2021 AD, Monday, 4:21 AM

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*BOOM*…. *THUMP*

Quickly awoken by what sounds like a large explosion, Devin frantically moves his arms and legs in a panicked manner before falling off the couch he had been sleeping on and hitting the ground in an awkward position.

“Son of a...”

Cursing, he quickly wakes up due to a mix of adrenaline caused by the loud boom and the pain from falling off the couch.

Fully awake now, he slowly gets up and starts to head to the door. Before reaching the door though he realizes that there is a bright reddish light shining into his house from the outside.

In fact, it is so bright that it is even seeping into his apartment through the bottom of his doorway.

“Who the hell is shining a floodlight through my door?”

This isn’t the first time a loud noise has woken Devin up early in the morning. The first time was actually when some idiot was drunk driving on the road and somehow managed to drive his car over the curb and ram their car into his neighbor’s car. He did not get any sleep after that since the neighbor got really pissed and started yelling at the drunk man. It got the point where police had to be called as the neighbor was about to start attacking the drunkard.

However, this is the first time that a bright light was shining into his house. So with a grumble and a pain in his side from falling down, he opens the door.

However, surprisingly to Devin, the light does not get any brighter, nor does it get any dimmer. It just shines at the same intensity as when it was shining through his window. Confused, he looks around to try and find the source of the light.

As he is looking around, the people who occupy the other apartments start to come out as well, seemingly woken by the loud noise and light as well. About as grumpy and annoyed as Devin is, some of them try to look for the light that is ruining their sleep while some of the more acquainted neighbors start to talk to each other.

As he is observing this, he comes to a realization, he hasn’t seen a single shadow.

‘Weird, it's as if the light is coming from everywhere, there should be a shadow somewhere.’

Proceeding to look at the ground by his feet, he doesn’t see even a slimmer of a bodily shadow.

Confused as to why the laws of physics were seemingly being broken, he is startled when he hears his neighbors gasping at the same time.

Looking towards them, he sees them murmuring amongst themselves, eyes wide, with some of them pointing where the sun usually rises. Confused, he turns to see where they are pointing towards and immediately realizes what has them all so shocked.

In what should be the horizon, there is something that is definitely not the sun rising.

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What was rising in place of the sun though, was what seemed like a giant red pillar that had a circular top.

In terms of size, it would be considered a joke if the sun was compared to this monstrosity.

Not even ten seconds had passed since he first saw the massive pillar when he noticed two other pillars rising alongside the first one, with both of the new pillars being about the same size as the first one.

Not knowing what to do, all he can do is stare, waiting for whatever comes next.

After around another 20 seconds of the pillars rising, they grind to halt and stay in the sky.

Though even after they stop, all Devin can do is stare at them.

‘Where the hell did they come from? What are they? Did they stop for a reason?...’

His mind was in chaos, there was no real explanation that he could come up with that could explain what the pillars in the sky were. Even if tried to think of a “reasonable” explanation, his mind simply could not accept every reason due to how absurd they were.

But while he was trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for what the hell was going on, a noise reached his ears.

