Far away in the northeastern Greek Continent, Chris enjoyed a rare moment of peace on a seaside balcony in Treasure Island City at night, sipping the local wine.
Then, in the next instant, the crystal glass in his hand shook violently. Deep red wine spilled out, staining his spotless white cuff.
It was not an earthquake or a loud noise, but a sudden, agonizing pain and a sense of imbalance rising from the depths of his soul.
He jerked his head up and saw a pitch-black fissure rip through the azure sky. Violet lightning danced along its edges, like the twitching nerves of a dying world.
"Argh..."
Chris let out a stifled cry of pain. One hand pressed hard against his throbbing temple while the other braced against the railing, his knuckles white with strain.
The pain was not entirely physical. It felt more like a chain reaction within his very essence, triggered by the sudden collapse of some vital supporting structure.
"A world tree... has fallen."
He murmured to himself, his voice carrying a hoarseness and anguish he did not even notice. He had received no news. The fissure in the sky and the trembling of his soul told him the brutal truth directly... one of the two great pillars sustaining the world crystal wall had broken.
The consequences would be catastrophic. Demonic invasions would become easier, the world's laws would gradually fall into disorder, and as for him...
Chris lowered his head and looked at his faintly trembling hands.
Beneath his skin, some long-dormant light seemed to begin flowing beyond his control. He could feel the essence he had so carefully suppressed and bound deep within this human shell stirring as the world's pillar collapsed and the crystal wall's restraints weakened, trying to break free of its cage.