The Shattered Star

"That day, I had no idea the events about to unfold would change the course of my life forever. Even now, I wish it had never started... because then, no one would have had to die."

***

The International Space Station

A deafening alarm blared through the cramped corridors of the International Space Station, bathing the walls in an ominous crimson glow. The usual steady hum of orbiting life had given way to chaos. Tools floated erratically, and panicked shouts ricocheted off the metallic walls.

Kazuto Nakamura's hands flew across the control panel as he struggled to decipher the erratic readings. His dark eyes, usually calm and focused, were wide with panic. Sweat beaded on his forehead, dampening the tips of his black hair, which framed his angular face.

"Gravitational anomalies are escalating!" Kazuto's voice cut through the commotion. "Magnetic field readings are off the charts. If this continues—"

"Focus, Kazuto!" Elena Volkov barked from the other side of the module, her voice sharp and commanding.

Her auburn hair, tied in a practical braid, floated slightly in the microgravity as she steadied herself against a handrail. Her piercing green eyes flicked between Kazuto and the observation window.

"What exactly are we dealing with?" she demanded.

Kazuto turned to her, his usually composed face pale with dread. "The field is collapsing. Earth's gravity has reversed in localized pockets—it's like nothing we've ever seen."

Elena's breath hitched. She moved to the observation window, the Earth below a kaleidoscope of violent storms and glowing distortions. The magnetic poles flickered erratically, as if the planet itself was tearing apart.

"This… this shouldn't even be possible. What could cause this?"

"I don't know!" Kazuto snapped, his voice tinged with frustration. "But the ISS is falling. We've lost orbital stability."

Elena lunged for the communications console, gripping the headset with trembling hands. "This is Volkov to Mission Control! We have an emergency—repeat, the ISS is being pulled into Earth's atmosphere. Do you copy?"

Static crackled ominously in response. She tried again. "Mission Control, respond! This isn't a drill!"

Kazuto shook his head, his hands clutching the edge of the console. "It's no use. The interference is jamming all communication. We're on our own."

The station groaned violently, metal twisting as flames began licking at the edges of the observation windows. The temperature climbed rapidly, and the acrid stench of burning metal filled the air.

"Brace for impact!" Kazuto shouted over the deafening roar, gripping the nearest stabilizing handle.

Elena turned to him, her expression a mix of fear and defiance. Their eyes met, and in that fleeting moment, a shared resignation passed between them.

"This can't be how it ends," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"For us, it is," Kazuto replied, his voice low and heavy with inevitability.

The ISS spiraled uncontrollably, fragments breaking apart as it streaked toward the planet. The sky ignited with fiery trails as debris scattered like shooting stars. Moments later, the station slammed into the Pacific Ocean, unleashing a thunderous explosion that sent shockwaves rippling across the seas.

30 Minutes before current events

The soft crunch of gravel accompanied Ren Takamura's yawn as he trudged through the school gates, his bag slung over one shoulder. The early morning sunlight bathed the campus in warm light, casting long shadows over neatly trimmed hedges and pathways.

Ren's black hair, messy and unruly, swayed slightly in the breeze. His tired dark eyes bore faint shadows, a telltale sign of another sleepless night. Moderately tall and dressed in a rumpled uniform, he exuded the aura of someone who hadn't fully woken up.

Inside, he swapped his outdoor shoes for uwabaki—lightweight indoor slippers worn within the school. The soft fabric of the slippers, though worn, felt familiar. As he slid them on, he rubbed his eyes, suppressing another yawn.

"Hey, Ren!"

A familiar voice broke through his haze. Ren turned lazily to see Haruto Asahi jogging toward him, waving enthusiastically. Haruto's short brown hair was just as messy, but his lively energy was in stark contrast to Ren's sluggish demeanor.

"Another all-nighter playing games?" Haruto teased, eyeing Ren's obvious exhaustion.

"Maybe," Ren replied, shrugging. "What about it?"

Haruto sighed dramatically.

"One of these days, you're going to fall asleep mid-step, and I'll have to carry you to class."

"Better you than me," Ren shot back with a smirk, eliciting an exasperated shake of Haruto's head.

As they climbed the stairs, Haruto hesitated, his tone shifting.

"Hey, Ren… I'm going to confess to Alya today."

Ren stopped mid-step, raising an eyebrow.

"Finally? After five years? What's the occasion?"

Haruto scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks reddening slightly.

"I just figured… it's now or never."

Ren sighed, shaking his head.

"You're hopeless. Waiting this long makes you the king of absurdity."

"Gee, thanks for the encouragement," Haruto muttered.

Ren smirked.

"Don't get your hopes too high. Considering how many guys she's rejected, your chances are…" He trailed off, watching Haruto's expectant gaze before finishing with a teasing grin.

"Zero."

"Come on, Ren! Don't be like that!" Haruto protested, visibly deflating.

"Just being honest," Ren said. "If you expect too much, you'll just hit the ground harder when she rejects you."

Haruto groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"You're such a downer sometimes."

The classroom buzzed with chatter as Ren took his usual seat by the window. Haruto sat beside him, fidgeting nervously.

Ren's gaze wandered outside. A large flock of birds was perched unusually close to the ground, their movements restless and erratic. He frowned, murmuring to himself.

