The village was silent.
The light of Ruya and Siamon slowly descended from the sky, spreading silence along the dim streets. The houses were open, doors ajar, and bodies lay scattered in all directions on the streets. No wind, no bird sounds—as if this place no longer belonged to the world.
Zaber lay in the village center.
He appeared unconscious, but he was aware of himself. His body could not move, yet his mind was elsewhere.
Spiritual World
Zaber opened his eyes and awoke in the spiritual world.
He slowly looked around.
The black sun hung suspended in the center of the sky. It gave no light—instead, it seemed to devour everything. Beneath it lay a black sea, still, its surface smooth as glass, yet its depth endless. In the distance, blue clouds hung—they did not move, as if time had frozen here.
Zaber spoke in a loud voice, his words echoing back in the emptiness:
"Where are you, X?! We succeeded!"
He called again.
Again.
