Lord of Cages - Vessel

Prologue

Prologue

Many prophecies and guesses had been made throughout the ages about the apocalypse. What happened fit none of them.

It was a warm summer night when the world, as was known, ended. A soft breeze blessed the hot and crowded streets, promising a more refreshing tomorrow. The stars shone brightly in the dark blue sky, assuring the world that everything was in its right place.

Nothing seemed to predict what was coming. There was no warning.

It began with the sound of deafening thunder. The people who looked up and realized there were no clouds, that the sky was as clear as it could be, were the first to be alerted.

Dogs barked everywhere, frightened and angry, their inexplicable nerves contagious to the people. Until everything was silent, the breeze abruptly died and a heavy, tense atmosphere settled in. It felt hotter than before, the air felt thicker and, deep down, buried within an instinct long forgotten, everyone knew something was wrong. But no one wanted to believe it.

There is always an explanation.

For a few minutes, the determination to make sure everything was alright drove everyone to follow through with their lives, shrugging and commenting, trying to put the oddity behind.

 Then, the second thunder, loud enough to echo through the big cities. Some people stopped in the streets, some stopped their cars, others came to the window, all gazing up at the empty sky.

Complete darkness fell upon them, every light was turned off and every electronic device failed. Complete, unexplained blackout. It was like something had pulled the plug off the Earth. The stars shined no more, like the sky had been turned off. 

Men have feared the dark and the unknown for long. They defied it every day, so once it took over, disaster followed. Chaos ensued, panic, fear, confusion and screams. The world had gone blind.

The worst hadn’t even started yet.

The sky shattered and a strong, blindingly clear light fell from the infinity above. Something was falling, but no one could understand what. Once it finally hit the ground, everything was braced with silence once more.

A wave of power hit them, a wind so strong and fast, it couldn’t possibly be natural, shattering glass and breaking the most fragile objects in its way. For a moment, the only light in the world came swiftly and blood red, like the most sadistic photograph, from the place where something had fallen and landed. People screamed and run, convinced they had been hit by a powerful bomb.   

Finally, the light returned. And what a vision it brought with it.

A giant, a monster, a terrifying vision of darkness, evil and terror. The creature was taller than any building, stronger than any weapon, hungrier than any beast. It devoured, destroyed, burned and ruined. Its long arms had claws with only the purpose to tear and rip, its long snout had a perpetual, petrifying, evil smile to it, its eyes burned with malice and killing intent.

Humanity never saw it coming. They were not prepared.

For seven days and seven nights, the vicious giant tore the world apart. Its only purpose seemed to be complete annihilation. It walked the Earth on disproportionately long legs with the sole intent to destroy and to feast.

Humanity fought valiantly and united, but the weapons that were so fatal and effective on their world barely affected the infernal creature.

The world was in flames. Shattered as quickly and easily as peoples’ notions of reality. Hunger, disease and death walked the Earth alongside the beast. Entire nations fell. People put their faith in something higher, begging for salvation, asking what had been done that was so terrible to warrant such harsh punishment.

On the seventh night, as quickly and mysteriously as the giant had appeared, it suddenly vanished. The only proof to its existence were the ashes and remains of a broken world and the scarred memories of those who had survived the longest seven days History had ever seen.

People all around Earth sighed in relief and joy. Celebrations were held, lost lives mourned, promises made and a new, bitter and stronger taste for life was born. Humanity had survived, but knew the world would never be the same.

The monster’s legacy was only just beginning.

After that first one, more kept coming.

But now they were ready.