"To this day, I still can't forget that enormous figure. I'm certain it was an utterly terrifying creature. Saying it could destroy the world wouldn't be an exaggeration at all," Cheng Tian's father said, the scene from back then seemingly still vivid before his eyes.
"That disaster ended in less than half a day. All I remember is that Bingzhou was suddenly engulfed in an unprecedentedly intense light. That enormous creature let out a roar of pain, and I nearly passed out from the shock."
"When I got up off the ground, it had vanished without a trace."
After hearing his own father recount the disaster firsthand, Cheng Tian didn't know what to say.
A few more traces of sorrow and helplessness entered his father's voice. "Xiao Tian, it was a devastating disaster that no one in Bingzhou could ever forget. So many families were shattered and lost loved ones in a single day. Who would willingly bring up such a painful reality?"
Sometimes, silence didn't mean forgetting. Being unwilling to speak wasn't about wanting to forget history, but about having already borne far, far too much pain.
"Did you know? In that disaster, your grandma and grandpa, your mother's parents, died unnatural deaths..." His father's voice began to tremble. "You should understand how hard that hit your mother. I didn't want to upset her, so our family never talked about it."
"Dad..."
"Your mother suffered a terrible shock. It took her a long time to emerge from its shadow. No one who lived through that disaster had it easy. It was already a blessing beyond measure that our family survived safe and sound."
Cheng Tian pressed his lips together.
"I'm sorry for bringing back those awful memories."
"It's all right..." His father forced out a few chuckles on the