At last, the scattered golden threads in the sky met the vast horizon. Fragments of the moon fell one after another, crashing into the ground. The disaster descended simultaneously not only upon the Bankel region, nor merely upon the Cruz Empire, but upon every corner of Vonder.
Burning fragments skimmed over the forests, which instantly became seas of fire. The native wildlife—gray deer, badgers, bears, and other animals—fled in panic.
The townsfolk watched helplessly as swarms of rats poured into the streets, darting around madly as though insane. Dogs barked furiously, while wild and domestic cats alike climbed onto the rooftops and let out strange, howling cries like animals in heat.
A streak of golden light tore across the sky and plunged into the horizon. A patch of light flashed in the distance with a bang, and moments later, countless patches of light flickered densely across the land.
The shock wave arrived several seconds later. Everything somewhat near the impact site was instantly vaporized. Anything made of wood, including the trees themselves, burst into flames and oxidized into charred remains within seconds. People and livestock were reduced directly to dust. The intense heat swept over the ground, instantly crystallizing the quartz in the sand and forming glittering glass.
Farther away, the air currents formed hurricanes that tore through the towns, lifting every loose object into the air. Tin signs clanged desperately, while screams, shouts, cries, and the sounds of bottles and jars shattering filled the streets. People watched as the wind swept clouds of dust several miles into the sky. Lakes and rivers were sucked upward by tornadoes, then came crashing back down. Dead fish pelted the rooftops with a crackling barrage.
In some places, when the burning fragments crossed the sky, swamps and lakes stretching for hundreds of miles