"What?? Are you on drugs or something?" Haeryn leaned forward, her eyes wide in disbelief as she looked at Razan across the table.
*clink...! *clatter...!
The noise of the small diner around them buzzed faintly—clinking plates, quiet conversations, and the faint hum of music playing somewhere in the background.
A few plates of food sat untouched between them, steam still rising from the warm dishes.
Razan didn't look bothered at all.
He leaned back in his chair, arms resting loosely on the armrests as he stared at her with a blank face.
"It's either you help me or you don't," he said simply, his tone calm and unshaken.
He raised his hands slightly, palms up in a half-shrug, before letting them fall back onto the table.
Haeryn blinked, her lips parting as she tried to process what she just heard.
"Wait, wait, wait—hold on."
She pressed a palm to her forehead, closing her eyes for a second as if trying to force the information to make sense.
Then she looked back at him, frustration mixing with confusion on her face.
"So… let me get this straight." She gestured with her hand, pointing toward him.
"You're telling me a mysterious armored guy—someone straight out of a fantasy movie—gave you a dark berry and then suddenly a floating screen appeared and told you the world's going to end in ten days?"
She dropped her hand onto the table with a small
*thud!
and stared at him.
"Do you even hear yourself right now?"
Razan just sighed quietly, eyes flicking down to the food for a moment before looking back at her, completely unfazed.
"Well, yeah, basically," Razan said without hesitation.
He spoke so casually that it almost made the absurdity of his words sound normal.
"That's why I need to stay at your place for now and use it as somewhere to store my stuff—simple as that."
Haeryn blinked, staring at him in disbelief.
"You're serious?"
Razan didn't answer right away.
He picked up his fork, stabbed a piece of steak from his plate, and lifted it halfway before speaking again.
"I can't keep the stuff I'll need at my house," he said plainly, then took a bite like it was the most normal conversation in the world.
Haeryn leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms as she watched him chew calmly.
"And the reason being?" she asked, one brow raised, clearly expecting something that would at least sound reasonable.
Razan swallowed, setting his fork down with a small
*clink!
against the plate.
He looked at her for a second, his eyes steady but unreadable.
"It's complicated," he finally said.
"You just have to trust me on this one."
*sigh…!
Haeryn let out a long sigh, her head tilting slightly as she studied him.
She couldn't tell if he was joking, hiding something, or actually being serious.
"You do realize that what you're saying makes zero sense, right?" she said, half annoyed and half curious.
"Yeah," Razan replied casually, "but it doesn't have to make sense right now."
Silence filled the space between them.
.
.
*clatter...!
*clink!
.
The background noise of the diner carried on—faint chatter, clinking plates, the soft hum of music—but at their table, everything felt still.
Razan continued eating calmly, cutting into his steak and chewing as if the conversation had already ended.
Across from him, Haeryn sat with her elbow on the table, her hand pressed between her brows.
She looked tired, caught between disbelief and frustration.
Her fingers tapped lightly against her forehead as if that motion would somehow help her think clearer.
"Razan…" she said at last, her voice low, serious.
"You're asking a lot, you know that? You want me to let you into my home—to just trust you—and I barely even know you."
She sighed heavily, leaning back in her chair.
Her tone wasn't angry; it was the sound of someone trying to make sense of something that didn't.
Razan didn't say a word.
He just looked at her, waiting, calm as ever.
Haeryn rubbed her temples for a moment before speaking again.
"But then again…" she muttered, glancing toward him.
"I guess I owe you for what happened earlier—with that creep."
That memory made her lips tighten for a second before she pushed it aside.
She straightened her posture and took a deep breath,
*phew…
finally deciding.
"Alright," she said clearly, her tone firm now.
"You can stay at my place and store your stuff—but only for ten days."
She raised both hands and spread her fingers wide, showing all ten to emphasize the point.
"Ten days. That's it."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she continued,
"And if it turns out you're just messing with me about this whole end-of-the-world thing…"
She paused for a second, her tone dropping flat.
"I'm not talking to you ever again."
Then, she held out her hand toward him, palm open.
"Deal?"
"Deal."
Razan clasped her hand firmly, his grip steady and certain.
The shake wasn't long, but it carried weight—an unspoken promise between two people who had no idea what they were about to step into.
Moments turned into minutes,
...
minutes stretched into hours,
...
and hours slowly became days.
...
Before either of them knew it,
an entire week had passed.
Razan had stayed in Haeryn's house for seven straight days.
The guest room she had given him had turned into something like a storage space—boxes, tools, and all kinds of gear neatly stacked in every corner.
Rope, canned food, bottles of water, batteries, first aid kits, and even spare clothing.
Everything had a purpose, and every single day he added something new to the pile.
He didn't go home.
Not once.
He hadn't called his father, hadn't checked his messages, and hadn't stepped foot back in his school.
At first, Haeryn tried to keep him in line—scolding him for missing classes and skipping his usual routine—but after a while, she stopped.
