The sky looked broken.
Holden stood at the bottom of the jet's ramp, staring at the strange purple cracks spreading across the sky above the Abyssal Epicenter.
They stretched in every direction, glowing faintly against the dark clouds. Some were thin, barely visible lines, while others were wide enough to reveal a deeper purple light beyond them.
Every few seconds, another crack appeared.
CRACK!
The sound rolled across the wasteland, distant but clear.
Holden watched one of the fractures spread farther across the sky before slowly lowering his gaze.
The ground beneath him was covered in ash.
Thick, grey ash that stretched across the wasteland as far as he could see.
It covered the rocks, the broken remains of old structures, and everything else that had once stood here.
There were no trees.
No grass.
Not even the smallest sign of life.
Only ash, ruined land, and the purple haze hanging over the ground.
Holden stepped away from the ramp.
He looked around.
