The silver light swallowed the world and all that was within.
It descended instantaneously without warning.
One moment, it drifted through the air like strands of liquid moonlight, and the next, it struck the earth like lightning.
Jon never had the chance to move before one of those strands reached him. The instant the silver thread brushed against his skin, something tore through his body.
Pain.
It was so deep and agonizing. Worse than the pain of a broken bone or torn muscle. This pain seemed to reach inside him and seize every nerve at once.
His heart slammed violently against his ribs.
Every muscle locked, and his tendon tightened until it felt ready to snap. His bones vibrated with a force that threatened to shake them apart.
"Ah—!"
The cry never fully left his throat when his knees buckled, and he hit the grass hard, both palms digging into the earth.
It felt as though countless invisible hands were pulling him apart from the inside.
His breathing became ragged.
He tried to inhale, but nothing entered. His lungs refused to obey.
For a terrifying moment, he thought he was suffocating.
Then the pain grew worse.
Far worse.
All around the stadium, everyone collapsed.
The silver light descended on every single individual inside the stadium. The runners on the track crumpled where they stood; the officials dropped their clipboards and gripped their bodies; the spectators pitched forward from their seats, their eyes widened in horror, and the children cried out in confusion before their voices dissolved into screams.
The roar of celebration was instantly replaced by something primal.
The sound of agony.
The stadium became a sea of writhing bodies.
Some clutched their chests and convulsed.
Others curled into themselves. Many simply collapsed, their limbs trembling uncontrollably.
No one escaped. Not the athletes.
Not the parents. Not the security guards.
Not even the announcer.
The microphone screeched once before falling silent.
Jon's fingers clawed at the grass, and his nails tore through the soil.
His consciousness flickered continuously, shifting between a blur, darkness, and bright light.
In between the brief moments when he regained his vision, he saw something moving beneath his skin. He couldn't see it clearly.
Only flashes of silver threads flowing through his veins and weaving themselves into his entire body.
Again. Again. And again.
Each pass ignited another wave of unbearable pain.
"What..." His voice cracked.
"What... is..." He couldn't finish because even thinking had become difficult. He tried to scream, but nothing came out.
His mind fractured beneath the relentless agony.
For one fleeting instant, he thought of his uncle. Then even that memory disappeared beneath the agony.
Time lost meaning as the pain continued.
Seconds stretched into eternities.
Minutes became meaningless.
There was only suffering and nothing else.
Then...
It stopped.
The pain, the agony, it all disappeared instantly.
Just as suddenly as it came, it vanished, leaving no trace whatsoever.
A heavy and unnatural silence washed over the stadium.
Jon remained on his hands and knees, his chest heaving violently.
Sweat dripped from his face onto the grass below.
His muscles trembled and weakened from exhaustion.
"...What..."
His voice was barely a whisper.
"...What just happened?"
He had just undergone the worst possible sort of pain, only for it to disappear like it was a lie.
Then he slowly raised his head to understand. Was he the only one who underwent that terrible pain?
However, he didn't need another look to give him his answer.
Around him...
Groans replaced screams. People were beginning to move.
Some pushed themselves upright with shaking arms.
Others simply lay where they had fallen, staring blankly at the sky as though afraid another wave would come.
The entire stadium looked as though it had survived an earthquake.
Some--including the children--cried loudly. Despite the pain having vanished, they still seemed to remember the agony it caused them. Some looked around them in confusion and fear, asking whether they had experienced a similar event.
A noticeable few laughed hysterically.
Perhaps it was the feeling of pure relief after a near-death experience, or that the situation was just as ridiculous as it seemed, but it was unknown.
However, generally, no one understood what had just happened.
Jon planted one foot beneath himself.
His legs shook so badly that he nearly collapsed again.
As he steadied himself, something caught his attention.
His hands.
Something was resting between them.
A book.
He frowned.