"Space warp, no matter how short the distance, requires a stellar-level of energy."
Damn, stellar-level... the entire solar system...
Standing next to the energy siphon, Ethan Cole's expression shifted rapidly.
...How long was it on for just now? 10 seconds? 15 seconds? 30 seconds?
Such a short time...
It shouldn't have a major impact on Earth...
...right?
Every piece of evidence suggests the Purple Sun Devourer manifested abruptly. In one instant, from 17 degrees west longitude to 127 degrees east longitude, spanning two-thirds of the total area of Earth and the four continents of Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia, the light from the sun instantly dimmed, regardless of whether the sky was clear or cloudy. Nearly 1 billion people who were outdoors at the time witnessed the terrifying spectacle of the Purple Sun Devourer. Of those, about 1 million people, or one-thousandth of the total, saw the entire process from beginning to end.
The following is an account of humanity and fear during one of the thousands of riots that occurred during the first Purple Sun Devourer event:
New York, USA.
5:25 PM Eastern Time.
It was early evening.
On the Empire State Building's observation deck, hundreds of meters in the air, Jack Harper slowly wrapped his arm around the slender waist of the woman beside him.
"Jack, this isn't right, I... I have a boyfriend..." the woman, Grace, gently pulled away. Her movements were stiff but not forceful, and her voice held a clear note of hesitation.
"Grace..." Jack Harper considerately paused. He turned his head to face the woman with the confident smile of a successful man. "Grace, the moment I saw you, I knew you were a girl with dreams, a girl full of spirit..."
"Your future shouldn't be defined by texts from your landlord demanding rent. Your steps shouldn't be confined to the daily commute. Your hands, even less so, should spend all day in the kitchen..."
"You should..." Jack Harper took her arm and gestured to the view outside the window. He continued in a poetic tone that would give any normal person goosebumps , "Own the world's wonders."
As dusk approached, the towering buildings were mostly lit, their facades forming a corridor of beautiful galleries. The evening sun cast its light onto New York Harbor, painting the entire world in brilliant gold. Gazing at this beautiful scene and listening to his gentle words, Grace slowly leaned into Jack Harper's chest.
"But, I'm a little scared..."
"What is there to be afraid of?" Jack Harper buried his head in her soft, smooth hair, inhaling the unique scent of a young woman. He said softly, "I know you might have heard some gossip at the company, but don't worry, those are just rumors from other women out of jealousy or to make themselves look better. You know my feelings for you; I may not be as quick as a young man to make grand promises. But I can promise you a solid, reliable support system, a harbor that will always shelter you from the storm. No matter what turmoil comes, no matter..."
"Ah!" "Oh my God!" "What is that?" "Bang!" "Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Just as Jack Harper felt the woman in his arms become more pliant, he heard a sudden wave of screams, shouts, and the sound of things being knocked over and shattered. Jack Harper looked up. Many people on the observation deck were quickly standing up, while others were diving under tables. Some ran around aimlessly, but more were frozen, staring blankly in the same direction, their faces all showing the same look of sheer terror.
Following their terrified gazes, Jack Harper slowly turned his head.
Then, he, too, gasped.
In the sky, a purple orb had replaced the sun. It hung high above, dyeing the layers of evening clouds a frightening shade of purple, so thick and deep they seemed to drip with an ominous liquid. Below, the vibrant colors had vanished, and a monochromatic purple dominated the entire city. Familiar buildings became purple shadows, and familiar streets became bizarre, luminescent pipes. The city felt eerily alien and terrifying.
At that moment, a voice from somewhere shouted, "The world's ending, run!"
The world's ending!
No other words could so perfectly describe the sudden and dramatic change, or trigger such widespread panic. The crowd's frenzy instantly doubled.
"The world's ending! The world's ending!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Jack Harper joined the stampede toward the elevators.
"Wait for me! Jack! Wait for me!" Grace, who had been lost in a dream of comfort and romance just moments before, screamed desperately behind him. The man running ahead didn't even turn his head.