“G̲̰̜͙̽́͌͗̍ͮ͊r̫ͩe̺̬̾̊̓͒ͣ̃̅́e̤̲ͣ̄̑̓ͬ̋̄t̖͇̘͔̠̞ͦͩ̊i͇͓͌̄ͯ͋̑̊̚n̡̻͓͗ͭͩ̒̍̉́g̼̥̰͂̚s͍̞̈̌̄,̾͏̯̮ ̹̋ͤ̂̋̍s̜̫͓̫͕ͣͮ̈́ͮ͢h̵̟̾̿̓̚e̦͖͔̘͔͚̻̒ͥ͐ͫͮ͐l̋̿͗͛̾ͬ҉̘͉̯̖͚l̷͎͎̎͗̈͂̋s̶͓͔̰̾̊̌͋͒.͛͏̝̟̻͚ ̧͔͚̙͓̖͔̺̐̈́ͩ̐D͐̅҉̳̼̩̮o̦̺̫̬̜̜̖͊̂n̲͎͍̳̰̖͑̿̈͊ͮ͌̂́'̷̦̟͍͈̦̥̊̍t͎̣̓̀̕ͅ ͕̣̰̋̄w̘͍͆͛ͦͩͭ͝o̘̤̻̔͒̊ͅr͙̠̻̠̻̉̐ͥ̌͜r̟̪̒͆̾̂̿ͬͨ͟ͅy̞̳͚͐̉ ̵͖̰͚͙̎ͬy̬̤̘̖̭͆ͯͬͥ͞ǫ̼̳̟̯̘ͤu̢̺̟ͣ̄͐ͅr̺͎̦̯̩̊̄͊̋͞ ̙̬̭ͧͩ͢f̬̽̽͊̈̃̄̕ė͈̰̟ͩ̐̎̽̕e͚̊̍b̩̮̦̰͈̺ͦ́͊͛̌̋̈́l̛̩ͥ̅͌ͅe̷̙̩̪̋̈ ̘͇̱̩̯͎̣ͪͧͯ̿̾̄m̖̭̥͇͎̰̈́̈́ͮi̷̠̠̺̘nͫ͌̈ͦͥ͐̓͞d̴͓͚̤͗ͩͣ̒ͥs̛͇̅ͭ̌͋̌ ̴͈̹͚̳̪̤̺ͬ̌̌̊̎w̾̍͛͛i̊̓t̮̹̘͓̜̟͕̔ḫ̯̠̊̃͗ͨ̿ ̹̦̙͘ͅẅ̭͖́ͮ̄͢h̰͎̟̠̭̙̊́ͅo̥͓̪̒̊̆̓̏̌ ̶̖͎͔̙͙̺ͤ̽I͈̦̯ ̱̩̺̅̑ͪͬ̊ä̹̭̞͓́m̩̹̳̉͟ ̱̝̦̙̯̺̔͊ͧͪ̓ͦo͎͚̫͙̘ͅr͎̣͗̓̊̌͋̕ ͈͓̞̒h̫̺͈̻̻̻̖̆o̡̪͙̞͔̪̝w̤͓̱̜̯̬̬͗̊͒͐͗ͫ͝ ̴̥͕̯̩̹͉I҉̼͍̤̣̗ ̞͋ā̗̰͎͚͟m̬̼̣̟͆ͅ ̈̂̉ͣ͏͕̘͕͇̙̞̯r̶̗̺͙͖͉̘ͪ̐͂̎ͬͣ̀e̟̟͕̪̽͆͆ͮ̔͆a̫̬ͨ̿ͯ͌͟c͈ͫ́̉̚ͅh̪̼̦͇̼̥̜͋͞ǐ̠̦̖̬̪̥n̡̫̫̰̭͍̓g̯̪̻͖͙̰̣ͣ͐ͪ͟ ̛͓̬͖̫̻ͧa̱̹̯͆͜l̮̻̻͉̓l̸̝̟̙̹̰̙̆ ̗͚̱̰͖̜̝̒̍̅̌ͭͪoͪͥͣ͑҉͙͓̼͙f̤̦͎̿͋̒ ̋̈́̀͏y͍̭̝̎̾̽̽o̸͚̟̼̓ͭ̒ͪ̓uͨ͐͛̒͝.