(GTSGIR) Ch 1: The Day The Sky Opened Up!

It all began on a normal day. The sky was blue with a few scattered clouds, the temperature was warm but not overbearing, and overall, life was good. That was, of course, until the massive eyes appeared in the sky.

At first, no one knew what they were looking at. Maybe some sort of atmospheric anomaly? A strange eclipse? But the longer we stared, the more undeniable it became—those were eyes. Massive eyes.

The irises alone spanned entire countries, swirling pools of shimmering silver. And when they blinked, the sheer force of it sent roaring winds across the world, knocking people off their feet and shattering windows for miles. Panic took hold. Cars swerved off roads, people screamed in confusion, and I just stood there, frozen, watching in horror.

Then, she moved.

She had been so enormous, so impossibly vast, that we hadn't even realized there was more to her. As she leaned back, her face came into view, taking up the entirety of the sky. A woman. A colossal woman, with flowing silver hair that drifted through the void of space as if it were underwater. Strands of it fell loose, cascading down towards the Earth, and where they landed, entire continents were upheaved like nothing more than grains of sand.

From what little news sources survived the sudden destruction of satellites, we learned just how incomprehensibly huge she was. To her, the Earth was the size of a basketball.

Then she spoke.

"PREPARE!"

The world itself cracked beneath the weight of her voice. I could feel my bones vibrate, my eardrums threatening to burst. Glass shattered everywhere. Storms formed instantly.

"I CALL TO THE CHOSEN ONES, TO THE EMISSARIES OF LIFE. PREPARE, FOR THE END IS COMING—THE END OF ALL THINGS."

And just like that, she was gone. As if she had never been there.

But she left something behind.

People—random, everyday people—began to awaken with abilities beyond human understanding. Some could bend the elements, some could warp reality, others could manipulate time itself. They were called the Emissaries. The chosen few who would train and prepare to fight against whatever end was supposedly coming.

But the end never came.

As decades passed, the world adjusted. Nations began treating the Emissaries as living weapons, training their own supersoldiers to ensure no other country gained an advantage. Wars were fought in boardrooms rather than battlefields, all while the strongest beings in history flexed their powers for national pride.

And me? Well, I got nothing.

I spent years praying, hoping, begging for powers, but nope. Nada. Zilch. Guess the universe decided I wasn't good enough. Probably for the best. I'd probably make a crappy hero anyway.

***

"Hey! Gunner! Wake up!"

I snapped out of my daze, looking up from the pile of garbage at my feet. My boss, Ricks, stood there with his hands on his hips, looking like he was ready to strangle me.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Sorry ain't gonna pick up the trash," Ricks said, shaking his head. "We'll be out here all damn day at this rate. Move your ass!"

Right. Back to work.

Being a sanitation worker wasn't exactly my childhood dream, but hey, bills had to be paid. Not everyone could be an all-powerful Emissary soaring through the skies. Someone had to take care of the mess they left behind.

I bent down to grab another bag of trash when the sky roared.

A deep, guttural thunder rumbled through the air, but there wasn't a single cloud in sight. A sudden crimson light streaked across the sky, illuminating everything in an eerie red glow.

Then, it struck.

A beam of pure energy slammed into the earth with unimaginable force. The world exploded around me.

I was airborne before I even realized it, my body flipping through the air like a ragdoll. My vision blurred as I collided with something—hard. Pain flared through my ribs, and then... nothing.

***

I woke up to agony. Every part of me ached, and the taste of blood filled my mouth.

Groaning, I forced myself up, coughing as dust and debris swirled around me. The world had been destroyed. Buildings lay in ruins, the ground itself was torn apart, and fires raged uncontrollably.

Shit.

I looked around, my heart hammering. "Ricks?"

I spotted him a few feet away, sprawled across the broken pavement. Blood ran down his forehead, pooling beneath him. I rushed over, pressing two fingers to his neck. A pulse. Weak, but there.

"Hang in there, man."

I glanced around, expecting to see Emissaries swooping in any second. This was exactly the kind of disaster they were supposed to handle. But I didn't see anyone.

What I did see, though, was a glow. A crimson glow, pulsing at the center of the devastation.

I should have waited. Should have let the professionals deal with it. But something—curiosity, stupidity, desperation—made me move.

I stumbled toward the light, climbing over the rubble. The closer I got, the more I realized... I could hear something.

Crying.

I froze.

No. That didn't make sense.

I forced myself forward, heart pounding. As I reached the edge of the massive crater, I finally saw it.

Three figures.

Three babies.

Completely naked, lying in the center of the destruction, glowing faintly with that same crimson light.

I could barely breathe. "What the hell...?"