In that moment, status, wealth, and beauty lost their power. A strong young man unhesitatingly knocked over the beautiful woman blocking his path, and a meek-looking waiter mercilessly shoved a well-dressed CEO aside. Chasing after him for a few steps, Grace tripped and fell, twisting her ankle on her high heel. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get back up.
"Jack... wait for me, help me..."
Huddled under a table that hadn't been toppled, Grace covered her face and wept helplessly. She was completely unaware that she had just set a new personal record for Jack Harper's broken promises: 10 seconds.
And within those 10 seconds, in that building and in countless others around the world, countless similar, or even greater, panics and riots were spreading.
In every building in the sunrise time zones, people were crammed by the windows. They stood on chairs, brutally pushing aside computers and files, climbing onto their desks, and staring blankly at the sun that had lost most of its light. Then, someone in a corner would suddenly let out a shout, and soon, the crowd would fall into a frenzy. Desks were overturned, and chairs and water dispensers were knocked to the floor. Every elevator and every staircase was instantly packed with people who had lost all reason, driven only by the primal instinct to escape.
The streets were no calmer. In those 10 seconds, traffic lights lost all meaning on every road in the sunrise time zones. Countless cars came to a halt, their drivers turning off their engines and getting out of their vehicles one after another, staring in terror at the no longer blinding sky.
In just a few seconds, across the vast areas of the Earth covered by the purple light, in every city, every neighborhood, and every apartment building, countless calls were made to emergency services. Due to channel limitations, most of them were met with a busy signal, which only triggered more hysterical panic.
A few minutes later, countless reporters received an urgent notice from their superiors. By this time, nearly a hundred groups of lucky, or perhaps unlucky, journalists had already documented the entire process of the first Purple Sun Devourer and the panic and terror it caused.
The following is an excerpt from a complete broadcast from one news team during the first Purple Sun Devourer event:
Fethiye, Turkey.
1:17 PM Eastern European Time.
Serious Voice (female): "Hurry up, Legoff, get ready to switch. The next shot is the champion paragliding over the coast. Get some good angles for the editing department later."
Casual Voice (male): "Come on, the competition isn't even over yet! You forgot to say 'fixed'. Jacqueline, do you really think anyone watches this stuff? We're journalists! Journalists! When are we going to stop covering extramarital affairs, celebrity gossip, and sponsored product competitions?"
Slightly Annoyed Voice (female): "Less talk, more action. Work is work, no matter what ... Okay, he's coming up. Pan the camera to the sky! First practice run, 3... 2... 1..."
Casual Voice (male): "Fine, the sky, the sky..." (Extremely surprised voice, male): "The sky... Oh my God!"
Slightly Annoyed Voice (female): "Stop wasting time, Legoff, what are you doing? Pan to the sky... the sky..." (Extremely surprised voice, female): "The sky! My God! What happened to the sun!"
Everything on the screen was suddenly covered in a layer of purple. After a shaky moment, the camera focused on a purple orb.
Screaming and Chaos (from off-screen): "Lord!" "Oh my God!" "Help! Help!"
Breathless, Panicked Voice (female): "Hello, uh, hello everyone, this is RMC News. It is now 1:00 PM Eastern European Time..."
Screaming and Chaos (from off-screen): "Help me... pull me up..."
A panicked woman suddenly appeared on screen, running toward the host before stumbling and grabbing onto her dress, refusing to let go.
Startled Voice (female): "Hey... Bill, come here, hurry! Pull her off! ... Bill..."
Frantic Voice (male): "Bill... f***! Bill ran away! Tom, come back! Tom, Tom! Okay, Tom ran too... Silenus! Good man, Silenus, you'll go far ... Yes, I promise! I promise! Yes, you can have a raise! In the name of that f***ing purple sun! Come here, come on, get her off me!"
The screen shook as if it had been dropped to the ground. In the distance, two white men in vests with "RMC" printed on them could be seen running away quickly. After a while, the camera was lifted again, and as it stabilized, a burly man in an RMC uniform appeared, looking extremely nervous. He pulled the panicked woman out of the frame.