̡̙͖̳̫̝ͤ̀ͮ͋̽͛ ̗̼͗̀͐Wͯ̃͗ͥ̽͏͖͙͚̹͓̜h͓̮̰̝̥̲̝ͫ̍͑̊͠a̴͕t̘̗͕̥͆͐ͪ̀͢ ̤̅y͎͉͔̟͊ͩͫͯͭͧ͝o̤͔̣ͪͩͬ̅ͪͭ͋͡ų͙̥̲ͅ ͚͇̟́̍̈̓d̶̦̰̬̘̜͇̣ͦ̐͂o̗͍ͣ̚ ̹͖͔̠̫͙ͨ̋̽͟ͅn̤̘̲̦̥͈ͥͤͅe͍̬͕̹̤͆́e̡̲̮͉̰͕̍̑̃̋ͧ̉͆ḏ̢̼͕̼͉͖̈̀͂ ̹͔̟͚̜͂̃̋ͬͪͯ̉͡t̷̹̩̰̬͇̤̐͋͋ͅo ͕̎͊̓ͩͮk̘͎̠̎̈́͆̈n͓͕̪̓ͨͬo̥̞͉͖̞ͬ̄̉̇͛͌̚̕ͅẉ͎̋ ͏̝̹̥͔̫̩̣i̹͎̝̣͔̺ͭͮs̘̀̍̋̐ ̯̜͕͙̫͎̰ͨ̄̆̀ͤ͊̀ṯ̩ͩͅh̷̲͔̮̓̈̔ͣͯ́a͗͆̋t̘̟̥̙̊̒̅̽̒͜ ̭ͥ̑ͧ͛̿̚f̷̖̝̞̃͒̒o̻͈͙̰ͩ̎ͪ̅̎ͪ̽r̸̖̮͎̪̗͌͆ͥ ̷̳͙̬̥ͭy̹̥̗͠o̷̘̟̅ͨ͋ͣûͩ̍͏̺͖̼r̡͉͍ͩͧ̅ͯ̍̚ ͈͓͚̙̙̹̐̃ͤc͉̼͚ͩ͂̓̾ͦ̽u̞̤͚̯̐ͤ̇ͅr̡̰̰̦͕̜̫̋͂͋ͦr̈́̎͛e̝̳ͮ̋͐͊̄n͂̒̇ͨ̆̄ͅt̯̲͎̮̫̮̓̏̀̋̓ ̸̯̥͕͎̫͌̓ͬͪ̈p͙̝̤̤̍ͥ͆ͭ̄͆̚ǔ͏̜̮̰r̳̺͕͔̗͖̱ͭ͆̈́p̻̬̯̫̳͕̤̆͒͑͆ͭo̢̠̹͕̟s̻̩̼̆̃͌́̊́e͎͎ͤ̈,͉͓̲̜͈́ ̼̙̺̇̀͒ͯy̦̺̦̞̰̞̥͗ͦͦͩͤͪ́o̮̱ͧ̉ͯͣ̐uͫ̉̃̀͊͜ ͔͙̘̈h̶̙̭̗̝̱͔̻ͪͪ͛ͬ̐a̰̗̦̫ͩ̈̐ͧ͐ͅv̷̙̙ḛͮ͆̓̐̒ ̟̖̫̒ͣ͗̇͆̉ẻ̗̤̫̥̘̋ͤͣ͆xͦ̒ͫ̇͏̫̰p̦̥ͩ̎ͥ͗i͍̺̲͔̱̭̘r̗̫̘̦͇̃ͪ̓̌ͭ̄͗ę̱d͏.̰̲̙̦͔̲̲̍ͨͪ̆ͨ͢” ̗͖̫͖̅͒͑ͨ͋̂͊̕

