A silent bloom of blue and yellow flame tore the night apart, painting the ruins in a feverish glow. Even from where they stood, the light reached Sezel and the others, staining their faces with the colors of a burning sky. He could feel the cold breeze turn warm suddenly, the black cloud of dust and smoke rose in the empty sky, covering the three moons like a dark cloud.
The sole source of light now were the flames rising to the sky at some distance from them.
They all stood frozen, stunned into silence, staring at the hell that had just unfolded.
"What the fuck just happened?" Sezel said, the words a raw, astonished whisper.
Vesta's eyes were fixed on the pillar of fire, her mind clearly racing. "This is not good," she murmured, almost to herself.
She instantly shook her head, as if trying to push the grim thoughts away. Mari, woken by the concussive blast, had buried her face in Vesta's jacket, her small hands clutching the fabric, too afraid to even make a sound.
