The tower loomed over us, a monolith defying gravity and reason—a testament to human ambition that now lay in ruins at our feet. Its once-pristine steel frame was twisted like taffy, the glass shards scattered across Manhattan Island glinting menacingly under the cold sun.

I stood there with my partner of five years, Detective Maria Hernandez—Maria by choice—and stared up into what remained of that abyssal chasm where a building once soared. The wind howled through it now like some spectral banshee mourning its lost home and all those who'd perished within on impact.

"Jesus," I muttered under my breath as we approached the perimeter, our badges held out before us in silent testament to authority that felt suddenly hollow amidst such devastation.

Maria nodded grimly beside me. "Never seen anything like this."

We pushed past emergency personnel and entered what was left of ground zero—an eerie landscape where concrete slabs jutted from rubble at odd angles, defying the laws governing their creation.

"Detectives," a familiar voice called out to us as we navigated through chaos. It belonged to Dr. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Thompson—a forensic pathologist who'd worked with Maria and me on more than one occasion.

She stood near what remained of an elevator shaft, her face pale beneath the grime coating it.

"What do you have for us?" I asked as we approached cautiously—each step echoing ominously in our ears. The air was thick here; heavy not just from dust but also with something else...an almost palpable sense of dread.

Lizzie looked up at me, her eyes reflecting the same unease churning within my gut.

"Bodies," she said simply before turning back to examine a particularly gruesome sight—a torso impaled on rebar like some grotesque shish kebab. "A lot more than we should have."

Maria stepped closer for inspection while I kept watch, feeling increasingly uneasy about our surroundings—about the way shadows seemed darker here; how silence hung heavy despite all around us.

"These aren't just from impact," Lizzie continued softly as she pointed out various injuries on her victim. "Look at these wounds...they're too precise."

I leaned in for a better look, trying to ignore my queasy stomach and the cold sweat beading along my spine.

And then I saw it: deep gashes running perpendicular across flesh—too clean-cut not to have been made by something sharp.

"Like they were sliced open," Maria murmured beside me. "But how...?"

Lizzie shook her head slowly, eyes wide with disbelief and fear behind those thick-rimmed glasses of hers.

"I don't know."

We fell silent for a moment—three professionals grappling silently against the absurdity before us.

"Let's keep moving," I finally said breaking our collective trance. "There must be more evidence elsewhere."

Maria nodded, but Lizzie hesitated briefly as if wanting to say something else...something she couldn't quite put into words.

"What is it?" Maria asked gently when we'd moved away from the body together.

Lizzie glanced back over her shoulder before speaking quietly: "'It's just that I've seen this kind of thing once or twice in my career, but never on such a scale. It reminds me...of something."

"Something like what?"

She hesitated again then shook off whatever thought had crossed through those brilliant yet troubled mind.

"It doesn't matter," she said dismissively before striding ahead towards another cluster of emergency personnel huddled around an object partially buried under debris.

Maria and I exchanged a glance—both knowing full well that Lizzie wasn’t telling us everything. But now was not the time to press her further; we had work still left undone here.

As if on cue, my radio crackled alive with static before Captain O'Reilly's gruff voice cut through it: "All units be advised - secondary collapse imminent! Evacuate immediately!"

Maria and I looked at each other—both knowing full well what that meant. We'd seen enough disaster scenes to recognize the signs of impending doom.

"Shit," Maria cursed under her breath as we began moving swiftly yet cautiously towards safety.

But even amidst our haste, something caught my eye—a glint reflecting off a piece of debris nearby—and I couldn't help but pause briefly for inspection despite knowing better than most how dangerous such curiosity could be in this place.

It was small—no larger perhaps then an average human hand—but its surface seemed to shimmer with iridescent colors that defied logic and reason. As if sensing my presence, it pulsed gently beneath the touch of sunlight filtering down through cracks above us.

I reached out tentatively towards whatever strange artifact lay before me...

And everything changed.

The world around shifted violently as reality itself warped under unseen forces—concrete slabs grinding against one another like tectonic plates preparing for cataclysmic upheaval. The air grew colder, heavier; the shadows darker still until they seemed almost alive with malevolent intent.

A scream tore through my throat but was swallowed whole by cacophony erupting all around me—metal screeching against metal as if some unseen force sought to rend apart very fabric of existence itself.

And then silence—a sudden, deafening void that left ears ringing painfully in protest. When sound returned once more it came not from without...but within: a low rumble resonating deep inside my chest; growing louder with each passing second until I felt as though every cell vibrated under its relentless assault.

I fell to knees—hands pressed firmly against the ground for support even while mind screamed at me flee this place of madness.

But there was nowhere left go. The world had become a prison—a cage constructed from twisted steel and shattered dreams; one whose walls closed ever tighter around us all with each passing moment...

"Archer!" Maria's voice cut through my panic—sharp, urgent—and I looked up to find her standing over me concern etched deeply into every line of face.

She reached out hand towards mine but paused mid-air as if suddenly uncertain whether touching another human being might somehow contaminate them too.

"What happened?" she asked finally after several long seconds had passed between us. "You just...collapsed."

I opened mouth to respond yet found words failing me utterly—mind racing back over events leading up until now; trying desperately make sense chaos unfolding around.

"I don't know," I admitted eventually, shaking head slowly from side-to-side in disbelief.

Maria nodded solemnly before helping pull myself upright once more. Together we turned towards source of that strange rumbling sound still echoing through air like some distant thunderclap...

