4720 PoCE, unclassified zone

The sky was lightless, empty, soulless. This is how it had always been. The soft crackle of boots on gravel, and the gentle hum of propellers echoed through the silent night. A man followed his drone which lit up the path ahead of him. The beam of light shone through a thick cloud of dust and ash, and onto a cliff. The gentle breeze revealed the pale green pupils hidden beneath his white bangs. He stepped closer to the edge, and stared through the boundless darkness beyond. Nothing but lifeless wastelands stretching countless miles in every direction. He stood in the midst of it all, expecting something.

Minutes passed as he waited. The tips of his lips suddenly tilted upward forming a maniacal grin. One that was further accentuated by the dim illumination of the side of his face. The rocky debris were vibrating, the intensity of which increased every second. Micro fractures were emerging on the terrain beneath his feet.

At an unassuming mountain valley kilometers away, an enormous fissure was expanding. Every second, its dimensions were increasing. Large chunks of earth breaking apart and falling within. A faint sound of grinding earth echoed through its rocky depths getting louder every second. Suddenly, without warning, BOOOOOOM! A massive pillar broke out of the earth, displacing earth in a volcanic burst. Quickly exceeding the height of the mountain and rising further. The rocky avalanche was cascading down the steep mountain terrain, building in size. Finally it culminated in a blast of dust and debris producing a radial shock-wave. The resultant dust storm was zooming toward nearby terrain.

Tens of hours later, Lucius had made it. The pillar's ends stretched miles in both directions, infinitely distant. As the light beam shone upon its surface, he could see his own reflection in perfect clarity. Not a mote of dust tainted its surface. The Godpillar had ascended. A new era was coming. A pathway would open. From manhood to godhood. The darkness would be lit by the flames of hope. And his green eyes burned with flames of ambition that tore the darkness asunder.