Solaris Year 3,907 – Magnum Imperium Vires
Governmental Report
8:04 CIT – Eryndor Bulwark
The first recorded event of the “Sunfall” occurred.
At precisely 08:04 CIT (Central Imperial Time), the sun's radiance dimmed, its golden glow shifting into a dull, sickly twilight. An unnatural silence blanketed the city. No birds chirped. The usual rustling of leaves ceased. The wind came to an absolute standstill.
8:04 CIT – Willowfield, Eryndor
Eyewitnesses describe an immediate, hardly-perceptible shift in reality. Some students of Eryndor High Academy, were among the first to observe the anomaly. Standing at the academy’s back courtyard, they noted a disturbance 4.3 kilometers northeast of their location.
A swirl of black and purple energy, resembling ink dispersing through water, emerged in the sky. The phenomenon was immediately visible across vast distances, later confirmed to have been perceived up to 230 kilometers away.
At this moment, no civilians reported distress. Within the local church, the choir of children continued their hymn, unaware of the historical event unfolding before them.
This marked the beginning of the anomaly.
The hallway of Eryndor High Academy stretched endlessly before Aldric as he clutched the letter. His mind replayed the headmaster’s words, echoing like a warning.
"I know you have your own principles, your ideologies, your ambitions, but... Whatever you're fighting for, it's not worth it. You are a once-in-a-century prodigy, surpassing even the professors. Your Luminance could illuminate the darkest corners and save countless lives. So for the sake of yourself… for the sake of the world… walk away. Put everything aside, and live a life without involving the Church.”
The weight of those words pressed against his chest, yet he refused to waver.
Stepping outside, he barely noticed the morning bustle of Eryndor’s streets. Merchants peddled their goods. Scholars engaged in quiet discussions. The scent of fresh bread drifted from a nearby bakery, mixing with the distant ringing of temple bells.
Then—the chorus began.
The church’s hymn rose through the streets. Soft and melodic. A song of faith. A song of praise to Soviras.
Aldric tightened his grip on the letter.
"Give up?" he muttered. "Not when I've come this far. I will shine light through the darkness. I will unravel the truth about this world—"
He stopped.
A sudden, invasive thought flashed through his mind.
Was it really worth it?
His fingers trembled over the seal. A sharp exhale. His heartbeat quickened.
With a deep breath, he tore the envelope open.
That very moment, the world changed.
***
The sky darkened.
Aldric’s breath hitched as an overwhelming pressure descended upon the city, like the atmosphere itself had grown heavier.
Then, in the distance:
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
A single distortion in the air.
It was subtle at first, barely noticeable against the skyline. But within seconds, it grew. Expanding. Twisting.
A mass of black and violet hues churned in the sky, the colors bleeding outward like ink spreading through water, light bent unaturally around it.
Aldric’s stomach turned. His instincts screamed at him. This was not natural. Cold sweat ran down his face as he stared at the swirling abyss.
The choir continued singing.
The children, the merchants, the scholars, none of them knew.
Yet.
The "Sunfall" event
Solaris Year 3,907 – Magnum Imperium Vires
Governmental Report – Imperial Archives
08:05 CIT – Eryndor Bulwark
The second recorded event of the “Sunfall” event occurred.
A detonation of unknown origin. A force that defied all known magical and natural laws.
The impact was registered as far as 550 kilometers away. Seismographs recorded an unprecedented energy spike, a reading so violent it shattered the calibration of most instruments. Reports from survivors described it as a second sun, an overwhelming, all-consuming light that disintegrated everything.
A moment of silence preceded the impact. A witness later claimed that the world itself seemed to inhale, as if bracing for what came next.
Then, the sky exploded.
Aldric's grip tightened on the letter.
People around him whispered nervously, their voices hushed yet urgent. The unnatural darkness overhead sent ripples of unease through the morning crowd.
Then the anomaly collapsed.
It was not a normal explosion. It was not fire, nor light. It was pure force, raw and uncontained.
The air collapsed inward before surging outward in a shockwave that tore through the city with the power of a god's wrath.
Buildings buckled and cracked. Stained-glass windows in the academy shattered, their fragments caught in the violent updraft. The very foundations of Eryndor quaked under the pressure.
Aldric was thrown off his feet by the shockwave.
In the distance, where the vortex had been, a second sun bloomed.
Aldric’s vision blurred, his eardrums screaming in agony. His legs trembled as he forced himself up, the realization hit him like a dagger to the chest.
If he did nothing, everyone would die.
Summoning every ounce of strength, every shred of focus—
"AEGIS, BASTION PALLADIUM!"
He shouted the strongest Luminance he knew.
A golden barrier erupted from his outstretched hands, a dome shielding the academy entrance. It was colossal, far larger than any professor had ever conjured, stretching high enough to scrape the sky.
He saw their faces.
Kieran, Selice, Remy.
The flames swallowed everything.
The roar of destruction drowned out the sound of their screams. The heat was unbearable. Aldric’s barrier held, but only just. The light was so blinding that when Aldric shut his eyes, he still saw it seared into his vision.
"Dear God…" Aldric whispered.
He clutched the pendant of Soviras around his neck, his fingers trembling. A prayer formed on his lips, out of instinct, out of desperation.
The words never came.
Because in that moment—
The Luminance flickered.
For a fraction of a second, his shield vanished. A pause barely measurable in time, but in this very moment, a second is an eternity.
People were reduced to silhouettes before being consumed. Homes became smoldering craters. The academy behind him unraveled. One instant. One eternity.
Solaris Year 3,907 – Magnum Imperium Vires
Governmental Report – Imperial Archives
08:07 CIT – Eryndor Bulwark
The detonation ceased.
All energy signatures collapsed into a singular point, leaving behind an anomalous vacuum where the epicenter once stood. The event site was reduced to a smoldering wasteland, devoid of all life, all sound, all color.
Out of an estimated 25,000 residents, only 600 remained. Surrounding regions were severely affected.
Aldric’s legs gave out beneath him. He collapsed onto the charred ground, his breathing ragged, his body shaking with pain and exhaustion. His Aegis had barely shielded him. The burns on his arms throbbed mercilessly, but he barely noticed.
The academy was gone.
The city was gone.
Everything—gone.
Aldric forced himself to his feet, staggering forward. His boots crunched over hot glass and sizzled through the remains of what was once a bustling town.
The burning air clawed at his throat. Ash and burnt flesh thick enough to taste.
Charred bodies lay frozen in prayer, hands clasped, faces tilted toward where the sky had once been. They had still been singing.
Aldric looked down at his own hands, trembling, bloodied, burned.
"This… No, no, this can’t be real—"
He fell to his knees. His hands gripped his hair. His breath came in short, shallow gasps.
Had it flickered… because of him?
Would the Aegis have held if he had not doubted? Had his faith failed them all?
Would they have lived?
His lungs burned, each gasp felt like inhaling knives.
His vision split and blurred. The world tilted. His sanity teetered on the edge of collapse.
His faith was gone.
And so was everything else.
Then—
He collapsed.
