The words hung in the air like a death sentence. **"Atmospheric collapse imminent."** Elliot stared at the paper in his hands, the graphs and equations blurring as his mind raced. He looked up at Dr. Patel, searching for some sign that this was a mistake, a miscalculation. But her expression told him everything he needed to know.
"How long do we have?" Mia asked, her voice barely audible.
Dr. Patel hesitated. "Days. Maybe less. The data is still coming in, but the rate of decay is accelerating. If this continues, the atmosphere won't be able to sustain life."
Elliot's chest tightened, the weight of the words pressing down on him. He thought of the city outside, the people in the streets, the world beyond. How could something like this happen? How could it be stopped?
"There has to be something we can do," he said, his voice rising. "Some way to reverse it, or at least slow it down."
Dr. Patel shook her head. "We don't even know what's causing it. Without more data, without power, without—" She broke off, running a hand through her hair. "We're flying blind."
The lab was eerily quiet, the hum of the generator the only sound. Elliot glanced at the monitors, their screens dark and lifeless. The satellite feed was gone, the data streams cut off. They were isolated, cut off from the rest of the world, just like everyone else.
"What about the government?" Mia asked. "Surely they're doing something."
Dr. Patel let out a bitter laugh. "The government? They're as clueless as we are. Even if they weren't, they don't have the resources to deal with something like this. No one does."
Elliot sank into a chair, his mind spinning. He thought of his parents, living on the other side of the country. Were they seeing the same sky? Were they safe? He pulled out his phone, though he knew it was useless. The networks were down, the world's infrastructure crumbling under the weight of the crisis.
"We need to tell people," Mia said suddenly. "If this is really happening, they deserve to know."
Dr. Patel frowned. "And what would we tell them? That the sky is falling and there's nothing they can do about it? That would only cause panic."
"They're already panicking," Mia shot back. "Look outside. People are scared. They're looking for answers. If we don't give them the truth, someone else will. And it'll be worse."
Elliot nodded slowly. Mia was right. The city was a powder keg, and the longer they waited, the bigger the explosion would be. But how could they deliver news like this without sending everyone into a frenzy?
Before he could voice the question, the lights flickered. The generator sputtered, then died, plunging the lab into darkness. Elliot froze, his breath catching in his throat. The silence was deafening.
"The generator's out," Dr. Patel said, her voice tight. "We're on our own now."
---
The streets were chaos.
Elliot and Mia made their way through the crowd, their flashlights cutting through the gloom. People were shouting, pushing, their faces pale and desperate in the eerie light of the sky. Some carried bags of supplies, others clutched weapons. The veneer of civilization was cracking, and beneath it lay something darker, more primal.
"We need to get out of the city," Mia said, her voice low. "It's not safe here."
Elliot nodded, though the thought made his stomach churn. The city was his home, the lab his life's work. Leaving felt like giving up, like admitting defeat. But what choice did they have? If the atmosphere was collapsing, nowhere would be safe for long.
They reached the edge of the crowd, where a man was standing on the hood of a car, shouting to be heard over the noise.
"The government's lying to us!" he yelled. "They know what's happening, and they're keeping it from us! We need to take matters into our own hands!"
The crowd roared in agreement, their fear turning to anger. Elliot grabbed Mia's arm and pulled her away, his heart pounding. They couldn't get caught up in this. They had to keep moving.
As they turned a corner, a loud crash echoed through the street. Elliot spun around, his flashlight illuminating the source of the noise. A storefront had been smashed open, and people were pouring inside, grabbing whatever they could carry. The sound of breaking glass filled the air, mingling with shouts and screams.
"This is bad," Mia whispered. "Really bad."
Elliot didn't answer. He was too busy watching the sky. The colors were shifting again, the red deepening to a dark, ominous purple. The air felt heavier, harder to breathe. He could feel it pressing down on him, like a weight he couldn't escape.
"We need to go," he said, his voice urgent. "Now."
---
They didn't make it far.
As they reached the outskirts of the city, the ground began to shake. Elliot stumbled, grabbing Mia's arm to steady himself. The shaking grew stronger, the pavement cracking beneath their feet. A loud rumble filled the air, like thunder but deeper, more menacing.
"What's happening?" Mia shouted, her voice barely audible over the noise.
Elliot didn't answer. He was too busy staring at the horizon. The sky was splitting, a jagged line of light cutting through the purple haze. It looked like a tear, a wound in the fabric of the world. And from it poured something dark and shapeless, something that made his blood run cold.
"Run!" he yelled, pulling Mia with him.
But it was too late. The darkness was spreading, swallowing the sky, the city, everything. Elliot's chest tightened, his vision blurring as the air grew thin. He stumbled, falling to his knees, Mia collapsing beside him.
The last thing he saw was the sky, burning and broken, before the darkness took him.