The Earth has reached the threshold. Initializing the apocalypse…

Starting the trial.

Good luck, Earth, for the beginning of the end.

(Spoken by an unknown god)

New York City, 11:58 PM

The city that never sleeps was alive with its usual cacophony. Streets were bustling with late-night wanderers, cars honking as they maneuvered through the crowded avenues, and shops still illuminated, drawing in the last-minute shoppers. The sidewalks were filled with people: some engrossed in their smartphones, others lost in their thoughts, a few simply savoring the moment. Families strolled leisurely, children running ahead with carefree joy, and couples huddled close, sharing warm smiles and laughter.

Street performers added their own rhythm to the night—a saxophonist’s smooth melodies mingling with the rhythmic beats of a breakdancer. Laughter echoed from cafes and diners, where friends gathered to unwind. The skyscrapers, reaching for the heavens, were alive with activity. Some were quiet with the sounds of people winding down for the night, while others buzzed with those just starting their day. New York’s heartbeat was vibrant, pulsing with the life of its denizens.

A child, no more than seven years old, walked hand in hand with her mother. The little girl suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed skyward. Her mother, preoccupied with their shopping bags, barely noticed at first.

“Anna, what’s wrong? Why have you stopped?” Her mother’s voice held a touch of irritation, though there was a softness beneath it. “I’ve already bought you enough treats for tonight. No more, okay? Come on, we need to get home.”

But Anna didn’t move. Her eyes remained locked on the sky, a look of wonder and confusion etched across her face. The mother turned, seeing her daughter’s unmoving form. She frowned and walked back to her, ready to pull her along, but Anna’s eyes were still wide, her gaze fixed with an intensity that made the mother’s heart race.

The mother followed Anna’s gaze and felt her breath catch in her throat. The night sky, usually a serene blanket of black adorned with twinkling stars, was now a disturbing shade of blood red. The moon, typically a gentle, calming presence, was now a menacing crimson orb hanging ominously above. The sight was so surreal that it seemed to warp the very fabric of reality.

The red sky seemed to pulse with a strange, malevolent energy. It was not just the color but the entire ambiance that filled the air with a sense of dread. The usual city noises fell away, replaced by an eerie, almost oppressive silence. The mother’s heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing the panic rising within her.

People on the streets, once animated and vibrant, now stood still, frozen in place as if time itself had been suspended. Their faces were masks of terror, their eyes wide with an understanding of something they couldn’t quite grasp. The mother could see the same fear reflected in the eyes of those around her—fear of something so immense, so unknowable, that it rendered them helpless.

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The fear was not merely of the unnatural sky; it was an instinctive, primal terror that seemed to seep into every corner of their being. It was as if their bodies were receiving a warning from their deepest instincts, an alert of an impending calamity so great it defied comprehension.

As the city’s clock tower struck midnight, the first sign of horror became apparent. A chilling, metallic clang reverberated through the streets, pulling the people back to their senses, but it was too late. The scene that unfolded next was one of sheer, unadulterated terror.

Anna’s hair began to disintegrate into fine dust, her tears turning to particles that floated away into the crimson sky. Her mother’s scream was strangled in her throat as she watched her daughter, her beloved Anna, gradually turn to dust. The dust particles were pulled upwards, mingling with the strange, red sky. It wasn’t just Anna—every person around them began to disintegrate in the same horrifying manner. Faces contorted in fear, and bodies turned to dust, which drifted toward the sky, leaving behind a surreal, ghostly residue.

The mother watched in stunned horror as her own hands began to crumble. The once-vibrant city was now a scene of chaos and despair. The panic in the air was palpable, but it was as if everyone was trapped in a nightmare from which there was no waking. The reality was dissolving around them, leaving behind a void filled with terror.

Complete silence descended upon the world.

The earth, once bustling with life, was now an empty shell. Not a single sound could be heard—not the hum of machines, not the chirping of crickets. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. What had been a planet full of people and animals was now devoid of movement, left in a state of eerie stillness.

Then, the transformation began.

Cracks appeared in the once-unblemished sky, spreading like spiderwebs across the heavens. The red sky seemed to fracture, and the dust from the vanished people was pulled into these rifts. The earth itself seemed to be undergoing a metamorphosis. The once solid ground was now cracking open, revealing an unsettling, alien substance seeping out. This matter, when in contact with human-made technology, turned into a strange gas that shimmered and twisted in bizarre patterns.

As this new substance interacted with trees and nature, something extraordinary happened. Trees began to grow at an accelerated rate, their branches stretching out as if reaching for a lost time. The earth itself seemed to rejuvenate, reclaiming what was once artificially suppressed. Buildings crumbled and then reconstructed in a strange, ancient style. Technology that had once defined human progress turned into wisps of gas, dissipating into nothingness.

The visuals were surreal. The modern world was vanishing, replaced by a primeval landscape. Animals that had been long extinct began to reappear, their forms emerging from the cracks in the fabric of reality. Nature, once controlled and tamed, was now reclaiming its dominion, growing wild and unchecked.

Rifts and portals began to open up, giving glimpses of other worlds—worlds that would soon merge with Earth.

These rifts were like windows to other realms, showing tantalizing, mysterious landscapes beyond human comprehension. The merging of worlds was no longer a distant fantasy but an imminent reality, setting the stage for the trials and challenges that lay ahead.