"Are they… tired or something?"

Before he could dwell on the thought, a sudden tremor rocked the building. Books and papers toppled from desks as the lights flickered. The alarm blared, its sharp tone cutting through the growing panic.

[Attention all students: evacuate to the earthquake shelter on the ground floor. This is not a drill.]

Ren gripped his desk as the tremors intensified. His heart raced as he glanced out the window. The birds, now in a frenzy, scattered into the air, their cries nearly drowned out by the rumbling earth.

"Ren, MOVE!"

Haruto's voice rang out just as a deafening crack resounded above. Ren looked up, frozen, as a massive chunk of the ceiling began to collapse. Haruto lunged, shoving Ren out of the way with all his strength.

The impact sent Ren sprawling to the ground. He coughed, his chest aching, and scrambled to his knees. His blood ran cold as he saw Haruto pinned beneath the rubble, his leg trapped and bleeding profusely.

"Haruto!" Ren cried, crawling toward him.

"Don't… just stand there," Haruto gasped, his voice strained. "You need to get out!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Ren shouted, tears stinging his eyes as he clawed at the concrete. His fingers bled as he fought to free his friend, but the weight was unyielding.

"Ren…" Haruto's voice softened. He coughed, blood flecking his lips. "You can't save me. The building… it's coming down."

"I won't leave you!" Ren yelled, his desperation mounting.

Haruto's grip on Ren's arm tightened. "Promise me," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Promise me you'll live. For the both of us."

Ren hesitated, his tears falling freely. Finally, he nodded.

"I promise."

Haruto's faint smile was bittersweet. "Then go…"

Another tremor roared through the building, and the ceiling groaned ominously. Dust and debris rained down as Ren stumbled to his feet.

"I'll come back for you," he said, his voice breaking.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Haruto murmured, his voice fading as the ceiling gave way.

Ren sprinted through the collapsing hallway, the floor buckling beneath his feet. When he reached the earthquake shelter, his heart sank. A massive pile of debris blocked the entrance.

"Damn it!" he roared, slamming his fists against the rubble. Tears streamed down his face as he fell to his knees.

"This damned world! Why? Why is this happening?!"

A sudden jolt shook the ground. The cracks beneath him widened, and the floor gave way entirely. Ren plunged into darkness, Haruto's final words echoing in his mind.

"Live… for the both of us."

As the void swallowed him, his last whisper escaped into the silence.

"Haruto… I'm sorry."

***

Far away, in the Prime Minister's office, chaos consumed what had once been a sanctuary of order and authority. The lavish room, adorned with polished mahogany furniture and gilded accents, now bore the scars of the earthquake's wrath. Cracks splintered the walls like jagged veins, and the once-pristine chandelier swung wildly overhead, its crystals refracting fractured light.

"Is this an attack?!"

Prime Minister Hayato Yamaguchi barked, his voice barely steady as he gripped the edge of his desk for balance. His usually composed demeanor was fraying at the edges.

"No, sir!" an aide shouted, clutching the back of a toppled chair for support. "Reports are flooding in—Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo… the tremors are everywhere!"

The Prime Minister's sharp eyes darted to the digital monitor displaying live feeds from across the nation. Cities were in chaos, their skylines obscured by plumes of dust and smoke. The images blurred as another violent tremor shook the building, sending the monitor crashing to the floor.

"Send word to the Self-Defense Forces!" Yamaguchi ordered, his tone clipped and urgent. "Initiate evacuation protocols immediately. I want a nationwide state of emergency declared within the hour!"

Another tremor roared through the building, more powerful than the last. Bookshelves toppled like dominos, and a framed photo of Yamaguchi's family fell to the floor, the glass shattering. For a fleeting moment, his gaze lingered on the photo—his wife's warm smile and his daughter's laughing eyes.

"Prime Minister!" an aide screamed, snapping him back to the present. Panic laced their voice. "The building's structural integrity—"

The floor beneath them let out a low, ominous groan. Yamaguchi turned just in time to see the ceiling crack and buckle. With a deafening crash, a massive section collapsed, obliterating the conference table in an explosion of splinters and dust.

"Get out! Everyone, evacuate now!"

His command was barely audible over the cacophony of destruction. Staff members scrambled toward the exits, their shouts mingling with the groaning of the building as it struggled to stay upright.

But escape was an illusion. The ground split open with a thunderous crack, swallowing furniture, documents, and fleeing aides into its abyss. Yamaguchi staggered, his knuckles white as he clung to the desk, his anchor in the storm of chaos.

"I can't die here," he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice trembling with a mix of determination and dread. "Not yet… I still have to—"

The floor beneath him gave way entirely. He fell, weightless and helpless, into the yawning chasm below.

But just before the darkness claimed him, Yamaguchi's eyes caught a glimpse through the shattered window. The horizon was unlike anything he had ever seen—an eerie, rippling glow of unnatural light emanating from the Earth itself, pulsating like a dying heartbeat. It was as if the planet itself was screaming.

The chandelier plummeted past him, its crystals catching the strange light in a final, haunting flash.

Yamaguchi's thoughts fragmented, his final realization piercing through the haze of fear.

"This… wasn't natural."

The world went silent as the Prime Minister disappeared into the void, leaving only the echo of destruction behind.