"THE WORLD IS ENDING!"
A woman's wail shattered through the chaos, her voice barely heard over the howling wind.
"RUN! SAVE YOURSELVES!"
Men, women, and children ran through the streets, their faces streaked with terror. The sky, once a burning gold under the relentless Solaria heat, had turned an unnatural black. The air was thick, suffocating, as if the gods themselves had abandoned Orinthia.
"Mother! Don't leave me! Please, help me!"
A little boy tripped, his tiny hands reaching out for the mother who had already disappeared into the frenzied crowd. A man shoved past him, desperate to outrun the storm, stepping over the child without a second glance.
Buildings trembled. Roofs tore off. Stone walls cracked under the unseen force. The temple bells rang, not by human hands, but by the violent shaking of the earth itself.
Inside the sacred temple, three priests knelt before the altar, chanting prayers that drowned beneath the roar of the storm. Their hands shook, their foreheads pressed against the cold marble floor.
An invisible hand carved across the stone walls, slashing deep symbols into the sacred halls. Blood-red light oozed from the letters as they spread like veins through the temple, twisting into a language long lost to time.
"What in the Creator's name…." Elder Kareth's voice trembled as he stepped back in shock.
The High Priest appeared at the entrance, eyes glowing with divine light. As he stepped forward, the ancient words burned brighter, as if recognizing him.
Then, he spoke. His voice trembled with fear, yet held the weight of undeniable truth.
"A child shall be born to the royal family, beneath a moonless sky… bearing the seal of the Creator. Through him, peace will flourish. But beware… if darkness touches his soul, the world shall burn."