Devin could not understand what the voice was saying at all. Worse, it hurt to even listen to it. But even as he tried to block out the noise by putting his hands to his ears, the voice came through to him all the same.

“B̬̲͚͖̝͊̌e͊̅̿̎ͫ͡ ͥͦ̏̑ͯg̰̥̺͕̤͗͂̾͐̽ͬ͝ͅr̼ͅa̭̟̳͔͔̓͗̊̋̾ͤ̓t̸̜̖̓ͫ̽ͪͧͨe̘̯̩̜͇̯̊͋ͦ̀f̧͚̾ͅu̒͐ͫ͛͛̆̐l ͯ́t͙̬͂ͬ̽̒̽̊̆h͒͆́ͮ̍͐o̢͇̺̯̗̣̰̍̎̽ů̫͔̜͖̈́͛g̞̟̙̣̬̬h̍ͬ͗̓ͫ͏̘̯̖̱,͓͇̬͎̖̘̥ͬ͋ ̖̖̳͚̹͂͂f̙͓o̷͚̮̟̜͖̦͍̊̃͂̌ͪ̀̌r̢͖͓̤̮̱̦͕͒̎̽̾̓ͣ ̸͎͂ͨy̮͠ö̲̼͈́̌̀ͅͅu̪̬ͧ̀̔͝ ̵̪̝̂̽ͥͭh̹̞͍̳ͤ̊ȃ̑̃͂̐ve̖̱̬̮ͤͣ ͖̬̖̬a̜͎̫͔̜͈̋ͪ̓̈̅̍͡ ͓͖̞̣̿͑͑̓͛ͫͅn̘̰̺̯̥̲̫̊̉̅ͥͣͣͧ́e͎̗̩̬̾̅ͥ͐ͦͤ̀ͅẅ͎̩ͫ̐ͫ̓ ̷̱̩̽ͬ͛͂̑̇p̷̰̅ͤu̡̺̜̮͉r͂̅ͮ̐p̴͔̯̤̦̬͋͊̒̐ͬͬ͗o̹̎̿̇ͦͯs̙̩̭̜̖͚e̝͔̫̱̣̙͟!̵̺̥͉̀̾ ̈́̃̆T͋̌̽̐̀̽hi̹͋̋̋͂̋ͪs̩̘͔͚̔ͭ̿̾͟ ̂ͣͥ̇̄̽̂͏̦̯̼n̽e̼̲̅ẃ͖̙̝̝ ͯ͘p̭̖͚̣̼̱̼͊̈́͌̎u͖̼̫r̷̪̈͋ͮ̾̆̑p͋͌̽̆ô͎̟̖̩͎͕ͣ̍̉̂̋ͧs͉̬͉̠̩̍ͦ͂ͬͅê̼̪̓ͭͩ̎ ͋̿͏ṯ̭̟͎̤ͩ̉̂̀̉ͅh͈̭̾̿͗͘o͎̒̿ͮ͐̍̽͊͜ǘ̡̫̞̘͕̍̈́̿ͥg̳̠̫͈̠̼̦ĥ̷̗̼̭ͬ,͔̗̘ ͕̤̫̝̰ͮ͠d̳͚̝͚̊̋̈o̱͈̲̞͔̗̬̐̍͐̂ͬ̏̔͡è̏̀ͫs̜̤̘̙͙ͮ͐̀ͧ̒̿ ̣̰̞ͧ͂̈́̾ͦ͂͗̕n̤̥͚ͩͬo̮̥tͩ͂̽͗̅ ̙͇̰̩t̹͇̀ä̛̳̠͙́͒̋͋k̵̭̟͕ͨ̏̌͂͐͌ẽ̦̯̗͒͒ͩ ̰̺͗p̧ͩ̈͂ͭ̔̔̊ļ̿̏̏̊a̫͍͇ͣ̇͒̂̒͜ͅĉ͖̖͖͎͙̏̔̊̒̉e͝ ̝̟̋w͈̟̱̪̦̣̓͑̔ͯͦḫ͗̋̚e̡ͥ̏̍ͤ̓r͚͓̜̼̦̓̒ͮ̉e̢̖̝͌ͮ̓ ̋̌̿͌̓͒ͫ҉̳̟̠y̪̺͖̼̬̋̔͆ͭ̋̚o͙̩̊̋̔̾ͭ̃ű̠̹͔͔̖̰͋ͅ ͒͗̅ḁ̻͈̙ͮͫͪ͆ͬr̷͙ͭͭͩ̄ͬe͇̦̲̜͆ͪ̈̓͞,̳͖̪͕̯ͬ̄̑͛̑ ͭͦ͋̇̾f̭ͩͨ̑ỗ̪̭̱͎͓͕̤ͬ̀ͩͨ̽ŗͤ̄̇̍ͯ͂ ̢͙͇̬̻̇̆ͣ̇̓ÿ̠̝͓̥̬̗͓ͬ͗̀̅̆̂͝ȏ̸̬͓̞̖͆͌̂̑̂͆u̠̳̰̤͍͉͑̄̈ͥͫ̾ ͍̮̿̈́a̬̫ͩ̿̃̋r̜̥̪͚̺͍̊͑̓̇̽͋͝e҉̙͔̯̰̮̰͕ ̰̳̥͍̩͕̼͌̀uͬͮ̄̇͌ͫn̡͍͚ḑ̣͙̋͌͋e̷͔̫̙̓̓̇̐ͧs̶͎͉̻̮ͭ̽ͬͬͪ̉̈́ͅē̪̔̔̐͘ŗ̟̜͚̄̆v̙͇̜͕͕͌i͖͈͑̂ͤ̚ͅṋ̳̠̫̪͗g͌ͤ̓ͣ͡ ̥͎͚ͦ̈̐͢o͉ͫ̈̎͞f̯ ̔̾̋̊͑͆͂̕s̮̖̼͚̗̫u̜̟̍ͫ̒̀c̱̪̏͗̃ͣ̇̿h̴̄ͥ ̼l̰̥̙̓ͧ͊͊ͦ͗̋̀u̱͈͇̰̰̞͖ͥ̋̀͊́͂̉x͙̯ͧ̄ͧ̑͆̆̾͞u͚͍ͨ͋̄̂̓̿r̥̹̖̟̗̹̣̾y̜̣̔̅͌̿̀.͉̹̫̫̲̅̽͌͒̊͜”

As the voice continued to talk, Devin felt his consciousness slipping from him. As hard as he may try, the pain and uncomfortableness from hearing it was too much for him.

“F̻̜͍͔̦͟õ͍̣̰̬̜̯͋̈́̑͝r̨̭͕͑ ̊ͮͫ̽n̨̜̖̾̆̎ò͓̰̦͉͊͠w̜̬̱̮ ̵̝̹̗̥̺̳̳ͫ̋̾̈́y̶ͣ̐̄ǫ̹͊̑ǔ̘͕̟ͯͪ ̡̞͆̎͗͌̄̈ͯs̘̉ͫͣ̊̇ͨh̠ͮ̏̈́ͫ͊ͅả̯̻̄̂ͪ͛͊́͞l̗̥̞͕̯ͮ̇͒ͯl̸͙͇̮̤ͥ̃̈.̰̯͈͙̽͛̋̆ͦ͜.̺̤̉͋.̶͈̖̠͉̣͇̇ͯ̉”

His mind and body simply couldn’t hold on any longer as he collapsed to the ground.

The last thing he saw before passing out completely was a grey mist enveloping everything around him.