The shattered fragments of the awakening crystal continued to fall like silver snow across the ruined plaza.
Silence reigned.
Not the silence of peace, but the silence of shock so profound that the human mind could no longer process reality.
Thousands of witnesses stood frozen.
Their eyes remained fixed upon the eight figures standing amid the dissipating pillars of platinum-silver light.
The radiance slowly faded.
Yet the pressure remained.
It pressed down upon the plaza like an invisible ocean, forcing even the strongest hunters to struggle for each breath.
Then the world reacted.
Across every continent, every screen that still functioned flickered back to life.
Emergency broadcasts overrode every channel.
The face of a pale World Government spokesperson appeared, her voice cracking as she spoke.
