The Quantum Series: The Absolute

Chapter 1: The Awakening

The bell above the shop door chimed softly as I stepped out onto the bustling street, a small bag of groceries clutched in one hand. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows over the pavement, and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees lining the avenue. It was a typical day in the city, or so it seemed.

I adjusted the strap of my shoulder bag, glancing up at the towering buildings that framed the skyline. My thoughts were preoccupied with mundane concerns—what to make for dinner, the latest news on Mophorsinnite research, and my upcoming training session. Life had a comforting routine, even if the world was constantly changing around me.

As I made my way down the street, I noticed an unusual number of people gathered ahead, their heads turned skyward. Curiosity piqued, I quickened my pace, weaving through the growing crowd. Murmurs of confusion and concern reached my ears, a low hum of anxiety that set my nerves on edge.

"What's going on?" I asked a nearby woman, her eyes wide with apprehension.

She pointed toward the sky, her voice trembling. "Look up there. Something's happening."

I followed her gaze and my breath caught in my throat. High above, the air seemed to shimmer and distort, as if reality itself was being bent out of shape. A cold dread settled over me, a visceral sense of something terribly wrong.

"Inferno Skill: Level Zero."

I looked up at the dense crowd gathered in the heart of the city. Above us, almost beyond my vision, a figure floated in the sky. It was unmistakably human but obscured by the blazing sun, the only discernible feature being long, flaming red hair. Before I could process the surreal sight, the figure's voice rang out again, clear and commanding.

"Absolute Hell Blaze."

In an instant, the sky turned a menacing shade of crimson. The ground beneath us trembled, and the air grew stiflingly dry and unbearably dense. Heat surged through the atmosphere. Around me, people began to collapse, writhing in agony as the rising temperature seared their skin. The earth cracked open, fissures spreading like a spiderweb. Amid this chaos, I remained untouched by the blistering heat, an eerie immunity that only deepened my confusion. The figure began to chant what I could only assume was an incantation.

"Burn away in the Devil's Den!"

A flash, and then the horror intensified. The crowd ignited, engulfed in flames. Their agonized screams crescendoed, merging into a horrific symphony of suffering. Each scream cut through me, relentless and deafening, until, like a conductor silencing his orchestra, the cacophony ceased abruptly.

I was surrounded by the charred remains of hundreds. Some clutched each other in their final moments; others lay sprawled as if in a futile attempt to escape their fate. I fell to my knees, the weight of the scene pressing down on me. Desperately, I tried to hold myself together. Then, the figure spoke once more.

"So, there you are."

The gaze of the figure felt like a physical force, compelling me to look away, to avert my eyes from its overwhelming presence.

"You have been chosen. When we meet again, if you are not ready... you and your entire planet will die!"

I cried out, my voice raw with shock and despair. "WHY... WHY ME? WHY DO THIS... ALL THESE PEOPLE... WHY ME?"

I struggled to steady my breath, to stand, but my body betrayed me. I could only kneel, paralyzed amidst the devastation. In the depths of my confusion, rage, and sorrow, the figure's voice cut through once more.

"Know this, I am Xilon, one of the twelve Supreme Phase Casters. I was sent to judge this planet's readiness for battle. From what I've assessed, your world will be assimilated into the Elrandi Empire."