They say if you stare into the abyss long enough, the abyss stares back at you. It was a famous quote from an old philosopher who lived over a thousand years ago. Although his name had been forgotten over the passage of time, quite a number of interpretations were formed as more and more people contemplated his words. Who would have thought a more literal interpretation of the quote would come to mind on a silent night such as this?
The moon lay hidden behind a blanket of clouds, yet it still shone brightly on the night sky. It illuminated the clump of houses below, moonlight shining over rooftops and through the windows.
Derba Village did not have the luxury of owning a time crystal, more commonly known as Chronosyths, in the village square like other small villages. These purple crystals alone were not able to tell the time, however, as each of them had to be inserted into mechanical contraptions called rune clocks for the crystals to be of any use. It was common knowledge that clocks had been invented a long time ago, even before the ancient magickal civilization rose to power. Unfortunately, since the era of magick and the advent of mages arrived, these clocks along with other machinery became obsolete having lost their main power source as the world was slowly filled with a new magickal energy called mana. With this, a new form of machinery came to light as magick and technology combined into what people now call Rune Machinas.
As these rune clocks, a kind of Rune Machina, were made of iron, silver, and some other precious metals, it was not surprising that a small village like Derba would not be able to afford to procure one.
Instead, the residents of Derba Village relied on the position of the sun when it's up in the sky. They took note of sunrises and sunsets, the length of the shadows, and the coming and going of birds to plan their day accordingly. Even without a sophisticated method of telling the time, the appearance of the moon up in the dark, cobalt-colored sky was enough for the villagers to know it was already deep into the evening. Suffice to say that the residents of Derba Village were already tucked in their beds, snoozing peacefully and dreaming away into the night.
Suddenly, everyone inside the village were rudely awakened in an instant. A few people jerked out of their beds while others fell on the floor with a loud thud. A large tremor not unlike an earthquake roused the residents of Derba Village and everyone else within a hundred kilometer radius awake.
"An earthquake?"
"That's a strong one. Everyone, come out of the house quickly!"
One by one the villagers got out of their houses and stood safely away from anything that might shatter like the glasses on windows. They waited for the quake to come to an end as they tried to remember their dreams. Some of them would have to wake up early tomorrow to harvest the crops while some needed to go to the capital to purchase and trade goods. Although smaller than the average village found across the Kingdom of Rathia, Derba benefited much from its location. Where other villages had to travel at least four days to reach the royal capital Belmore, the people of Derba only had to travel half that number as it was one of the closest village located just south of the capital. It was harvest season again so many would become busy over the next few days. Most of them were already tired due to the previous day's hard work. They would like nothing more than to climb back to bed to continue their sleep.
From time to time, people would experience earthquakes. The residents of Derba Village were not unfamiliar with the concept and unless it was a very strong quake that could cause the ground to split and divide, they would not be all that alarmed. Earthquakes, like the usual bout of rain, would soon pass if they waited long enough. What's more was that they know exactly what and what not to do during this kind of situation and so, although the earthquake startled them at first, it didn't panic them one bit.
By now all of the villagers have already vacated their homes and were standing outside in their pajamas and night clothes. Sleepy-eyed and yawning kids held their mother's hands, not yet aware of the fact that life as they know it would change forever.
A second tremor shook the ground, this one stronger than the first, and many villagers gasped in surprise. Not long after that, a third and fourth wave came and some villagers tumbled to the ground. It seemed like each quake that came were stronger than the ones that came before.
"W-what the heck? What the hell is happening?"
"Mommy, I'm scared!"
"What should we do, dear?"
"Let's all c-calm down, everyone. Don't p-panic and just stay calm."
"Hey, look up there! What is that?"
"Huh?"
Amid the wailing of children and cries of alarm, a few people pointed to the sky. As the tremors continued to come, they realized that it was not just the ground that was shaking; even the sky with the stars, clouds, and the moon shook with each tremor they felt. It was an absurd scene that none of them had ever experienced before.
What captured the villagers' attention more was the set of lines that formed in the middle of the sky. The lines creeped along the night sky like cracks on a piece of glass. The lines spread in different directions, creating cracking sounds that could be heard from hundreds of kilometers away. Soon the lines connected and a huge crack formed above. The crack was shaped like a diamond and the villagers could see that a few "pieces" of the sky were falling.
BOOOM!
With a large booming sound like an explosion, the diamond-shaped crack shattered into several large pieces which fell to the ground. The sky pieces hit the ground, causing more explosions and scattering dust around the area. After the dust settled, the villagers all looked up in unison as if having rehearsed beforehand.
There above was a gaping dimensional crack. Inside the crack was nothing but a vast and dark space incomprehensible to man. It was an empty space that no amount of light could enter nor escape; an abyss that could swallow the world if it so desired.
That fateful night the residents of Derba Village, no, the people all over the Kingdom of Rathia, were struck dumb with fear. They all stood frozen in place, mouths open wide, holding their breaths, and not willing to make a sound. But after a few moments, they could no longer suppress the fear that had accumulated during the incident and many screamed in terror.
A lone giant eye had appeared inside the abyss. Unblinking, it slowly moved from side to side before coming to a halt at the center.
They stared at the endless darkness of the abyss. And the abyss stared back.