Silence settled between them, yet Viola's mind refused to rest, thoughts crashing into one another as the weight of Elizabeth's words sank deeper into her chest
Millions of years of worlds being consumed, civilizations erased as if they were nothing more than passing entertainment
And now Earth stood next in line
Viola slowly lowered her pen, eyes fixed on the tiny dragon who now lazily rolled onto her back, legs in the air as if the entire conversation had been nothing serious at all
"So in the future," Viola asked quietly, "more rulers will come here too, right?"
Elizabeth cracked one eye open
"Eventually, yes, but only during the final phase. First come the beasts, then the stronger ones, then the calamities, and finally the rulers descend one after another. That's the usual pattern"
A chill crawled along Viola's spine
Final phase
The moment humanity truly collapsed
She clenched her jaw
