Disclaimer:
All characters, organizations, and events described in this book are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people, places, or events is purely coincidental.
This book contains scenes that may not be suitable for children.
Enjoy your reading!
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Far beyond the edges of the galaxy we know, a star exploded.
After the blast, its remnants collapsed into a singularity of unimaginable density—thus a new black hole was born, devouring everything around it: stone, light, debris, and even small planets.
From time to time, bursts of gravitational energy escaped from its depths, rippling across the universe like waves in an endless ocean.
One of those powerful gravitational waves, born from the collision of supermassive bodies, traveled for decades before reaching the outskirts of our star system.
As it passed through the fabric of reality, it subtly shifted the orbit of a distant, unknown planet.
That planet would later be given a temporary designation: SYM-Z-21XX—named after the research program that would, years later, attempt to explain the catastrophe.
At first glance, the distortion seemed insignificant. Yet this tiny shift marked the beginning of the end for humanity.
Centuries later, the planet SYM-Z-21XX would collide with another world in its system. The disruption of their gravitational balance sent both planets spiraling toward each other. Within hours, their orbits crossed—and in a single blinding moment, both were annihilated.
The collision created a vast cloud of dense dust and debris.
Months later, fragments of that cosmic cloud reached our Solar System. At first, no one noticed anything unusual. The first to sense it were astronomers, who observed strange distortions in sunlight—it seemed as if the Sun itself had begun to dim.
Weeks later, the sky took on a gray, lifeless hue. Sunsets turned blood-red. The Sun now resembled a fading lamp, flickering at the end of its life.
Temperatures began to drop—slowly at first. Scientific stations recorded daily decreases of 3 to 4°C.
The atmosphere grew heavier.
By May of 21XX, frost covered even the tropical zones. Within a month, snow fell along the equator.
Scientists soon observed meteors streaking across the sky—not giant asteroids, but small fragments, remnants of those long-dead worlds the size of Jupiter and Earth. Most burned up in the atmosphere or passed by harmlessly, but a few struck remote regions.
The world fell silent, stripped of human warmth.
Families huddled together in their homes, eyes fixed on screens and radios, clinging to the faint hope of salvation. But as days passed, it became clear—no rescue would come.
In one such home, wrapped in layers of blankets, a thin middle-aged man sat before a flickering TV screen. Tears streamed down his face, despair frozen in his eyes.
The voice of the announcer trembled:
"…Urgent reports from the Southern Hemisphere. Preliminary data confirm that one of the larger fragments has entered the atmosphere and struck Antarctica. The shockwave spread for hundreds of kilometers, sending a massive plume of steam and dust into the air. A brief rise in temperature was followed by a sudden drop—the surface ice partially vaporized, leaving behind a crater several kilometers wide.
Scientists warn that enormous amounts of dust have been released into the atmosphere, which could intensify the ongoing cooling…
Wait—Oh God! Reports are coming in of a second impact. Another fragment has apparently fallen into the Pacific Ocean, near a small island… static… unclear transmission… it's believed the island has been completely destroyed, leaving a crater nearly twenty kilometers across…"
"World leaders urge calm. Governments are taking action… static… In the coming days, special teams will distribute essential supplies—food, water, fuel, medicine. Citizens are advised to remain indoors and stay calm. My colleague will now explain how to protect yourself from the cold at home…"
Minutes later, the broadcast cut out, and the house fell silent.
On the armchair lay a worn photograph—a smiling woman and three laughing children hugging a man with clear blue eyes.
The screen flickered weakly, casting dim light across the room. Blankets, empty food wrappers, bottles of water, and a half-finished bottle of whiskey littered the floor.
From the ceiling hung the man's lifeless body—his face forever frozen in an expression of eerie peace.
Most of humanity perished within the first months of the catastrophe.
Scientists would later call it The Glacial Cataclysm—a name carved into history.
By the end of the second month, temperatures at the equator had fallen to –70°C, and in the polar regions, to –200°C.
The world froze solid.
The dust settled over the Earth—covering soil, buildings, the remains of animals and people alike. Humanity breathed it in, unaware that the air now carried fragments of alien matter—alive, but dormant.
The first mutations appeared at the meteor impact sites—in water, soil, and living organisms.
There, the symbionts, trapped within crystalline fragments, encountered Earth's biosphere for the first time.
No one yet knew what was happening. People still hid inside their homes, venturing out only for food or scavenging.
Thanks to government rations, a fraction of the population managed to survive, but many perished during the year-long winter.
Six months later, the cosmic dust began to settle.
Sunlight pierced the gray veil at last.
The temperature stopped falling—and then began to rise, slowly at first: two degrees, three, then five.
With the first rays of sunlight, people poured into the streets—laughing, crying, embracing.
After endless months of darkness and death, the mere touch of warmth felt like a miracle.
Small groups began clearing abandoned buildings in search of food, fuel, tools—others shoveled snow and freed the frozen roads from wrecked cars.
Among them were women carrying newborns in their arms. It seemed impossible that they had survived childbirth amid chaos and hunger.
They shared milk, clothes, and baby food; mothers cried as they received help, their faces filled with hope and gratitude.
Inspired by this moment of kindness, people worked harder, rebuilding together.
By March of 21XX, the Sun broke through the veil of dust completely.
The ice melted, the sky cleared, and Earth seemed to be returning to normal.
Humanity rejoiced—unaware that the true catastrophe was only beginning.
The warmth that came was not salvation… but the herald of humanity's extinction.