The air was still. Not a single leaf rustled.
Lex stood in the middle of a ruined wasteland, boots sunk in cracked earth. Above him, the sky churned with thick, storm-black clouds. Cyan lightning slashed across the heavens—violent, endless, alive.
His heart pounded.
He didn't know how he got here. Just moments ago, he was laughing. Joking. Probably getting smacked on the head for acting dumb. But now… now it felt like the world was about to end.
"Where am I?" he whispered, breath shaking.
A boom echoed. The sky cracked open.
And from the heart of the clouds… it came.
A colossal silhouette loomed in the sky. A creature—no, a monster. Its crimson eyes burned through the darkness like two suns dripping blood. Its shape was unclear, but Lex could feel it. He didn't need to see the details to know…
This was death.
Sweat dripped from his chin. His legs trembled, frozen. His hands wouldn't move. He was staring into the abyss—and it was staring back.
The monster raised one arm.
Lex screamed.
And then—
He woke up.