But just as the day unfolded like any other, something unnatural began to happen. The clear blue sky shifted, its color draining into a dark orange hue, tinged with red. At first, the Minotaur were puzzled. Many assumed it was yet another weapons test; only a few days ago the military had dismissed a strange phenomenon as the trial of a new system.
But as more and more lifted their gaze upward, the truth became clear. Crowds gathered in the streets and at windows, eyes wide in shock as they saw the source of the change.
High above, in the sky and beyond that in spacea new star had appeared—brilliant, violent. And if one looked closely, they could see it wasn't just shining. It was erupting, explosions bursting across its heart, burning against the dark.
