[The sudden sense of no longer being alone is almost worse than the preceding dread, and Li Lianhua absolutely and visibly jumps out of his skin at the figure of the boy running at him. It's really a good thing this is a dream or that scare might have been enough to finally stop his weak heart. Not that Li Lianhua's dream awareness is faring particularly much better, his mind and body beleaguered by illness and perpetual exhaustion. This close to death, frightening confusion and unreal phantasms of bizarre things could have any number of explanations.

None of which he's any more eager to make eye contact with than the embarrassment of getting jump-scared by Alberto. Luckily there's always dramatics to fall back on, only half an act at best as he presses a steadying hand to his own chest.]

Young man, can't you announce yourself properly? Rushing people out of nowhere, no manners! What are you doing here, eh?