The summer festival raged throughout the night. Lanterns strung between buildings lit up the streets. The streets were thick with the scents of roasted fowl and candied fruit. The laughter of children mixed with the crack of fireworks and the deep, thrum of drums echoing off the stone walls. Celebrations rang across the Ar'Zhaal Empire, the war was over and they were the victors. Soldiers still in half-tattered uniforms were embraced by strangers, their dirt covered medals glinting beneath the lantern light. Children carried miniature drums through the streets, mimicking the performers.
Closer to the outskirts of the city, festivities had died down, people readied themselves for sleep, or else they wouldn't be able to leave bed the next morning. A man tucked his giggling daughter into bed, he brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, marvelling at how much she had grown in the years he had been gone. Her room still faintly smelled of the lavender oils his wife used to love. At this moment the peace finally felt real. He told her a story of her mother, how she was the best singer Ar'Zhaal had ever seen, he then said a small prayer over her. As his daughter began to snore he crept out of her room, with the sound of the doors click he sighed in relief. Wind whistled through the balcony door, he made his way over and leaned on the railing staring into the night sky. He was glad to be back, to see his daughter.
He unravelled a small sweet from his pocket and placed it into his mouth as he enjoyed the view and the freedom. Rolling the wrapper in his fingers he caught a glimpse of a shooting star in the distance. Intrigued he leaned closer to the edge of the balcony. A fiery orange ball rolled through the sky, followed by another and another. As he gazed into the starry night he witnessed small orange wisps drifting through the sky. One landed on his hand, burning the skin. He yanked his hand back, rubbing the singe mark with his thumb. As he breathed out in discomfort, a high whistling sound hummed in his ears. Facing up he noticed one of the balls of flame growing larger. In an attempt to protect himself he covered his face with his arms and curled his body tighter. Expecting a collision he was surprised to find, that the ball had missed him. Falling onto the railing beside him. Peeking through the gaps in his fingers he saw it. A glowing chunk of amber stone, he could see it vibrating with some sort of power, he scooped it off the railing, the temperature was close to boiling water. Staring into it's core, he felt it pulsing in his hands. The heat of the stone seeped into him, not only did he feel re-energized but he felt different, only slightly. As he admired the stone with a fierce curiosity, its vibrations grew stronger it began to rattle in his hands. The force it was creating caused him to drop it, it crashed into the floor, small shards splintering off and seemingly disappearing into the night sky. It continued to rattle and shake on the floor with more ferocity than before. A noticeable hum began to emanate from it. As the man stared down onto the dancing stone, the ground beneath him became illuminated, however it was not due to the stone. Tilting his head up he stared straight into the eyes of the sun. Crashing down from the sky was a flaming comet, igniting the very atmosphere as it fell. The stone crackled with power as it tore the sky in two. The mans eyes became lost in the blaze of orange fire that filled the sky. Through the mirage of colours, his mind returned to the present.
His daughter.
Rushing back into his house he ran to his daughters door, he slowly opened it making sure not to wake her, before quickly shuffling to her bedside, before cradling her in his arms. Her tired limbs wrapped around his neck as tears began to streak down his face. As light spilled through the windows as the comet drew closer he only held her tighter, for he knew this was the last time. He would ever hold his daughter.
Temple bells began to ring, frantic and uneven. People poured into the streets in confusion, their joy turned to screams. The air stank of ash and molten stone, the sky glowed as if dawn had come too soon. The comet collided with the outskirts of the Ar'Zhaal empire, skidding along the ground destroying homes and town squares. Houses untouched by the impact burst into flames, unable to resist the grand heat emitting from the comet. It crushed everything in it's wake, it continued to slide and spin, further destroying the empire. People ran in fear, giving any attempts they can to avoid the collision, people too close to the comet burst into flames, becoming piles of ash along what was left of the streets. As the comet slowed it damage only increased, the weight of the stone sunk into the ground leaving flaming trenches in its path. When it reached the centre of the empire, it halted.
Then it began to beat.
Like the rhythm of a heart, the stone pulsed, sending shockwaves across the continent. Shards of the stone scattered around the empire began to drag along the streets and alleys, attracted to the comet. As each fragment collided with the ever-growing mass, its pulses became stronger. Once they had reached there peak, there was silence. Close to the stone, you could hear pressure building, the heat surrounding the stone only grew hotter, streets around the stone began to melt away, turning into magma that flowed throughout the whole empire. As pressure built further, the humming grew louder. Once the stone had charged and brimming with energy, it released a shockwave that levelled what was left of the Ar'Zhaal empire. The shockwave carried over the country, tearing trees from their roots and disturbing all life both small and large. Faint traces of the shockwave floated through the rest of the continent, now forever changed.
Days later, those who survived on the fringes of the empire spoke of shapes moving in the fire, as if the souls of the people lost were trapped in the stone. Many inhabitants of the continent recall of the night, the death that came with it. Some tell different stories of how they saw it, but one fact remained true across all tales. Before everyone's eyes, the sun fell from the sky.