Atop the mountain, two sat among the clouds.
Beneath the night sky, dim stars shimmered across the heavens.
He was devoid of feeling and thought, regarding all things as mere weeds.
She drew strength from love and was blessed by all living beings.
They raised their cups and drank together. The bitter wine slid down their throats, and intimate friends had become mortal enemies.
"Ahead lies the end of everything: the world, and time."
"I have no right to stop."
"Is this fate...?"
"Perhaps. I, who could not bear hardship, who could not shoulder death, still made it this far, carrying decay and destruction with me. The cycle of reincarnation will stop because of me. The path of destiny will be severed because of me. All things will return to the void, and the source of all spirits will be extinguished. Because I am calamity."
As the words fell, mountains collapsed and stars went dark.
