That night felt like any other for Gyan. The chirping of crickets filled the air as his phone vibrated.
"Gyan, come with me tonight! There's a new game going viral at PR Mall. Let's go!" Rendi's excited voice rang from the other end of the line.
"Ugh, not in the mood, Ren. How about tomorrow?"
"No way! This is going to be epic! Come on, don't say no."
Gyan let out a long sigh. "Alright, alright. I'll go with you."
He got up from his small rented room, crossing the space filled with bodybuilding posters. In the corner, a few light dumbbells were neatly arranged. His physique was athletic—not too bulky, but enough to attract attention. However, one thing had always troubled him since childhood: his poor eyesight. Without his glasses, the world appeared as a shapeless blur.
But tonight, something felt different.
When he took off his glasses for a moment to rub his tired eyes, the world around him looked... strange. Not blurry like usual, but as if it were shifting. Every object had two outlines, with one moving slightly ahead before syncing with the other. An illusion? Or just exhaustion? He shook his head and quickly put his glasses back on. Everything returned to normal.
Throwing on casual clothes and grabbing his motorbike keys, he headed out.
When he arrived at Rendi's house, he clicked his tongue in annoyance upon seeing his friend still lounging around.
"Ren, you were the one who invited me, but you're not even ready. Hurry up!"
Rendi chuckled. "Relax, relax. Just a sec."
On the way to PR Mall, they joked as usual. Their laughter filled the cool night air until Rendi's tone suddenly became more serious.
"Yan, I think I'm going to confess to Selin tomorrow. Will you come with me to buy flowers later?"
Gyan turned, surprised. "Seriously, Ren?! Why didn't you say anything before?"
Rendi scratched his head. "At first, it was just a crush, but last night, I even dreamed about her. So… yeah."
Gyan smirked. "Well, good luck... Eh, wait. Why does the sky look red?"
He stopped his motorbike and looked around. The once-cool night air suddenly felt heavy. The wind had stopped blowing. The temperature dropped drastically, chilling him to the bone. The sky, which should have been dark, now pulsed with a fiery red glow, like an open wound. The air carried the scent of ozone and metal, making his throat dry.
People around them started to freeze in place, their eyes wide in shock. Some pulled out their phones, trying to capture the bizarre sight above, while others instinctively stepped back, as if their primal instincts were warning them of imminent danger.
Then, the air trembled. Not from sound, but from something deeper—a pressure that seemed to distort reality itself.
"Ren, don't just stand there—"
Gyan instinctively grabbed Rendi's arm and pulled him away from the motorbike.
Before they could move further, an old man suddenly appeared before them. His sharp gaze held the weight of someone who had seen the future and returned just to warn them. His clothes were tattered, but his posture was firm—too strong for someone his age.
"Young man..." his hoarse voice carried a strange weight. "You must prepare yourselves… Time is running out."
Gyan and Rendi exchanged glances. "Now's not the time to talk, old man! We have to run!" Gyan shouted.
But the old man simply gave a faint smile. "Perhaps I am what humans call the 'immortal man.' Those who can see me are the ones chosen for the future."
Before Gyan could ask what he meant, a blinding light exploded from the sky, forcing them to shut their eyes.
BOOM!
The world trembled in an instant. The first explosion rocked the earth like a giant awakening from its slumber. Buildings crumbled as if they were made of paper, glass shattered like a rain of daggers. Screams of people mixed with the sounds of debris falling, metal twisting, and fire consuming everything in its path. The scent of burning flesh filled the air, blending with the dust and blood.
Within hours, news of the disaster spread worldwide. But before humanity could even comprehend what was happening, another asteroid struck. Its impact was even more devastating, creating a massive crater and sending waves of destruction across the planet. The sky darkened as volcanic ash blocked out the sun, plunging the world into darkness and despair.
The survivors were not the lucky ones—they were the cursed, forced to witness the end of the world.
Amidst the sea of destruction, Gyan slowly opened his eyes. The world around him was in ruins, yet his body remained untouched. His breathing was steady, as if his body refused to acknowledge the apocalypse.
"Why am I still alive…?" he muttered.
He turned frantically. "Rendi! Where are you…?"
"Ugh, I'm right behind you, idiot… Why are we still alive?"
Before they could say another word, the ash-filled air suddenly shifted. From behind the thick fog, monstrous figures began to emerge. Hundreds of them, standing in formation. They had more than two arms—some had four, others six. Their glowing eyes pierced the darkness, watching Gyan and Rendi like predators finding their prey.
Without hesitation, Rendi grabbed Gyan's hand. "There's no time to think! Run!"
Without argument, Gyan sprinted alongside him, weaving through the wreckage and ruins.
Far away, in the depths of space, other beings turned their gaze toward Earth. Their journey would take years, but their arrival was inevitable. Inside asteroids spanning 500 meters in diameter, they operated under strict hierarchies—slaves, warriors, and leaders controlling each massive rock from within.
Yet among them, one asteroid was different.
It was 10 kilometers in diameter, resembling a fortress rather than a mere space rock. Inside, something beyond words stirred from its long slumber.
A being more than just a destroyer.
A terror that would awaken humanity's deepest fears.
And this was just the beginning.