The screen went black. The Seer was gone. But the image of the mushroom cloud, the silence that followed the horrific detonation, and the chilling final words – "World destruction and evolution start now" – were seared into the minds of billions. The abrupt end to the broadcast plunged the world into a new, terrifying silence, far more profound than any before.
A World in Shock: The Immediate Aftermath
New York City, USA – A Crowded Sports Bar:
The bar was utterly still. Not a sound, not a breath. People sat or stood, frozen, their eyes fixed on the now-blank screen. A man, earlier screaming in defiance, slowly slid down the wall until he was slumped on the floor, his face devoid of all expression. A woman choked back a sob, then another, until she was silently weeping into her hands. The terror was too immense, too absolute, to articulate. They had just witnessed a nuclear weapon used, not by a nation, but by an entity that had declared itself judge, jury, and executioner. The immediate aftermath was pure, unadulterated shock, a global paralysis of the soul.
London, United Kingdom – A Pub:
The pub remained eerily quiet. Pints sat untouched. Faces were pale, eyes wide and unblinking. Some individuals had simply dropped to their knees, not in prayer, but as if their legs could no longer support the weight of what they had witnessed. The air was thick with unspoken questions. What just happened? What does it mean? What do we do now? The casual banter of an hour ago was now an impossible memory. They were living in a nightmare, and the Seer had just shown them the terrifying rules.
Mumbai, India – A Crowded Residential Street:
After the initial screams, a stunned, terrified hush fell over the street. Families huddled together, clinging to each other, their faces reflecting the terror. Children, previously crying, were now eerily silent, sensing the profound shift in their parents' demeanor. The adults exchanged bewildered, fearful glances. The Seer had gone from a voice to a terrifying reality. "The world... it has changed," an old woman whispered, her voice trembling. The thought of the island, of the "HOPE" it supposedly represented, was a distant, confusing beacon in the face of such raw, immediate destruction.
Shanghai, China – High-Rise Apartment:
Mei Ling slowly lowered her phone, her hands shaking so violently she almost dropped it. She stared at the blank screen, then looked out her window at the vast, shimmering city. Her city. The one slated for an earthquake in 15 days. The Seer had just proven he could make his threats real. The air in her apartment felt suddenly heavy, suffocating. Her phone began to buzz with frantic calls and messages again, but they were no longer about what was happening, but about what to do, about pure, unadulterated fear. Protect the island. The Seer's last command echoed in her mind, a terrifying, desperate plea.
The most overwhelming feeling was one of absolute powerlessness. Governments, militaries, technology—all had proven utterly irrelevant in the face of the Seer. The Seer's words about "world destruction and evolution" being now resonated deeply. The future was no longer an abstract concept but a terrifying, unpredictable countdown. If the Seer could do that, what else could it do? And who else was a "germ"? The concept of the island, of the "Gifted," and the Babel Protocol now carried an impossible weight. For some, it was the last, desperate straw to cling to. For others, it felt like a terrifying trap. The 8 days to the volcanic eruption and the 15 days to the China earthquake suddenly felt terrifyingly real, impossible to ignore. The silence was not peaceful; it was the silence of a world holding its breath, waiting for the next inevitable horror.
The world had not just witnessed an event; it had experienced a paradigm shift, a brutal awakening to a new reality where an unseen entity held ultimate dominion. The silence after the Seer's broadcast was the sound of humanity's scream, trapped within itself.
China's Imminent Dread:
The nuclear fireball over Afghanistan had cemented the Seer's ruthlessness. But for the people of China, the terrifying demonstration was immediately overshadowed by a far more personal, imminent dread: the Seer's prediction that their nation would be next, specifically targeted by a catastrophic earthquake in 15 days.
In the bustling megacities and quiet rural villages alike, the live broadcast of the nuclear strike had been a brutal, horrifying confirmation of the Seer's power. There was no more room for skepticism, no more comfort in denial. He had done it. He could do anything. And he had said China was next.
Shanghai – High-Rise Apartment Blocks:
Panic erupted, not as a single, unified roar, but as a creeping, insidious dread that wormed its way into every mind. The meticulously organized lives of Shanghai's millions began to unravel. People poured out of high-rises, clutching meager belongings, not knowing where to go but driven by an overwhelming urge to flee the concrete giants that could become their tombs. The city's normally efficient subway system choked to a halt, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of desperate commuters. Roads became gridlocked, not with traffic, but with abandoned vehicles as people left them behind, scrambling on foot. Whispers of "The 15 days!" turned into frantic shouts, then desperate wails. The government's prior assurances, their calm demeanor during the Seer's earlier revelations, now felt like cruel mockery. They had seen the President of the United States rendered helpless; what hope did they have?
Beijing – Traditional Hutongs and Modern Districts:
A grim resignation settled over many, punctuated by bursts of terror. In the ancient hutongs, families huddled in their courtyards, some lighting incense, others simply embracing. Many knew Beijing's history of earthquakes. The Seer's specific timeframe, down to the exact day, made it agonizingly real. Young professionals, accustomed to the fast-paced, digital world, found themselves utterly lost, their apps and networks now useless against the looming threat. Social media, though heavily censored, was a torrent of fear, despair, and desperate pleas for escape. "The Seer knows!" was the recurring mantra, a terrifying acknowledgment of their doom. Attempts to buy train or bus tickets out of the city became a frantic, desperate scramble, quickly leading to chaos and confrontations.
Sichuan Province – Rural Communities:
Even in regions accustomed to seismic activity, a new level of terror gripped the populace. They had seen the news, heard the predictions. The Seer's nuclear demonstration, though far away, had made his words concrete. Farmers abandoned their fields, families packed what little they could, and began walking towards perceived safety – any open space, any lower ground, away from the crumbling buildings they called home. Whispers of the Seer's "selfishness" and his "germs" philosophy amplified their fear. Would they be deemed expendable? Would their government be able to protect them, or would they, like the terrorists, simply be left to their fate? The deep-seated respect for authority clashed violently with the primal urge for self-preservation.
Government Response (Perceived by the People):
The Chinese people, long accustomed to their government's firm control and efficiency in crises, were witnessing a terrifying paralysis. The initial, stoic silence from their leaders in Beijing, followed by the news of President Xi's grave expression, only fueled the panic. They knew the government had to be aware. Why weren't there immediate, massive evacuation orders? Why weren't they being told exactly what to do? The realization that even the all-powerful Party might be helpless against this entity was a chilling prospect. The lack of immediate, large-scale, comforting directives from their usual authoritative sources added to the public's feeling of abandonment and impending doom.
The 15-day countdown hung over China like a guillotine. The nuclear blast had been a distant horror; the coming earthquake was theirs. It was a raw, visceral panic, fueled by the Seer's terrifying omnipotence and the chilling realization that, this time, there might be nowhere to run, and no one to truly save them.