Many years later, on the day Kong Zhixing truly cried out those words, he would stand upon the shattered remains of a god, while divine blood and mortal fire burned together across the ruins. The blaze lit half the sky, and his shadow stretched long and sharp, dragging through the charred earth alongside the bloodstains.
Ahead, the gods of the heavens descended in formation, light and crushing pressure surging toward him like a tide.
Behind him were the companions he had staked his life to protect.
But all of that lay in the future.
Today was just another ordinary night in this city.
Someone downstairs was bringing in the laundry. The sound of stir-frying came from next door. A dog barked in the distance.
