Outside the bar, Eryon paused and looked around.
It was an ordinary New York afternoon. Traffic crawled along the street. People passed by without sparing a second glance. Everything looked routine, painfully so.
He did not stop to appreciate it.
Eryon suddenly broke into a run, weaving through the sidewalk as his eyes scanned the surrounding buildings. To anyone watching, he probably looked like someone fleeing trouble.
No one cared.
Pedestrians stepped aside with brief irritation, then immediately forgot about him. The city swallowed urgency without blinking.
Then he saw it.
An outdoor store.
"Yes," he muttered, already veering toward it.
The door chimed as he entered. The clerk glanced up for a moment, then lost interest just as quickly. Eryon did not slow down.
First priority was a backpack.
He grabbed a thirty-five-liter hiking pack and slung it over his shoulder. Thermal base layer. A plain waterproof shell. Sturdy shoes. A few lightweight items pulled without hesitation. Nothing bright. Nothing attention-grabbing.
Less than ten minutes later, he was wearing the new clothes.
He did not hesitate.
He walked straight out.
The cashier stared after him, eyes wide, mouth half-open.
"Hey…"
The word never made it past his lips.
Eryon was already gone.
---
More than an hour passed.
Eryon stood in a narrow alley, reorganizing the items he would carry. He had just finished eating food better than anything he normally allowed himself. Rich, filling, and gone far too quickly.
First-aid supplies.
Emergency rations.
A bottle of water.
Small tools. A sturdy knife, duct tape, a compact flashlight.
He paused, then shook his head.
The jacket came off.
He kept only the base layer and plain clothes. Nothing that stood out. Now he looked like anyone else moving through the city.
Just another face.
Eryon straightened and adjusted the bag on his shoulder. Everything was ready.
No one nearby had any idea what was about to happen.
He checked his watch.
5:55 PM.
"Five minutes," he murmured. "I am not reliving that scene again."
He closed his eyes.
Traffic hummed. Voices overlapped. Footsteps echoed. Engines idled. The city moved around him, unaware, each sound marking time toward something none of them could sense.
Seconds passed.
Then silence.
The noise vanished in an instant. Cars stopped where they were. People froze mid-step, confusion spreading across their faces as they looked around for an explanation.
Eryon opened his eyes.
A translucent hologram floated before him.
[YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED]
[SYNCHRONIZATION INITIATED…]
[PREPARE FOR INITIAL PHASE: "THE OPENING"]
[IN A FEW SECONDS, YOU WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE WORLD OF "OBLIVION ARK"]
His heart slammed against his ribs.
"This is it," he whispered.
The day everything ended.
And began.
Around him, people stared at the air before them. Voices rose in panic and disbelief. Everyone saw the same thing. No one understood it.
Whether it was a prank or something beyond reason no longer mattered.
Golden light spread outward, wrapping around Eryon, then around everyone else. It shimmered softly, blinding, like dawn breaking through heavy clouds.
Then came the screams.
A final, desperate chorus of fear.
And then silence.
Billions of people were gone.
Just like that.