Forced Calm Voice (female): "Good job, Silenus! ... Ahem, ahem! Viewers, we're in Turkey , and as you can see, a purple sun has suddenly appeared in the sky. People are terrified, and there are people running everywhere on the beach..."
The camera panned, shakily, to the tourists who had been sunbathing on the beach. They were now all jumping up. Some stumbled and fell in the tide, getting up and running toward the beach. Some grabbed their parasols and pointed the sharp end in any direction they felt threatened. Others were acting as if possessed, frantically digging in the sand as if trying to burrow into a hole. The beach was filled with people running around aimlessly.
Strained, Trembling Voice (female): "I feel the same terror as they do. The sun in the sky has changed color, and there's purple light everywhere. My God, the purple light is on me too, but I don't feel any heat. My cameraman, Legoff, doesn't feel any heat either. Everyone is so scared ... A man is coming over, let's go ask him what happened ... Hey, man, what's wrong? Do you know what's happening?"
Screaming, Panicked Voice (male, off-screen): "Let go of me, f
er, let go of me. I don't f
ing know anything, let me leave , my God, help me..."
The screen shook as a black man pushed the host aside and ran out of the shot, cursing wildly.
Regretful, Breathless Voice (female): "It seems this man is terrified. People don't know why they're running, and no one knows what's happening..."
Nervous Voice (male): "Hey! Jacqueline, look up, the champion's here! F***, we missed his entrance, f***, did you get it?"
Furious Voice (female): "To hell with the sponsors and their fixed champion, f*** ... Producer, producer! Get on the phone with headquarters, we're going live, we're going live!"
Hesitant Voice (male): "I don't know, my God, what is this? Live? No, no, according to the rules, we should contact..."
Eager, Excited Voice (female): "To hell with the rules! F***, f***, go live immediately! Trust me, this is the story of the century!"
In that moment, the entire Eastern Hemisphere was in an uproar , and it soon spread to the rest of the world.
The following describes how some countries, organizations, and individuals reacted during the first Purple Sun Devourer:
Dozens of well-known and unknown terrorist organizations, including Kuska Independent TV, Ximir Media, Red Journey Radio, and Shining Path Public Radio, issued statements claiming responsibility for the sun changing color and warning humanity. Some demanded the release of certain individuals within 24 hours, or the event would happen again. Others claimed that disrespecting and failing to obey the will of dozens of gods, from The Great Lord to The Eternal Father to Gaia and Zada, would lead to the destruction of the world.
Animal and plant rights organizations, such as Mother Dog, Father Dog, Grandpa Dolphin, and Empty Vegetable Ancestor, claimed that this was the result of human over-exploitation of nature. They believed that only by embracing a creed of equality—human-to-human, human-to-dog, animal-to-plant, and even organic-to-inorganic—could Earth achieve true harmony and avoid a terrible natural disaster.
On various websites, forums, and social media platforms, hundreds of thousands of doomsday prophets, saviors, and previously unheard-of religious leaders emerged. Without exception, they posted various threats of a global apocalypse and hell, always leaving a personal bank account number in the most prominent location.
The first Purple Sun Devourer lasted 26 minutes before national powers began to intervene.
Washington D.C., USA.
6:19 AM Western Time.
It was a rainy morning.
A long motorcade sped silently along a road that was closed to all other traffic.
Inside the third vehicle.
Andrew, a member of a US think tank and a physics professor, stared blankly at the display screen mounted on the back of the seat in front of him.
A television broadcast showed an interview. The host said, "This is the BBC, British Broadcasting Company. We're live in London, where 25 minutes ago, the sun turned purple in many places around the world, causing widespread panic and riots. We're now connecting with the renowned astronomer Mr. Tyler, for his perspective."
Tyler said, "As we all know, as the Earth rotates around the sun, the entire solar system is also traveling around the Milky Way's center, and the Milky Way itself is also in motion. So, as our small group of celestial bodies moves through space, we occasionally pass through regions with a high density of cosmic dust. Some of this dust has peculiar properties; it can absorb certain types of radiation, making us..."
