The first attack came without warning.
Julian was in the Hall of Echoes, studying the ancient symbols with Sarah, when the ground began to tremble. The symbols on the walls flickered, dimmed, then blazed with an angry red light. The song of the multiverse faltered, a discordant note that echoed through the fabric of reality.
"What's happening?" Sarah asked, her voice sharp with alarm.
Julian was already moving. "Something's wrong. Something's attacking the song."
They burst from the Hall of Echoes into the streets of the First City. The beings were running, their forms flickering with fear. The sky was darkening, a shadow spreading across the heavens like spilled ink.
And in the center of the plaza, a figure stood alone.
It was tall, thin, its form shimmering like heat haze. Its face