And saw it: a massive shape looming large against backdrop ruined skyline—a monstrous form writhing with countless limbs and eyes; each one seemingly independent yet somehow connected to whole.

It pulsed rhythmically—like heartbeat—and as we watched in horrified fascination, tendrils reached out towards us...tasting air before retreating once more into main body.

"What the fuck is that thing?" Maria whispered beside me voice barely audible above low growl emanating from creature's direction. "And how did it get here?"

I had no answers for her—none at all—and could only stare dumbstruck as realization dawned upon us both simultaneously: whatever this was, we were not alone in our world anymore.

The implications of such a revelation sent shiver down spine despite heat radiating off nearby fires. If something like that existed out there then what else might lurk hidden just beyond edge perception? What other horrors await discovery should one dare venture too far into unknown?

But before either could voice thoughts aloud, another collapse occurred—this time much closer—and we were forced flee once more lest become trapped beneath tons rubble.

As ran towards safety however couldn't shake feeling being watched...followed even. As if whatever monstrosity had appeared amidst ruins now tracked our every movement; anticipating each step taken before us.

And then, just as suddenly it was gone—vanished without trace leaving behind nothing but empty space and shattered dreams...

Yet somehow I knew: this wasn't end of story here today—not by long shot. No matter how far ran or where hid eventually would have to face whatever lay beyond veil reality once more...

Because now we'd seen something impossible—and there was no going back from that.

In the aftermath, I found myself sitting alone in my apartment—staring blankly at wall opposite while mind raced through events transpired earlier today. How could any of it have happened? Wasn't supposed to be real...none if this was meant possible!

Yet here we were: world turned upside down; reality warped beyond recognition by some unknowable force lurking just beneath surface all along.

And now, thanks me and my insatiably curious nature—my need know what lay hidden behind every corner—I'd brought it out into open where everyone could see.

Guilt gnawed at core being as I considered implications of such revelation. If people knew truth...if they realized extent danger posed by these creatures then panic would surely ensue—and rightfully so! No one deserved live life under constant threat attack from unseen forces beyond comprehension or control.

But neither did anyone deserve lie perpetuated upon them—especially not when said lies served only further agendas those in power.

Because now I understood: government knew about this all along. They'd orchestrated entire event—the plane crash, the tower collapse—to create pretext invade other countries under guise protecting citizens from 'terrorist threats.'

But what they really sought protect was their own interests—maintain control over resources and populations while keeping public none wiser regarding true nature world around them.

I clenched fists tightly against thighs until knuckles turned white with effort. Rage boiled within chest threatening overflow at any moment; yet beneath anger simmered something far more dangerous: despair.

For what hope remained when faced such overwhelming odds? How fight back against enemy whose very existence defied logic and reason?

And then, amidst swirling storm emotions—amidst self-pitying thoughts of helplessness—I remembered her. Senjogahara—the girl who'd always been ill; the one they said lived at hospital more than anywhere else.

She too had seen something impossible once...something she couldn't quite put into words but knew nonetheless existed out there beyond edge perception.

Maybe, just maybe if we combined forces—shared knowledge gained through separate experiences perhaps together could find way combat this new threat looming over humanity...

Because now wasn’t time curl up die; no longer option retreat behind closed doors and hope problem went away. Now was moment stand tall defiance against darkness encroaching upon our world—and fight back with every fiber being.

With renewed determination, I rose from chair—resolute purpose burning brightly within eyes once more.

First stop: hospital where Senjogahara resided...where hopefully answers awaited hidden amongst shadows cast by towering ruins of past.

I woke up in a world that wasn’t mine—one where reality had been stretched thin, like taffy pulled too far and now threatening to snap under its own tension.

My head throbbed as if someone were pounding on it from the inside with sledgehammers. I tried opening my eyes but found them glued shut by some viscous substance that wasn't quite blood or tears.

"Archer?" Maria's voice cut through haze, distant yet urgent—an anchor amidst stormy seas of confusion and pain.

I managed a weak groan in response as she gently wiped away whatever crusted over lids with something damp. Light flooded back into my world; harsh, blinding after prolonged darkness behind closed eyes.

"Thank god," Maria breathed out relief before helping me sit up slowly—each movement sending jolts of agony through every fiber being.

We were no longer at ground zero but inside some abandoned warehouse nearby judging by the rusted machinery and peeling paint surrounding us. A makeshift infirmary perhaps, set-up hastily in wake disaster.

"What happened?" I rasped out once able to form words again—tongue thick within mouth like it'd been coated with cotton wool.

Maria hesitated before answering: "You tell me."

I frowned at her confusion then remembered...the artifact; the shift reality. Panic surged through veins, threatening heart attack.

"Where's Lizzie?" I asked instead of voicing fears aloud—needing distraction from thoughts spiraling out control faster than could process them.

Maria glanced away briefly before answering: "She didn't make it."

Her words hung heavy between us—a grim reminder that while we'd escaped relatively unscathed, others hadn’t been so lucky. Lizzie's face flashed through mind; her eyes filled with dread just moments prior to...whatever had happened.

"Dammit," I muttered under breath before pushing myself up despite Maria’s protests—needing action over inaction.

I stumbled towards exit on shaky legs while she called after me, concern lacing every syllable: "Archer! Where are you going?"

"I need answers!" was all could manage without breaking down completely.

Stepping outside proved even more disorienting than waking up had been. The cityscape stretched out before us seemed...wrong somehow—buildings leaning at precarious angles as if defying gravity itself; streets warped into twisted ribbons of asphalt leading nowhere fast.