K I N G D O M D E A T H
Once upon a time, there was a place of carved stone faces. A man with a lantern lay sleeping a dreamless sleep. The man knew nothing.
One day, the man woke up. He rubbed the dried ink caked over his eyes and opened them. Around him, he saw other people stirring, and beyond, a horizon of unbroken darkness.
A woman approached the man with the lantern. Her soft hand reached out to him. They had no words. They were a mystery to each other.
Suddenly, a monster emerged from the darkness, its eyes wild with hunger. It attacked.
The people were no match for the monster. It tore their flesh and crushed their bones between its teeth. Some, it devoured whole.
Overcome with terror and grief, the man with the lantern collapsed to the ground. Cold stone noses pushed into his side. There was no escape.
But the man did not want to die. Desperately grasping at the cold stone faces, he felt a crack, and tore at it with all his might. A piece of stone came free. It was sharp and deadly.
The man with the lantern scrambled to his feet, his weapon clenched in his fist. He took a deep breath, and roared into the darkness.
Somewhere in the place of stone faces, nameless men stand together. They have nothing but a need to survive, and a lantern to light their struggle.
