The city was too quiet.
Zhao Yun had lived in the same bustling neighborhood for years. The streets were always filled with the sounds of honking cars, distant chatter, and the hum of life. But tonight, as he stood on the apartment balcony, staring down at the roads below, there was only silence.
The air felt thicker somehow. Not in a way he could explain, but in a way he couldn't ignore.
He glanced back into the living room, where his family was gathered. His younger sister, Mei, sat cross-legged on the couch, scrolling through her phone with a deep frown. Lin stood near the window, arms crossed, watching the street with the same unease he felt. Lei, as usual, was pacing impatiently. Their parents and uncles sat around the dining table, their conversation unusually hushed.
Something was wrong.
Zhao Yun pulled out his phone, scrolling through the news. Every headline spoke of strange events.
• Mysterious golden lights spotted worldwide.
• Scientists baffled by sudden energy fluctuations.
• Mass disappearances reported.
He clicked on a livestream. A well-dressed news anchor sat stiffly behind a desk, his usual professionalism barely hiding the panic in his eyes.
"We are receiving unconfirmed reports that entire neighborhoods have… vanished. Governments worldwide are investigating, but so far, no explanation has been given."
Zhao Yun swallowed. His fingers tightened around the phone.
Vanished?
As if responding to his thoughts, Mei suddenly shot up from the couch. "Guys," she said, her voice thin, "where are all the cars?"
Zhao Yun's breath caught.
She was right.
A city of millions, and yet the streets were empty. No headlights in the distance. No pedestrians. Just rows of dark buildings, standing in eerie silence.
And then—
The sky lit up.
A deep, golden radiance rippled through the air, spreading out like waves in a still pond. Zhao Yun's heart slammed against his ribs as the glow descended. It wasn't just light—it was pulling them in.
He barely had time to react.
"Yun!" Mei grabbed his sleeve, her eyes wide with terror. Lin reached for the table, knocking over a glass as the force intensified. The entire room shook, as if the world itself was breaking apart.
His mother shouted something, but her voice was drowned out by the roar of the golden storm.
A blinding pressure wrapped around him, crushing and weightless all at once. It wasn't pain—it was something deeper.
Like the universe itself was rewriting his existence.
Zhao Yun tried to move, to speak—
And then the world shattered….