No matter what she said, Razan's focus didn't waver.
He was always busy,
always building,
always planning.
Still, he hadn't given up his training.
If anything, he pushed himself even harder.
Every morning, he went out early to box, returning drenched in sweat.
The effort paid off—by the end of that week, he had taken first place in a local rookie league.
The victory wasn't small either.
People at the gym cheered his name,
his coach clapped him on the back,
even a scout from a well-known team approached him, offering him a shot at the big leagues.
For the first time in a long while, Razan allowed himself to celebrate.
He smiled, laughed, and shared a drink with his gym mates.
For that short night, everything felt normal again—like the world was still steady and safe.
He had worked for this moment for years, and now it was finally his.
But deep down, he knew it wouldn't last.
Even while smiling, there was a quiet unease under the surface.
Something in his chest whispered that it was all temporary, that the days were slipping away.
Every time he closed his eyes, the words from that glowing red screen came back to him.
Ten days. Prepare yourself.
He tried to reason it away.
Told himself it had to be stress,
maybe a dream,
maybe just his brain playing tricks on him after a long night.
He wanted to believe that.
He wanted to go back to how things used to be.
But no matter how hard he tried, the feeling didn't fade.
It was like something deep inside him already knew the truth.
It was as if his very soul was whispering—quietly but constantly—urging him to keep preparing.
To be ready.
And so, be ready he did.
The following days were spent in constant preparation.
Razan purchased whatever he could get his hands on—combat knives, protective vests, a compound bow, and even a small handgun he managed to acquire through a private seller.
Each item had its place, carefully packed and labeled.
His room in Haeryn's house now looked more like a small armory than a bedroom.
Haeryn couldn't hide her concern anymore.
Every time Razan brought something new through the door, she would just stare at him in disbelief.
"Are you planning for a war or something?" she had asked once, but he never answered directly.
He always gave the same short reply
"Just in case."
Part of her wanted to tell him to stop.
To make him throw all of it away and get help.
But another part of her—the part that remembered the serious look on his face that day, the one that didn't waver—
told her to wait.
Just a few more days, she thought.
Just a few more, and she'd know if he was crazy or if he'd been right all along.
And so,
time moved again.
The ninth day came—the eve of the final day.
The air felt different, quiet but heavy, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Razan spent the entire morning checking everything twice.
He laid out his gear, piece by piece, making sure each strap, clip, and blade was ready.
Then he put on the armor he had ordered earlier that week, adjusting the straps until it fit snugly against his body.
By evening, everything was packed.
Two large sling bags sat beside the door, each filled with the supplies he had spent days gathering.
That night, the stars shone brighter than usual.
The sky above stretched wide and endless, a sea of tiny lights that blanketed the world in calm beauty.
Razan sat on the porch steps, his elbows resting on his knees, his eyes fixed on the sky.
*creak…! *creak…!
*creak…
The cool night air brushed past his skin, carrying the faint sound of crickets in the distance.
He breathed slowly, almost peacefully.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said softly.
Haeryn sat beside him, hugging her knees close as she followed his gaze upward.
"Yeah," she said after a pause, her voice quiet but thoughtful.
"It is."
She turned her head to look at him.
His expression was calm, but there was something in his eyes—a look that wasn't fear...
but acceptance.
The way someone looked when they knew something everyone else didn't.
"You know," Haeryn said softly, her voice breaking the calm of the quiet night.
"After you've been here these last nine days… I've gotten to know you better."
Her eyes stayed on Razan, her tone lighter than usual but with a touch of sincerity that made the moment feel real.
"Really?" Razan replied, a small smirk forming at the corner of his lips though his eyes remained fixed on the stars above.
The faint glow of the night reflected in his gaze, steady and calm.
"I hope I didn't disappoint you then."
*pfft!
Haeryn chuckled, the sound gentle.
"Nope," she said, her lips curving into a small smile.
"You're not such a bad guy after all."
*fwooooosh!
For a few seconds, silence returned, broken only by the soft breeze brushing past them.
The night was still, almost too peaceful.
.
.
.
Then,
without warning,
Haeryn's smile slowly faded.
*BAAAAAAAANG!!!
A faint red glimmer flashed across the edge of the sky—
*BANG!
then another—
*BANG!
and another.
Long streaks of crimson light began to crawl through the stars above like cracks spreading through glass.
Haeryn's breath hitched.
"Razan… look!" she pointed upward, her voice shaking slightly.
"I know."
Razan's tone was calm, but his eyes had sharpened, narrowing as he rose from where he sat.
Haeryn stood beside him, the both of them staring up as the calm sky twisted into something unreal.
*crack…! *Crack…!
The deep blue of the heavens began to tear apart, streaks of glowing red cutting across it, spreading faster with each passing second.
It looked like the sky itself was breaking open, splitting at the seams of reality.
A low, deep hum filled the air…
then changed into something louder—
*VWOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
like the blast of ancient trumpets echoing across the world.
