The first sign wasn’t the lightning—it was the stillness that followed. Streets seemed to pause, clocks slowed, and a quiet hung over everything. Then the alarms sounded—blaring, urgent, impossible to ignore. By the time people understood the scope of what was happening, a strange fog had already settled, spreading across highways, neighborhoods, and the city itself.
No one could agree on what it meant. Experts pointed to patterns and predictions, while everyday people learned to rely on instinct: noticing the way the air felt, the sudden silence of birds, or subtle shifts in the environment. Arguments over causes grew smaller each day, replaced by the simple goal of getting through the night safely.
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