"Nonsense!"
Andrew switched the channel.
An emergency broadcast showed a man with a serious expression saying, "...Please do not panic. Collect food, water, clothes, and communication devices. Take shelter in ground-floor garages, storage rooms, or basements, and avoid being in open outdoor areas..."
"Heh, a meaningless struggle..."
Andrew switched the channel again.
In front of a basement background, an official spoke with fanatical excitement: "...People, rejoice! The great strength of glorious North Korea will crush all reactionary forces and the conspiracy of the reactionary Purple Sun. Great North Korea will surely prevail under the great leadership of the great Golden Sun..."
"..."
Andrew simply turned off the display.
Fifteen minutes later, after passing through five security checkpoints and three elevators, Andrew finally arrived at his destination: a meeting room in a bunker 80 meters below the White House. As the escorting staffer pulled the door open, a loud clamor of arguments immediately filled Andrew's ears.
"Impossible! X particles have no solid evidence and have never been a mainstream theory..."
"The Purple Sun that just happened is the strongest evidence!"
"It doesn't explain..."
"The ozone layer hasn't changed, and UV radiation is impossible..."
Three minutes later, the door opened again. The president, looking exhausted, along with equally weary officials, generals, and aides, entered the meeting room.
The room quickly fell silent.
"America thanks you for your contributions..." the President's voice was hoarse. "Everyone knows what just happened, and you've all seen the latest data and statistics... The situation is extremely urgent..."
As the President spoke, he gestured, stopping some of the think tank members from speaking. "Yes, I know, scientific research requires a rigorous approach and an infinite amount of time... But now, gentlemen, the smartest men in America... America urgently needs you to determine a few key questions..."
"First question: Will the Purple Sun lead to a global catastrophe?"
The doctors looked at each other. Professor Austin, the most respected among them, stood up. "Based on the current situation, the solar anomaly affected half the globe for 58 seconds... The known disasters already include avalanches, torrential rain, mudslides, and hurricanes caused by the different specific heats of land and sea. In the future, for now, we, uh, temporarily, I should say..." As the President's gaze grew more impatient, Professor Austin's voice faded. "...we can't be sure..."
The President looked around, but everyone avoided his searching gaze, which represented the entire country.
"Alright..." the President's voice grew more tired. "Second question: Is the Purple Sun an experiment with a superweapon by a rival superpower?"
This time, no one hesitated. The doctors in the room answered in unison: "That's impossible!"
"If they had that capability, they'd just scorch all of North America instead..."
"It'd be easier to colonize space..."
"This is completely beyond the scope of current human technology..."
"..."
The President finally looked a bit relieved. "Then, the final question: Is this a natural phenomenon or a supernatural one?"
After a brief silence, Andrew stood up. "Data from the space station shows that when the Purple Sun occurred, the energy of all particles in the solar system with wavelengths between 0.15 and 0.52 completely vanished. However, at the exact same time, there was not a single malfunction in any technological product on Earth that uses this wavelength range, from the simplest automatic doors to the most common medical equipment and the most complex aerospace components. Based on this data, I can't say for sure that this was a targeted event specifically aimed at humanity... but it's certainly very suspicious..."
"Are you saying..." An aide, who had been silent since the meeting began, finally spoke up. "This could be a supernatural event? Aliens? A wormhole? Or God?"
Andrew: "I hope it's God. At least then we can pray..."
Aide: "My God, what should we do?"
Andrew: "Sir, besides praying, there is nothing we can do! Do you know what it means for high-energy radiation to vanish for 58 seconds? That lost radiation, converted into energy, would be enough to power the Earth for 16 million years! Converted into nuclear bombs, every person on Earth could have 800 bombs each! With that much energy, you wouldn't be safe even in this ridiculous bunker. You'd be incinerated into a human-shaped diamond, even if you hid at the very core of the Earth!"