The sound was powerful, shaking the air around them as the cracks above grew wider and brighter, painting the night in a deep, haunting red.
Then,
as if the very heavens themselves had begun to sing, a deep and powerful choir filled the air.
"Shae'dran ul'keth… vorae'thel shuun da'reth…"
"Eln'thir vel'ae… kaar'vun saedr il'thaal…!"
The sound was otherworldly—voices layered upon voices, blending into waves of harmony that stretched across the sky.
"Aen'shir val'dros… ein'taruun shael mor'veth…"
"Theirum na'thaal… osen'dral vey'nor shaai…"
Trumpets joined soon after, their echo shaking the ground as the song reached every corner of the earth.
It was hauntingly beautiful… but terrifying all the same.
"Ael'dros, ael'dros, fae'ruun na'thera… vel'kaen sul'vaar…"
"Drae'thaal… mor'eth… eil'shen vae'nor…"
Razan's hands moved fast, pulling his phone from his pocket.
The glow of the screen reflected against his tense face as he opened every news app he could find—
social media, live streams, broadcasts, anything.
Every single platform was flooded with the same thing: footage of the sky.
On every screen, people were recording from their rooftops, pointing their cameras at the cracks above.
"Yo, chat… are you guys seeing this? What the hell is that in the sky?"
"It's—dude it's glowing—no, no, it's not lightning… it's like… the clouds are splitting?"
Red streaks split the sky apart, glowing brighter by the second.
Streamers screamed in disbelief, news anchors stumbled over their words as live feeds shook from panic.
"We're getting live footage from Manila… Tokyo… and New York. The skies are glowing in what witnesses describe as—well—'a choir of light.'"
The world was watching the same impossible sight—
heaven breaking open before their eyes.
"Shit, shit, shit! It's really happening! Just like you said, Razan!" Haeryn's voice trembled as she grabbed his arm tightly, her nails digging slightly into his sleeve.
She shook him hard, panic flooding her voice as she stared up at the sky.
"W-What do we need to do!?" she cried, breathing unevenly, her chest rising and falling faster as fear took over.
"Calm down," Razan said, his hand finding her shoulder.
His voice was steady but carried weight—less to comfort her and more to ground her.
"How the fuck could I calm down!?" she shouted back, her voice breaking as tears began to form in her eyes.
"The very sky is falling down on us!"
Razan didn't answer right away.
His heart was pounding inside his chest, his mind running through everything he'd prepared, everything he'd planned.
He couldn't deny the fear crawling up inside him.
The sound,
the light,
the sight of the sky breaking—
it was overwhelming, like the entire world was on the edge of collapsing.
Who wouldn't be?
Who wouldn't fear such a sight, especially for a mere human such as himself?
Then,
as if answering his doubts,
*Whir!!!
the glowing screen appeared once again right before his eyes—sudden and blinding.
Razan flinched, his body stiffening as the golden light reflected on his face.
"W-What's happening Razan? Why are you suddenly flinching?" Haeryn spoke yet her words were a blur to Razan.
His eyes widened, heartbeat quickening as he stared at the strange symbols dancing across the surface of the panel.
The symbols were the same as before—ancient and unreadable, shifting like they were alive.
They flickered, rearranging themselves every time Razan blinked, until they slowly began to form words he could finally understand.
"Well done, Razan. The entirety of humanity shall be transferred to the 'Origin' in a few moments… prepare to be tested once there."
Razan's breath hitched.
His throat felt dry as he read the words over and over again, unsure if he was truly awake or trapped in some dream.
Then the screen pulsed again,
*Tsssssssssssssss!!!
brighter this time, its glow burning into the air like fire.
Golden flames wrapped around the holographic surface, searing with power before revealing one last message.
"I await your arrival, my greatest hunter... my... m—"
*crack…
*shatter!
And just like that, the screen shattered into golden particles that scattered into the wind, leaving behind only silence.
For a long moment, Razan stood frozen, the reflection of that last sentence still burned in his mind.
Greatest hunter? What did it mean by that?
And what was it trying to say before it disappeared?
Around them, the world continued to tremble,
*crack! *Crack! *CRACK!
the sky cracked louder, the sound like roaring thunder tearing the heavens apart.
*phew…
He took a deep breath, forcing the air into his lungs.
Then he turned toward Haeryn, his hand reaching for her shoulder.
His grip was firm but calm.
When she looked up at him, she saw something different—his face no longer uncertain, no longer hesitant.
His eyes were sharp, focused, and sure.
"Calm down, Haeryn. Trust me," he said, his voice deep and steady.
Haeryn froze, her body still shaking from fear, but something in his tone made her pause.
Her breathing slowed as she stared at him for a moment longer.
The confidence in his expression, the way he stood even when the sky itself was breaking...
it made her feel just a little safer.
"Haah… I'll trust you, Razan," she finally said, exhaling shakily.
"Since you said this would happen in the first place."
And just like that, both stood on the porch, looking as the heavens tore apart, awaiting for what fate had for them.