Prophecy and Change

Whence the heavens dost bear an ominous hue,

And Earth shaketh 'neath her burdens anew,

Thrice shall darkness descend upon our sphere,

Each time graver, more ominous to fear.

First Great Calamity, a tempest of fire,

Laid waste to our lands, engulfed in dire mire,

Yet, the gods, with pity, did gaze down and see,

With their might, they quelled the raging sea.

The Second Great Calamity, a deluge untamed,

Swept across our world, leaving naught unclaimed,

Yet again, the gods heeded our plaintive cries,

Their mighty powers 'gainst disaster did arise.

But now, the Third Great Calamity doth loom,

A cataclysmic force, enshrouded in gloom,

With dire omens foretelling its dreadful flight,

As mortals tremble in the encroaching night.

Yet, mark well this prophecy, a torch in the dark,

When all hope seemeth lost, we'll leave our mark,

For the gods shall descend with purpose in heart,

Their strength and wisdom, ne'er to depart.

Together we stand, with courage so grand,

Confronting the Great Calamity, hand in hand,

With gods by our side, in alliance and grace,

Our survival is assured in this perilous place.

Though shadows grow long, the threat may seem vast,

Yet humanity's spirit will not be surpassed,

In unity, valor, and faith, we shall belie,

That, together with gods, we shan't comply.

The Third Great Calamity, we shall endure,

Guided by gods, steadfast and pure,

A testament to our strength, will, and worth,

As we rebuild, renew, and reclaim the dearth.

***

It happened at midnight. Exactly when the clock hit 0:00. A melodious voice echoed through the world. Every soul on Earth, from every corner of the globe, heard the prophecy, as if it were whispered directly into their hearts.

From the bustling cities to the remotest villages, from the high peaks to the deep valleys, all heard the words spoken in the winds, carried by the rustling leaves, and whispered by the lapping waves. The message transcended language, culture, and creed, for it was not conveyed through spoken words, but through an unspoken understanding that resonated in every heart.

It was a message that relayed the past and foretold the future. 

A significant portion of the world's population found hope in the prophecy. They saw it as an opportunity for humanity to unite, to put aside differences, and to confront the impending disaster together.

But many also felt fear and uncertainty upon hearing the prophecy. The looming calamity weighed heavily on their hearts, and the unknown consequences left them anxious. They grappled with questions about their safety, the future of their loved ones, and the world they knew.

Some doubted the authenticity of the prophecy. They questioned the source, the meaning, and the validity of the message. Skeptics argued that it could be a mere coincidence or a hoax, and they chose not to alter their lives based on what they perceived as an uncertain prediction.

Whatever thought the people had on the prophecy was shattered as various kinds of monsters materialized at around the same time across the globe. 

Jiangshi, Yakshas, Banshees, Nagas, and many more mythological creations materialized from the ground and began to attack the nearest populated place.

***

In the Kunlun Mountains at midnight, the scenery is a haunting blend of ancient beauty and eerie mystery. The mountains rise majestically, their peaks disappearing into the velvet sky. Jagged cliffs and rock formations jut out from the earth like the bones of a slumbering giant, casting long, looming shadows in the pale moonlight.

The air carries a crisp, earthy scent, infused with the aroma of centuries-old pines and the distant fragrance of wildflowers. The scent is subtle, but it lingers, a reminder of the untamed, natural world that inhabits these heights.

"Shit, what was that?" A hushed voice broke the silence.

"It wasn't you, James?" Another voice, though melodic, carried an undercurrent of unease, echoing the uncertainty that hung in the air. 

James' breath hung in the crisp mountain air as he strained to pinpoint the source of the voice.

"No of course not Grace, I'm not that despicable to prank you at this ungodly hour!" He answered, slightly unnerved by their current situation.

It was only the two of them, alone.

"It was eerie as fuck though! Are you sure it's not you? No kidding please this is not funny at all!" Grace paused and looked at James' face to determine whether or not he was lying to her.

Turns out, he was not. Her boyfriend looked stiff, and that expression told her that this was something else. Something serious.

"Damn, I imagined our anniversary trip a bit differently," James muttered to himself and took out a flashlight from his backpack. He was sure that someone must be out there, pranking them. There was no other explanation. 

He shone it 360 degrees, but there was nothing. Only rocks, trees, and a few patches of green spots. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Yeah, good planning. What a wonderful idea it was to camp inside these blasted mountains!"

"Hey! What's with this attitude? You consented to this trip!"

"Yeah, well. But I was not expecting this bullshit. It's like the start of a bad horror story."

"You're too superstitious. It must've been the wind or isolated high-altitude psychosis tricking us. It's late and we need to set up camp. Come on, I looked around and found nothing. Let's not dwell on it, okay?"

