The sky turned black.
Not the black of night. Not the black of shadow. A black that seemed to absorb light itself, swallowing the stars, the moon, the very concept of illumination. It was the black of nothingness. The black of before.
Alex stood on the ridge, staring at the void that had consumed the heavens. The darkness inside him was screaming. Not with hunger. Not with rage. With recognition.
"The Eternal," he said. "It's here."
Sebastian appeared beside him, his face pale. "The prophecy. It's happening."
Alex nodded slowly. "I know."
The ground began to shake. The void in the sky began to churn, swirling like a living thing. And from its center, a figure descended. Tall. Regal. His body shifting and changing, impossible to focus on. His eyes burned with a light that seemed to co
