Just a few minutes ago, the air had been filled with music, laughter, and romance. Karl had been bracing himself to finally ask Lily for a dance, but now, everyone was scrambling for cover, desperate to find protection from the earthquake.
Rumble!
Karl dove under a table just as a bottle of wine was about to shatter against his head. He looked around frantically, trying to make sense of the chaos, but the room was filled with screams that sounded like wailing banshees.
Suddenly, everything became still—as if the earthquake had never even visited. The only sound left was the ragged, unsteady breathing of everyone in the room. Karl peeked out and slowly crawled from beneath the table.
The room was a disaster. People were huddled under whatever furniture they could find; those who hadn't found cover were clinging to one another, muttering frantic prayers. As the initial shock wore off, the room erupted into panicked chatter.
Jake crawled out from inside a cabinet and rushed toward Karl. His eyes were wide with terror, and there was a small, dark patch on his pants—though Karl decided not to mention it now. He'd have plenty of time to tease him later.
"Dude, are you okay?! What the hell was that? Man, that came out of nowhere!"
Suddenly, as if hypnotized, everyone in the room began moving toward the window. Jake looked at Karl and raised his eyebrows. Karl shrugged and followed the crowd to see what the commotion was about. Being tall, he was able to see over the heads of the others.
He couldn't believe his eyes. The sky was a bruised, blood-red color, looking as though it had been torn open and was bleeding. A massive rift had formed, and through it, a giant, black, capsule-like mass was visible.
The crowd stood frozen, gawking at the impossible sight. For a moment, Karl wondered if it was some elaborate festival opening staged by a minister to win votes, but he knew deep down it was too real to be a projection. Jake collapsed onto the floor, looking up at Karl for some sign that he was just dreaming or still drunk from the party. Instead, he saw only the terrifying reflection of the sky in Karl's eyes.
Then, Jake did something that made everyone even more uncomfortable. He began to wail.
"Noooo! I don't want to die like this! Mommm, save me!"
Karl knew Jake was a coward, but this was a new low, even for him.
[Aether City]
Just like the guests at the mansion, everyone in Aether City was staring at the sky. Some were crying, others were recording videos and shouting about doomsday. In contrast, school children were cheering while their teachers ran around frantically trying to maintain control.
The black capsule finally revealed its true form, looking like something straight out of a movie. It was a massive spaceship. Its prow resembled a devil's frown, adorned with jagged purple spikes. As it began its descent, the crowd below scattered in a panic. Those unable to escape the landing zone in time were instantly incinerated by the exhaust.
Helicopters swarmed the ship like angry hornets. A voice boomed through a megaphone: "Whoever you are, show yourself! If you don't, we will blow this entire thing to bits. We won't wait long! Reveal yourself now!"
The civilians nearby panicked even more.
"No! They can't do that! We're still here!"
"Yeah! Stop!"
The shouting died instantly when a heavy Beep... Beep... Screech! echoed through the air. The ship's doors began to hiss open, and a heavy, suffocating aura spread across the city. People strained to see inside, but the interior was filled with a darkness so pure it seemed to be bleeding out into the streets.
Shwoosh! Shwoosh!
It happened too fast to process. Thick, black tentacles lashed out from the entrance, snagging the helicopters from the air and dragging them into the darkness of the ship. No one dared move. If there was one thing everyone shared in that moment, it was pure, unadulterated terror.
[Jake's Mansion]
Jake's continuous whining echoed through the halls. Finally, a man Karl didn't recognize stepped forward and hauled Jake to his feet. The guy had blonde hair with streaks of grey, a snake tattoo coiled around his arm, and a look that gave off major "annoying NPC" vibes.
"Shut up, dude," the man snapped. "None of us know what's happening, okay? And we don't have time to babysit you right now."
Karl had to admit, despite the guy's looks, he was sensible. Jake finally went quiet. Karl tried to contact Binnet on his phone, but of course, there was no answer.
Karl stood up and addressed the room. "Guys, I think we should go out there and see exactly what's happening."
The blonde guy scoffed. "Are you crazy? Can't you see there's something seriously wrong out there?"
"And are you dumb?" Karl shot back. "I'm saying we should go because something is wrong. We need to know what we're dealing with."
Jake let out a short, nervous snort. "Never mind me, guys. Carry on."
Karl sighed and looked at the group. "Fine. Let's vote on it."
The vote ended in a dead heat. The only person left was Lily. She looked at Karl and then at the others. "I think we should know what's going on," she said softly. "I mean, we can't just stay here and pretend everything is normal, right?"
Karl felt a small surge of pride. He cleared his throat and nodded. "Then let's go find out what this is."