1 The Day The Earth Stopped Spinning
'It's my 21st birthday today, and coincidently, the day the Earth stopped spinning.'
'Ever heard of End-Of-The-World flood myths?'
'Noah's arc from the bible?'
'Matsya from Hindu scripture?'
'Nv Wa of ancient Chinese Mythos?'
'The Gilgamesh flood-myths of Mesopotamia?'
'Well… It's happening… RIGHT NOW.'
'Luckily… Hours before the world started collapsing, colossal ethereal pyramids descended from the sky, encasing several of the most densely populated cities on Earth and my fortress just happens to be in the epicenter of this one.'
'Is it a coincidence you ask? Heh… Take a guess!'
Suddenly, a shrill bellow of a colossal elephant reverberated through the air, interrupting Brandon's thoughts.
"PAWWWOOOO!!!"
Suspended in a weightless pirouette, the creature danced before slamming into an ethereal barrier that encapsulated Providence City.
Ripples shimmered across the translucent shield.
High above on his fortress battlements, Brandon Void, as cool as a seasoned conductor before his orchestra, watched the unfolding spectacle.
His eyes, a mirror of the chaos beneath, subtly creased at the edges.
'So, this is it... the end of the world,' he contemplated.
There was a tinge of bitter satisfaction to his introspective murmurings.
Positioned strategically for the panoramic view, Brandon sank into an opulent chair.
His eyes, still alight with the chaotic scenes below, cast a detached serenity that contrasted the undercurrent of excitement coursing through his veins.
Dressed impeccably, his lean twenty-year-old frame held an air of commanding presence.
The ripple of panic from the city streets below invoked a wellspring of memories.
He saw, not the terrified populace, but his own reflection mirrored in their desperation.
He had been there once, in their place, a victim to a world gone mad.
===
A sharp memory surfaced, cutting through his emotional barrier.
A memory of himself, gaunt, ravaged by hunger, almost ghostly, a captive to a world descending into anarchy.
On one particularly harsh day, a sight more torturous than his physical suffering awaited him.
His fiancée, Joyce, entrapped in the arms of a self-proclaimed 'enlightened' mobster.
Their shameless display of intimacy lacerated his heart. The realization that Joyce had traded their love for survival was a sting more brutal than the gnawing hunger in his belly.
The sense of betrayal was a smoldering brand, scarring his soul.
===
Time seemed to stand still as his anger mingled with the pain, forging an unbreakable resolve within his shattered soul.
The injustice he had endured would fuel his determination to rise above the ashes of his past, to seize the power and control he had been denied.
"How pathetic was I..."
His voice barely a whisper, the memory of Joyce lingered, fresh and painful even though it had been more than twenty years.
A moment etched in time, the day he saw the woman he loved trade their souls for the promise of survival, for a simple loaf of bread.
With clenched fists and a fiery determination in his eyes, Brandon made a silent vow to himself.
No longer would he be a victim of the world's cruelty.
No longer would he allow himself to be crushed by the weight of injustice.
His gaze fell on the plate of succulent Kobe beef before him and the bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in his hand, the aroma mingling with the fragrant Cuban cigar he held.
'Born an orphan, I never knew my parents. Yet they left behind a multi-BILLION dollar legacy,'
He mused, a silent conversation unfolding in his mind,
'And today, well, today is special.'
A malevolent grin tugged at his lips,
'Crazy billionaire wastrel, they said. Paranoid doomsday fanatic, they mocked,'
'Who's laughing now?'
His gaze pierced through the billowing cigar smoke to the ethereal pyramid encasing his city. It was a silent guardian against the insanity beyond its confines.
Outside, a canvas of chaos stretched. Monstrous waves, like titanic tsunamis, pounded against the barrier, their roar rattling the city's foundations.
BOOOOOOOOM !!!
A symphony of devastation filled the air. His heart pounded in sync with the crescendo of the end times.
In this orchestra of chaos, Brandon's amused voice sliced through,
"Geoffery, isn't that the Eiffel Tower? How did it end up here?"
Geoffrey, his aged butler, struggled to find words amidst the absurdity,
"Y..young M...m...master, I... I... th...think... s..s...so..."
CRAAAAAAASSSHHHHH !!!
Another wave met the barrier, a testament to the unseen shield's might. The thundering SPLASHHHH echoed through the streets, as if duetting with the ROARRRR of the tempest.
But within the ethereal pyramid, aside from the widespread panic and fear of those inside, serenity prevailed…
Well… kind of…
"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!!!"
"Repent and accept the Lord Jesus Christ!"
"Allah Save Us All! Allahu Akbar!"
"Namo Amida Buddha. O Blessed One, protect us all"
Prayers rang out in a chorus of desperation, blending together in a cacophony of faith and uncertainty.
From every corner, fervent pleas in countless tongues ascended, an orchestra of hope amidst despair.
It wasn't just about religion; it was humanity's united cry against the looming darkness.
Even atheists looked up at the colossal ethereal pyramid that provided them shelter as the world crumbled around them, unsure of what to think.
Amidst this, Brandon reached for his binoculars, a tinge of excitement in his eyes.
"Look at that…" he chuckled, pointing at a flying pig caught in the torrent, its panicked squeals adding an unexpected verse to the chaos.
Brandon laughed,
"I suppose pigs can fly now, eh, Geoffrey?"
As if to answer his question, the pig crashed into the barrier, bouncing off harmlessly with a terrified squeal.
His laughter echoed against the tumult, a dissonant note of mirth in the symphony of destruction.
Geoffrey, his trembling butler, could barely stutter a response, the absurdity of the situation rendering him nearly speechless.
WHHIIZZZZZZ!!
The furious winds swirled debris in a tempestuous dance of destruction, the clatter of it crashing against the protective barrier providing a chaotic soundtrack to the apocalyptic scene.
With a shake of his head, Brandon set down the binoculars, a lingering grin adorning his face.
"Well, Geoffrey,"
He said with a cruel sense of amusement as the world tore asunder,
"it seems like the world has gone mad, at least we're witness to the greatest show on Earth!"
Brandon rose from his chair, the smoldering cigar still perched on the side of his mouth, the bottle of exquisite wine cradled in his hand.
He strode purposefully towards the edge of the towering battlement, his gaze fixed on the chaos beyond.
Drawing a deep breath, he felt a surge of determination coursing through his veins. The echoes of his past struggles reverberated within him, fueling his resolve.
'I was once a pitiful victim of the end of the world,'
Brandon reflected, his eyes narrowing with newfound conviction.
His grip tightened around the bottle of wine as he brought it to the edge of the battlement.
With a deliberate motion, he poured a line of the multi-hundred thousand dollar wine, watching as it cascaded over the edge, symbolizing the death of the person he had been until now.
His grin widened, and he declared with newfound resolve,
'But this time, I will rise above it all. This time… Things will be different.'
As the rich crimson liquid mingled with the chaotic winds, a surge of anticipation filled the air.
It was as if the very fabric of reality held its breath, an anticipatory hush that hinted at something momentous about to unfold.
In that hushed stillness, Brandon Void stood poised at the precipice of destiny.
With a steely resolve, Brandon spoke into the quietude, his voice carrying a weight of certainty.
"From this day forward, the world will know the force of Brandon Void. The end is merely the beginning, and chaos will be my canvas."
