At First

At first.

It was only a faint speck of light at the very edge of the horizon.

The tiny glimmer was so small that the sunset's fading glow nearly swallowed it.

Only minutes later,

the barely perceptible speck rapidly swelled at a terrifying speed, growing larger and larger.

Its dim light seemed to have been infused with boundless energy, transforming into a dazzling streak that stretched across the sky.

The streak grew brighter and thicker.

It was as if the golden Scepter in the Heavenly Emperor's hand had cleaved the azure sky in two.

Then,

a sharp, piercing whistle rang out from the heavens. It sounded like ten thousand evil spirits howling at once, making people's eardrums ache.

Their hearts felt as if they were about to leap from their chests.

The few birds in the swamp below beat their wings and scattered in every direction.

Even the usually steady Horned Horses tossed their heads restlessly and let out low cries.

"What's going on?"

The servant who had just led the Horned Horse over to one side looked puzzled.

Horned Horses were gentle animals.

They wouldn't normally react like this just because someone was leading them.

"What's going on?"

Someone else had noticed something was wrong.

"I don't know. It's been like this for a while."

The servant held the reins and shook his head with a wry smile.

"Hurry up, or the boss will catch you slacking off and dock your pay again."

"I'd like to, but this thing's acting up for some reason. It just won't cooperate."

At the mention of having his pay docked, the servant yanked harder on the reins.

"You really are... Wait, look! What's that?"

The newcomer had meant to lend a hand.

But as he reached out, something strange in the sky caught