At a public square in the heart of the city, more than a thousand people had gathered, making the place overcrowded. However, instead of the usual chatter and liveliness that once filled the air, an eerie silence hung over the crowd, with their faces unusually serious and somber, an extremely heavy air had formed.
Everyone's attention was fixed on the giant billboard. Instead of displaying the usual advertisements, it was broadcasting a live stream - a frightening and gruesome one at that, filled with blood and horror. Normally, having such a live stream in the city center would have been inconceivable. However, this particular live stream was not restricted to just this public square; it was broadcast in every district, in every country, on every television, and even on every smartphone. The government and authorities were unable to remove it, even with their most experienced technicians or genius hackers.
But it was to be expected, after all, this incident was not even human-made…
Orion recalled that fateful day while clenching his fists.
It started as an ordinary day, just like any other, until a mysterious cube, with the size of the pyramid of Giza, suddenly materialized out of thin air above every country and major city. Soon after, a strange and sudden interference disrupted all televisions, computers, and smartphones.
An eerie voice announced its presence, identifying itself as a 'higher being,' although Orion had his doubts, they did possess technology far above human-kind.
Their goal? It was laughably simple, even crude. Just as the Romans built the Colosseum or how crowds gathered to watch a public execution in ancient times – these 'higher beings' sought nothing more than raw entertainment.
They randomly selected a few people to participate in a livestream of massacre and horror. If humans managed to survive all trials, the aliens will back away from earth, however, if everyone in the livestream died, then earth and everything living there, would be destroyed.
At first, many believed it to be an elaborate prank, until people began vanishing before their very eyes, including Orion's little sister.
Orion eyes darkened as he remembered.
Amid this crisis, governments around the world quickly mobilized, employing every available method to dismantle the cube, but their efforts proved futile. Despite deploying their strongest weaponry, they couldn't so much as scratch the cube's metallic surface.
As panic intensified, scientists working tirelessly finally made a shocking discovery: hidden within the cube was a bomb with the catastrophic power equivalent to that of fifteen nuclear bombs.
Now, imagine such a bomb in every major city, in each country?
That would simply mean the end of the world. There was nothing anyone could do but to watch the livestream and support the unfortunate few chosen, and pray for their survival. It wasn't just a matter of humanitarian concern but because the entire planet and everyone living on it depended on them.
That had been their situation seven years ago. Now, their circumstances were far worse... there was only one survivor left on Earth, a fellow compatriot no less.
"Ahh!" There was a scream coming from the screen.
Orion's focus snapped back to the present as he noticed that the last survivor had fallen into a predicament.
The crowd kept their eyes on the huge billboard, their faces showing a mix of dread, sorrow, and powerlessness. The silence had grown even heavier, like a heavy weight that seemed to press down on everyone's soul.
And then, something terrible occurred. The last survivor got caught by 'them…'
Everyone gasped at the same time, and some were already in tears. A few couldn't bear to watch the horrifying torture, so they turned their heads away. But not Orion. He didn't look away, not even for a second. No matter how gruesome the scene was, he kept his bloodshot eyes fixed on the billboard.
A voice quivered in the midst of the city square, crying bitterly, "It's too late. The bomb... it's about to explode."
With the death of the last survivor, everyone understood that the bomb would soon be activated. As the remaining seconds ticked away, people clung to their loved ones, and strangers reached out for one another, in those fleeting moments, there were no divisions, no differences; there was only 'humanity'.
Orion's eyes slowly turned toward the sky, where a brilliant flash of light filled the heavens. He watched as everything touched by the light transformed into stark shades of black and white, then dissolved into tiny particles that scattered into the air.
"Is this the end?" he whispered, his words barely escaping his lips.
If only I could turn back… That was Orion last thought before the light reached him.