Sudden Death

You wake to the sound of bells that have not rung in a thousand years. They echo across a city carved into the sides of a colossal canyon, where bridges of pale stone hang like threads between towers. The sky above is split by streaks of violet light, as though the heavens themselves are cracking open. No one else seems to notice. People pass you in silence, their eyes glazed, their footsteps perfectly synchronized. You realize two things at once: First—you are not from this world. Second—this world knows it.