"I'll kill you if we're dying tonight!"

"Huh? You're not even making any sense. Pfft."

"I'm done! Leave me alone, I'm walking ahead, bye!"

James observed his girlfriend as she made big strides ahead of him and decided to give her some space to cool down. Grace had a short temper, but she also cooled down very fast. They had nothing to worry about, and he checked again with the flashlight. Nothing out of the ordinary.

As they made their way towards the campsite, James couldn't shake off the feeling that their current situation was far from ordinary. He hoped that it was just some bizarre prank, but his gut feeling told him otherwise. 

When they finally arrived, the sight of other campers' tents put James at ease. He assumed that his unease was probably due to some form of isolated high-altitude psychosis. 

With relief, James took off his large backpack and began setting up their tent. He had brought a big one that could fit twelve people inside because Grace wanted a comfortable place to stay in as a compromise for hiking in the mountains. Grace was a city girl, through and through.

In contrast to his girlfriend's outgoing personality, James was more reserved and preferred spending time in nature. He often took long walks around the outskirts of the city.

As to how they got together, opposites attract each other–or so he thought.

As James was setting up the camp, he felt that something was not right. The silence was too eerie. He realized that he couldn't hear the snoring of other campers or any movement inside other tents, which was highly unusual. 

James was so preoccupied with the weirdly spoken prophecy that he missed this detail. Suddenly, he also realized that he hadn't seen Grace in a while. She went ahead of him and entered the campsite, so she should be around, waiting for him to bring all the food and equipment. 

However, Grace was nowhere to be seen. The silence following the previous weird encounter triggered fear inside him–fear of the unknown. It was nighttime, the campsite was deadly quiet, and Grace had disappeared, which made James even more anxious.

James looked around the camp and decided to inspect the nearest tent. He noticed a small slit on the left side of a two-person tent and took a peek inside. However, he found nobody there. 

It was a bit concerning, but he thought that maybe the occupants had gone out for a while for star gazing. So, he moved on to another tent, which was similar in size to his own. James walked around the tent and looked through the window, but once again, he found nobody inside.

As he looked around, he realized that all the tents were empty and nobody was around. Panic set in as he searched for any clues regarding the whereabouts of Grace and other people. 

The campsite was not very large, with only nine tents, besides the one he was occupying. There were no check-in or other facilities, as it was situated high up in the mountains. It was just a simple camping site.

He called out Grace's name, his voice carrying through the desolate mountain air, but the only response was the haunting echo of his own words. The campsite, nestled high in the rugged mountains, seemed both desolate and surreal.

Then, a sudden, piercing scream shattered the silence, cutting through the solitude like a blade. It was Grace's voice, unmistakable in its urgency and fear. The blood in James's veins ran cold, and he felt a surge of adrenaline. Without a second thought, he darted in the direction of the chilling cry, his heart pounding with a mix of terror and determination.

Guided by the anguished sound, he navigated the rugged terrain, every step fueled by a growing sense of urgency. The mountains, which had felt desolate and surreal only moments before, now seemed to close in around him, filled with unseen threats.

Finally, as he climbed up the hill separating him from Grace, he stumbled upon a scene that sent shivers down his spine.

There, in a small clearing, stood Grace, her eyes wide with terror. A few meters away from her loomed the imposing figure of a hulking creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man, its eyes filled with an unsettling mixture of fury and confusion.

A spectral figure cloaked in an ethereal, flowing gown, hovered nearby, her wailing cry casting an eerie spell over the entire scene. Her presence added an otherworldly element to the encounter. Next to her were a laid the bodies of the campers–or what was still left of them. Some seemed to have been impaled by something big and others crushed, as their chest was sunken unnaturally.

James, though gripped by fear, knew that he had to act swiftly. Grace's safety was his paramount concern. With a trembling voice, he called out to her, "Grace, stay close to me!" He took a cautious step forward, positioning himself between Grace and what he presumed to be a Minotaur. 

As the Minotaur's massive form cast an ominous shadow over the clearing, Grace's fear turned to desperation. In a moment of sheer panic, she pushed James toward the Minotaur, her hands trembling with terror. Her actions were impulsive, driven by a sudden surge of self-preservation.

Without looking back, she turned and fled, leaving James bewildered and betrayed.

Suddenly, the spectral form unfurled her tattered gown, and with an unearthly grace, she took to the air. Her ethereal wings, barely visible in the moonlight, carried her swiftly into the sky. Her crimson eyes locked onto Grace's fleeing figure, and with a bloodcurdling scream that seemed to rend the heavens, she soared after the terrified woman.