head toward the restaurant, she thinks to herself:
The seafood tacos here are truly delicious…
The beach is strangely quiet. Even in winter, West Beach is usually crowded with people playing volleyball, jogging, and cycling, but today it feels unusually empty.
She checks the time on her phone.
I should get going now…
With a steady and disciplined gait, like a model walking a runway, she moves toward the entrance of the wharf. She glances at the dolphin sculpture—a symbol of Santa Barbara—quietly mutters "Bye-bye" to herself, and heads toward State Street. In this place, the temperature rarely drops below freezing, even in winter. Such mildness is not a luxury everyone can enjoy. Santa Barbara remains a dream city for the American upper class and a sanctuary for the wealthy and retirees.
As she reaches downtown, a large-scale protest comes into view, with people holding pickets and shouting slogans.
University students, teachers, and local residents fill the streets.
"WAKE UP AMERICA," "ICE OUT OF 805," "NO KINGS"
Such phrases are written on the pickets.
Police are also deployed, but they do not appear to be in a defensive posture.
This is likely because the grim atmosphere of a riot, often seen in large cities, is absent.
She scans her surroundings as she passes through the crowd. Hardly any Hispanics or Asians are visible. In a city where the Hispanic population plays a vital role in the local economy, the presence of undocumented immigrants is unavoidable.
Knowing they would be the primary targets of ICE crackdowns, the minorities have avoided the downtown protest.
Regardless of the atmosphere, she walks at a steady pace toward the Arlington Theatre.
A large truck is parked on the left, and three young men are talking beside it. They stop their conversation when they spot her.
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"Hey, China woman!"
One of them yells.
"Yellow!"
Another sneers. The three of them step forward as if to block her path. They are not large in build and generally look young.
"Are you an illegal?" "Where do you think you're going?"
Mocking words pour out in a disorderly fashion.
She instinctively realizes what kind of people they are. They are entirely different from the peaceful protesters she just passed.
I really hate this kind of thing lately… She thinks this to herself and then says lowly:
"Step back."
The three men hurl insults. She feels one of them preparing to lunge. His intention to grab her and drag her away is clear.
She does not blink. Like an old tree, she stands firmly in place, staring straight at them.
"Wait a moment," she says.
From her small bag, she takes out a small silver sphere. It is a size that fits perfectly in her palm. She drops it onto the ground with indifference.
The moment the sphere touches the ground, it suddenly floats up and hovers in the air above the heads of the three men.
Instantly, the three men collapse to their knees, clutching their ears. Groans of "Ah, ah!" break out, and blood begins to trickle from their ear canals.
She silently passes by them as they writhe in pain. The sphere flies forward and nestles softly back into her hand.
She mutters to herself:
I shouldn't let my emotions take over. Lately, I'm losing control… What should I do?
She nearly arrives at the Arlington Theatre located in downtown Santa Barbara. The Arlington Theatre is a historic 2,000-seat Spanish-style venue that opened in 1931.
When she arrives at the theatre, a long line has already formed.
Today is the day of a live broadcast of America's Got Talent, a rare event for Santa Barbara.
It seems the Arlington was specifically chosen for this AGT session because its scale is relatively smaller than other venues.
She has a ticket, and her seat is to the right of the judges' panel.
Looking up at the ceiling of the Arlington Theatre, a deep navy blue resembling the night sky is twinkling.
The second-floor balcony is decorated like a Spanish village, and the fabric of the red seats calms her mind. As time passes, the theatre fills with the audience, and everyone waits for the appearance of the judges.
It is showtime.
As the afternoon passes, news begins to surface about unidentified aerial phenomena discovered outside the United States, but it is not yet enough to capture public attention. It is insufficient to break the tranquility of Santa Barbara. The people here have come to enjoy themselves and to savor life.
As the contestants' performances begin, the theatre is covered in applause for every impressive act.
After the first half ends, the production crew prepares an event corner for the audience.
It is a time for some members of the audience to enjoy some entertainment during a brief stage-resetting period before the main competition resumes.
A so-called ‘Hype Man’ climbs onto the stage, calling out to the audience to induce singing or dancing.
He shouts into the microphone:
"Is there anyone with a song or a talent? Raise your hand!"
At that moment, the Asian woman sitting to the right of the judges immediately raises her hand high.
"Over here! I'll show you a magic trick!"
With a loud voice and quick hand gestures, the Hype Man's gaze locks onto her.
"Come up to the stage!"
She walks out to the center of the stage. She is dressed casually and stands about 160cm tall, but her striking beauty instantly captures the attention of the judges and the audience.
When the Hype Man asks where she is from, she replies that she will say after the magic trick is over. Then, in a slightly shy but clear voice, she says:
"I will show you magic from the 22nd century."
"The 22nd century? Not even the 21st?"
"Haha… Yes. You'll see when you watch it."
The Hype Man says with a laugh: "Alright! Then show your magic in front of this audience!"
Standing in the middle of the stage, she takes four small silver spheres from her bag. And one by one, she rolls them toward the four corners of the stage.