Paper Planes

Prologue

The world was ablaze with chaos, a seething cauldron of terror and destruction. The acrid scent of smoke permeated the air, a bitter cocktail of burning debris and scorched earth that clawed at the back of my throat. Panic and desperation echoed in my ears, a dissonant cacophony that drowned out the final gasps of Earth's once-vibrant existence.

The cataclysmic event that plunged the world into panic was the impact of an extinction-level comet. Its fiery descent tore through the atmosphere, leaving devastation in its wake. The heavens themselves seemed to weep as the comet carved its path, streaking across the sky like a celestial harbinger of doom.

The scent of burning debris mixed with the metallic tang of fear, creating a suffocating atmosphere that hung thick in the air. The skyline, once adorned with towering structures, now crumbled into chaotic silhouettes against the backdrop of an apocalyptic sky painted in shades of fiery red and ominous black.

As I stumbled through the debris-strewn streets, the ground beneath my feet felt like a treacherous terrain of broken dreams and shattered hopes. Each step resonated with the relentless beat of a funeral dirge, the rhythm of a world spiralling into chaos. The once-familiar landmarks now lay in ruins, their skeletal structures reaching desperately towards a sky that seemed to have abandoned them.

The distant sounds of crumbling buildings and the haunting cries of despair merged into a disconcerting symphony. The wails of sirens, the crashing of collapsing structures, and the thunderous roar of the comet's descent all mingled in a nightmarish cacophony that echoed through the desolate streets.

The air itself seemed to carry the weight of impending doom, thick with the stench of ongoing destruction. The heat was oppressive, like the breath of a vengeful dragon, licked at my skin. The scorching air burned my lungs, mirroring the intensity of the fiery cataclysm unfolding around me.

Faces blurred in the smoke and tears; distant sounds of screams merged with the roaring inferno above. The chaotic scene unfolded like a surreal nightmare, and I fought to keep my footing in a world unravelling at the seams. The ground beneath my feet was a mosaic of shattered glass and twisted metal, each step a precarious negotiation with the remnants of a shattered reality.

I couldn't stop running; I couldn't stop looking for him.

The last words I uttered to him were, "I wish I never met you in the first place." Regret and longing welled up in my eyes. How could I have said such hurtful things to him? I feared I wouldn't get the chance to resolve our heated argument as the world was coming to its demise.

As the world crumbled around us, my only desire was to be by my husband's side, to hold him close and utter words of apology for the harsh words I'd spoken. I'd always love him in every lifetime. He was my soulmate.

My eyes darted through the disorienting tumult, scanning frantically for a familiar face. Each step felt like wading through a sea of bodies, the desperation intensifying as I called out my husband's name. People shoved and pushed in a fear-fueled frenzy, the very air pulsating with the raw energy of panic.

The distant silhouette of a man flickered through the chaos, and my heart leapt with hope. "Wait!" I screamed, my voice barely audible over the cacophony. Another rock plummeted near me, and a burst of liquid flame splashed onto my hand, causing me to scream in pain. My cries were lost among the thousands of others, swallowed by the chaos.

Shaking off the fragment of hot rock, I looked up, realizing I'd lost track of the man I desperately sought. Flames erupted from the crashing pieces of the comet above, casting an eerie glow over the desperate scene. The air crackled with the heat of destruction as blazing fragments collided with buildings, sending showers of sparks and debris in every direction.