(Present time YEAR 32,026)
The wind was cold at the edge of the cliff.
A man stood there, silent, looking at the sky. His coat was flying in the wind, but his eyes did not move. They were fixed on a bright light far above.
At first, it looked like a star.
But stars do not fall.
The light grew bigger and brighter. It was moving fast, burning as it came down through the sky. A long trail of fire followed it, like the sky was bleeding.
The man's heart started beating faster.
"No…" he whispered.
The air became warm. The ground under his feet trembled slightly.
"That spacecraft..." he said softly. ".... Is crashing."
The burning object roared as it fell. The sound was deep and terrifying. It felt like the sky itself was screaming.
"That ship was not supposed to return," he said, his voice shaking. "It should have fled away."
The fire grew brighter.
Closer.
Deadlier.
"Nooooo!" he screamed, his voice echoing across the mountains.
The spacecraft disappeared behind the distant hills. Seconds later, a huge explosion shook the land. The sky flashed orange and red. The ground trembled violently.
Then everything became silent.
Heavy silence.
Scary silence.
The man closed his eyes slowly.
"This is not an accident," he said.
"This is the beginning… of the end."
Far away, dark smoke rose into the sky where the spacecraft had crashed.
(20 Years Earlier YEAR 32006)
The sun burned high above a dry and broken land.
The ground was full of cracks. There were no trees, no rivers, no animals. Only dust and heat. It was a land where life struggled to exist.
A boy who was about 12 walking alone.
His name was Parthivan.
His steps were weak. His lips were dry and pale. His throat burned with thirst. His stomach twisted with hunger. He had not eaten properly for days.
"Water…" he whispered. "Just a little water…"
But no one answered.
The wind passed, carrying dust instead of comfort.
Parthivan tried to walk forward, but his legs began to shake. His vision became blurry. The world started spinning around him.
Then he fell.
His body hit the hot ground. Dust rose around him. His eyes slowly closed as darkness came closer.
But before he lost consciousness, he saw someone.
A girl who was about 8 stood before him.
She did not look like she belonged to this dead land. Her hair was long and white, moving softly in the hot wind. Her skin was pale. Her eyes were bright cyan, like clear water in a desert.
For a moment, Parthivan thought he was dreaming.
"Am I… dead?" he whispered weakly.
The girl knelt beside him.
"No," she said gently. "You are still alive."
Her voice was calm and kind.
"My name is Pihu," she said. "Don't be afraid. I will take you to our shelter."
"Our… shelter?" Parthivan asked.
She lifted his right arm and placed it over her shoulder. With her other hand, she held him by the waist. She looked fragile, but her grip was strong.
"Lean on me," she said.
With great effort, Parthivan rose. His legs were shaking badly.
"Why… are you helping me?" he asked.
Pihu looked toward the north, where the land seemed a little less broken.
"Because," she said softly, "no one should die alone in this world."
They began to walk.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Behind them was death and dust.
In front of them was hope… or destiny.
What the man saw in the sky today
had begun with this boy and this girl
Twenty years ago.