Prologue: The Beginning of the End

The news had spread everywhere: the world was ending soon. The moon was being pulled into the Earth’s gravity, getting closer and closer every day, to collide in exactly one year. Really, it shouldn't be as big of a surprise as it is, as scientists have issued celestial warnings similar to this for the past decades. It’s just that nobody expected it to happen so fast. Theories went wild, like gossip in a school environment. Several blamed the government for whatever secret experiments they held, others believed it was divine intervention. Still, the people had many, many reactions toward this piece of news, it seemed like everything else dwindled in the face of this problem. They rioted at government headquarters everywhere in the world, demanding a solution that guaranteed their safety, no matter how much money they would have to feed. But reality was undeniable, the moon looked closer and closer every night, causing tides to go high.

Sirens blared in the streets, attempting to keep the blazing anger and fear at bay. Many accidents happened due to the carelessness of these people rioting, be it crashes or just plain violence. Because to them, what mattered anymore if they were all going to die in a year? Some nations collapsed within weeks, their leaders vanishing, their infrastructure crumbling. Others clung to power through sheer force, deploying the military to silence dissent. Banks were emptied, markets crashed, and entire industries ceased to function. Those who could, they fled to remote locations, hoping distance from urban chaos would grant them safety.

Many officers left their posts, choosing to be with their families instead. This left holes, power vacuums, eagerly filled by those who want a sense of purpose in these times. Robberies happened in broad daylight, and there was no one to stop them. The world was unraveling, and in its wake, new orders began to take shape.

Some sought safety in religion, believing the end was part of a divine plan. People flocked to the churches, temples, and mosques, overflowing with worshippers begging for salvation. Cults emerged overnight, preaching everything from mass suicide to ascension into a new realm. Others indulged in hedonism, believing there was no point in restraint when the end was inevitable. Nightlife thrived in a paradoxical burst of energy, with underground raves, reckless gambling, and unchecked violence becoming the new normal.

Scientists raced against time, grasping at theoretical solutions: space evacuation, planetary migration, and artificial propulsion systems. But the resources needed were astronomical, the logistics impossible. And even if they could build ships large enough to save a fraction of humanity, who would be chosen? The elite? The brilliant? The lucky? The conversations never reached conclusions, dissolving instead into arguments, desperation, and eventual silence.

“Leave with me, let’s explore the world together like we have always wanted!”

“What are you talking about? You can’t just walk away like this, you’re a scientist for goodness sake- we have to figure out a way to stop this!”

This argument in the small and dimly lit apartment had been going on for hours since they watched television, voices rising over the muffled chaos outside. Two women, stubborn with their beliefs, refused to follow what the other was saying. Who would be stupid enough? It barely made any sense. Just yesterday, they were having fun, enjoying coffee like nothing else mattered. But waking up, it seemed like a new world. Order was a joke, everyone was trying to save themselves. Well, maybe not everyone, some had simply locked themselves in their homes, resigned to their fate.

“I can’t believe you, we have a job to do!” Her palms slammed against the kitchen counter. “Even the professionals have given up, letting the public know! If we had a chance, they would keep it under wraps longer! Come on, just accept it and run away with me!” The brunette yelled back, firmly planted into her side of the argument. “Run away? That’s absurd! What about our family? Or our friends, Sayo!” “We would meet them again at the end, you worry for nothing!” “You’re giving up.” She accused. “I am not, Rika.” Sayo’s voice was steady as if she had made peace with something Rika refused to acknowledge. “You should come with me.” “You are giving up!” Rika insisted, baffled by how easily Sayo could turn her back on everything. Her calmness was infuriating. “If you want to leave, there’s the door! Don’t come back when I save the world!”

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

The apartment door slammed, shaking the walls and the glass in the window panes. Sayo left just like that, leaving Rika in heaving breaths as their argument echoed off the walls. She turned to the television, where muted footage of the latest developments played. Cities crumbled, people prayed, and governments sent out empty reassurances. But none of it mattered. She had made her choice, and Sayo had made hers.

Outside, the sky darkened, and the moon hung lower than ever before.