As the sun rose from the horizon, a beautiful city was illuminated in its transcendent glow. With golden streets and majestic buildings, it shone brilliantly in the early dawn.
Within its massive walls, crowds of people headed towards a massive citadel at the city's center. Within the grandiose building rows of stone seats surrounded an arena below.
There in the arena, a great runic circle laid sprawled in the stone, emanating a brilliant white light. At the center stood a beautiful man in golden regal robes, he expression brimed with eagerness and anticipation.
Above him sat six others in similar attire, their expressions just as eager. To the far right a man in dark colors silently observed the runic circle, his expression filled with worry and concern.
Seeing his demeanor one of the golden figures approached him. She was smaller than the rest and appeared quite young.
"What's the matter mister, everything ok? Something wrong with the spell circle perhaps?"
The man remained silent for a moment before responding.
"No, nothing's wrong with it. It's as perfect as can be. I've just been feeling weird since morning."
The little girl turned to face the arena, glancing at the inscribed runes and seeing nothing at fault continued the conversation.
"Maybe it's just your nerves? Today's the big day after all."
"Maybe." He replied.
They both continued to watch as the seats surrounding them slowly filled with people. When at maximum capacity the lights darkened and a spotlight descended upon the man in the middle of the arena.
"Greetings Citizens Of Arcadia, today we do the impossible, today we purge ourselves of our impurities, today we achieve transcendence, today we become GODS!!!"
As he spoke the crowd burst out in cheers, and the great circle began to glow with celestial light. From the people within the arena to those in the city outskirts, black mucus-like substances began to emanate from their bodies and flow towards the spell circle.
As the impurities were quickly absorbed into the spell, a subtle change occurred in the world around them causing the man in dark robes to flinch in shock.
He looked at his right hand and saw that his skin had started to turn translucent with cracks beginning to appear from the tips of his fingers all the way to his palm. His face filled with dread as he yelled towards the center of the arena.
"Edward stop the spell!!!"
But it was too late as everyone began to notice the runes on the ground changed shape and positions under an unknown influence, as the glow of the spell turned inky black. Suddenly the impurities that had only just been collected underwent a transformation.
The amount of impurities quickly increased exponentially as cracks began to appear on the spell circle. And then... BOOM.
A massive torrent of black sludge escaped the spell and quickly consumed those in it surrounding and continued outward.
From the skies outside the city, one could see a tidal wave of darkness emerge from its center and quickly envelope the city, then continuing beyond. And it was in these skies that the dark young man appeared, his face pale as he hurriedly removed the impurities clinging onto his clothes.
He looked on as the tide quickly consumed the surrounding area and showed no sign of stopping. Calculating its speed he realized that most of the other cities and towns would be soon be devoured.
He decided to head to the nearest town as quickly as he could, for he himself had little time left. Reappearing at his destination he looked down on the humble town that he had once called his home.
He lifted his right arm or what was left of it, sparks of light broke away as his body slowly began to disintegrate. He sighed and began to create runes in the air, forming it into a vast tapestry that surrounded the town and its surrounding lands, much to the shock of the residents.
He then affixed the web of runes to massive pillars which were plunged into various corners of the barrier, serving as its anchors. Sensing his time was up, he turned and observed the approaching wave. He grimaced with sadness and spoke;
"This... wasn't supposed to happen."
His body then fully crumbled into motes of light as the wave of darkness arrived and slammed into the barrier, submerging it.