It had been an ordinary day in the village. Young Gray played with the other children in the street.
The houses here were built from whatever was easiest to scavenge—stone, wood, and debris left behind by the old world.
The sun shone brightly, but suddenly, the peaceful silence was shattered by a panicked cry:
— The Administrators are coming!
Every able-bodied villager grabbed their weapons and rushed to defend the settlement. But only a single man stood before them.
— This is the end.
That was all he said.
The stranger moved forward with eerie calm. His clothing was practical yet carried an aristocratic air. His posture radiated readiness.
The warriors charged. The mages began chanting spells.
He dodged every attack effortlessly, as if moving through slowed time. An almost... displeased expression flickered across his face.
Boom.
The men surrounding him were flung aside. Some collapsed unconscious. Others fled in terror.
"What's happening…? So cold… So terrifying…" Little Gray crouched in the cellar, dust and debris raining from the ceiling.
The fighters attacked again. Fireballs hurtled toward the invader. The earth split beneath his feet—
But he was no longer there. In one motion, he seized a warrior and hurled him into the crowd, then launched an energy blast after him.
Boom.
Chunks of flesh and blood sprayed in all directions.
— What in hell is happening out there?! — an old man whimpered in the corner. A mother clutched her wailing infant.
The surviving fighters broke and ran. But many dropped mid-flight, lifeless before they hit the ground.
Realizing their defenders had failed, the villagers scattered. Yet those who fled beyond the village limits ran straight into soldiers.
— Leave no survivors.
The Administrator's order was absolute.
People hid, praying not to be found.
The bodies of the village's protectors lay strewn across the ground, their frozen eyes wide with horror.
The man rose into the air—a celestial executioner passing judgment. A colossal sphere of energy coalesced between his palms. He clenched his fist—
Flash.
That was the last thing Gray remembered.