Silence descended upon existence.
Not the silence of a battlefield after war.
Not the silence of exhausted soldiers catching their breath.
Not even the silence of worlds mourning their dead.
This was something far older.
Far more terrifying.
It was the silence that arrived before endings.
Across the vast reaches of existence, countless civilizations felt it at the same moment.
The endless dimensions connected through the Equilibrium Network shuddered as an invisible chill spread through reality itself. Entire worlds paused. Ancient guardians looked toward the heavens. Sovereigns ceased their discussions. Scholars abandoned their research.
Even beings who knew nothing of the ancient wars felt a primal fear stirring deep within their souls.
Something had changed.
Something catastrophic.
Because the Judge of Final Silence was no longer observing.
He was preparing judgment.
And history remembered exactly what that meant.
