Chapter 1

In this dream, I find myself in the middle of a fractured universe, an infinite amount of space debris with no end in sight. A chaotic and disordered environment, as if it were the reflection of a deranged mind.

On a motionless star, a silver-gray dragon lies, whose scales seem to be composed of a cluster of deformed and broken wings of flesh, whose touch sounds like the whisper of the dead.

A shapeless entity appears, a worm monster of indescribable size, a conglomerate of worms that mutate their shape. From within, a human face with green eyes appears, as if trapped in this hell of flesh.

A titan then emerges with the head of an octopus, the body of a man and a rotting bat wing on his back, swimming among the stars like a cosmic sin.

Furthermore, there is another entity, so abstruse that it is impossible to describe or understand, a living nightmare that transmits an absolutely unknown, indisputable, incomprehensible and inconceivable sensation.

He is accompanied by formless, invisible and infinite creatures, holding various musical instruments that execute silent movements, a silent symphony in the infinity of the cosmos.

The horror. I miss him. The horror. The incomprehensible.

The strangest thing about all this is that in the dream, I, Howard, feel no fear. I should be terrified, but I simply don't. I even perceive that everything before me is so sublime and harmonious, a terror that transcends beauty.

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We are in the Empire of the Star Federation, in the province of Atlas, more specifically in a coastal industrial city known as Janus.

This place is world famous for its vast maritime and industrial economy, a technological and automotive epicenter.

Approaching three in the morning, in an alley west of the city, there is a 24-hour store that sells all kinds of objects, both useful and useless, books, scrap metal and antiques, many of them fake.

A man stands in a rocking chair at the entrance of the store, his gaze lost on the deserted streets. He sighs and mutters, "Why does business get worse every day?"

"Last month at least I got enough to cover the utility bills... But this month not even that. I'll have to decide between paying for gas or internet if I don't manage to sell something in the next five days, before Let them cut off my services!"

Howard is the owner of this store, the "Stark Store", a legacy from his deceased parents.

In the golden days, when the store was in the care of his parents, the business flourished. However, since Howard took over, business has inexplicably declined.

At first he managed to cover his basic needs, but gradually everything got worse until he reached the current painful situation.

As Howard integrated into the store, its sense of existence faded until it became practically nonexistent.

People's memories of the Stark store, where they could find both useful and interesting items, began to fade. Slowly people stopped remembering its existence, despite being located near the city park.

But despite this, nearby neighbors are very familiar with Howard, greeting each other daily with warm smiles and fatherly hugs.

Fortunately, the store is yours. He has no extraordinary expenses, and he can support himself by writing web novels in his free time, which he has to spare since there are almost no clients.

In the Star Federation Empire, there are subsidies and policies that provide strong support to college students who are starting or running a business, and with these, Howard manages to survive peacefully.

But the absence of customers leaves Howard with a wound in his soul.

As he lowers the blind, he turns around and looks at his store. It is a modest place, just 40 square meters. There is an old counter at the entrance, next to an old cash register and a computer.

Behind the counter, in the window, is a painting that appears to be a family portrait. But the frame is so old that the photos have turned yellow and blurry, making it difficult to see.

Beyond the counter, display cases organized with products. Even further back, shelves containing different books and objects.

"There are no customers. Somehow, this month, I have to sell something..." Howard thinks. "Otherwise, I will be a complete failure!"

Suddenly, his mobile phone slips from his hands and falls to the ground. Howard bends down to pick it up and his head hits something under the counter.

A gray object falls in front of Howard. It is a sphere the size of a hand. It appears to be made of wood, with nondescript paint on the surface, giving it a somewhat strange appearance.

"Did my parents leave it here? Or maybe my aunt?" Howard wonders as he holds the sphere.

As he gently turns it, he notices that the pupils that look like closed eyes on the sphere begin to slowly open.

Suddenly, an extremely sharp knife protrudes from inside the sphere and, with a swipe, severs Howard's fingers, removes a drop of blood, and then retracts again.

"Oh!" Howard cries out in pain, rushing to grab his hands and blow.

But the sphere, when there is nothing wrong, suddenly becomes lighter, as if he is about to fly, and then falls to the ground. And with a "pop", a piece of yellow paper of an unknown material flew out of the sphere and stuck to Howard's hand.

Howard looks at the yellow paper taped to his hand, sees an indecipherable message written on it. Although he does not understand the meaning of the message, he reads it aloud: "That sleeping being will awaken from his sleep and with it our world will end. Oh almighty God, wake up now!"

Feeling a chill run down his spine, Howard looks at the fallen sphere on the ground in fear. After all, it is not clear what this object is, and the sentence on the paper is extremely ominous.

However, as if his fear were just a ghost, Howard wakes up from the dream, but the world goes dark and a heavy feeling of lethargy invades his mind.

For a moment it seems like everything slows down. Without knowing why, he feels tired, and leaves the sphere aside, decides to continue playing on his mobile phone and forgets about the mysterious object.

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Please I hope you support this story since I put a lot of effort into it, enjoy it.