It began with the sun's disappearance.

One moment, the sky was a brilliant blue, the warmth of daylight bathing the world. The next, everything was swallowed by inky blackness. The stars dimmed as if extinguished by some cosmic hand.

Moyo stood frozen, staring upward in mute shock. Around him, panic erupted like a wave, screams rising as people realized the impossible had happened. Then, a crystal appeared—a swirling, luminous blue shard that hovered ominously in the void where the sun had once been.

The earth beneath Moyo's feet trembled violently, as though locked in a primal struggle with itself. The rumble deepened, cracks tearing through the asphalt with deafening force. He staggered, his mind racing with a flood of thoughts:

His graduation, meant to be a celebration of his future. His parents, on their way to meet him. His friends, scattered in the chaos.

And beneath it all, the mind-numbing terror—the suffocating fear of death that gripped humanity as one.

Was this the end? The one foretold by religions and whispered of in myths?

Moyo wasn't devout, but in that moment, as his legs buckled and sent him crashing to his knees, he couldn't stop the desperate pleading from spilling out. Strength abandoned him, leaving him trembling as the ground split apart, swallowing entire streets.

All around him, buildings crumbled like brittle sandcastles under an invisible force. Cries of terror filled the air, only to vanish as people disappeared into the gaping crevices.

And then the voice came.

It was loud and cold, not spoken but felt—a piercing presence that echoed inside his skull. Moyo clutched his head, his eyes brimming with tears as the crystal pulsed with light.

"Inhabitants of this galaxy, rejoice, for the gift of the Archailect has come."

The words sent a shiver through Moyo's spine. He collapsed onto his back, the sky a swirling abyss above him. His thoughts scattered as he screamed incoherently. First to God, then to whatever malevolent being had wrought this calamity.

"You have been chosen to ascend or be crushed beneath the system. Grow stronger or become the fuel for the ascension of your betters. Good luck."

The voice faded, leaving only the low hum of the crystal, which now glowed brighter than a second sun. Its radiance spread across the shattered landscape, burning away what little remained.

Moyo's breath hitched as he witnessed the unthinkable: people disintegrating into dust. The light touched them, and they crumbled, their forms collapsing into fine sand that scattered with the wind.

Terror drove him to crawl, his trembling limbs barely responding as he dragged himself away from the all-consuming light. Blood dripped from his nose, mingling with the dirt. His head throbbed, each pulse of agony pounding through him like a drumbeat of despair.

The light intensified, blazing with an unholy brilliance that set the world aflame.

Moyo's final sight was of the crystal—its form cracking, splintering—before it exploded with a concussive force that threw him into the air.

Anger surged within him even as the world spun. Why now? Why, just as his life was beginning to come together?

But there were no answers.

Darkness claimed him, his consciousness slipping away, leaving him at the mercy of the Archailect.

[Integration of system known simply as 'Solar' underway.]

[System designated as Tier 1. Worlds designated as Tier 1. Welcome!]

PART 1: INTEGRATION