Doomsday (III)

Fifty-nine seconds

The air seemed to freeze.

Forty

A bead of sweat rolled down someone's temple.

Thirty

Hearts started pounded louder than any clock, or even the timer that was doing the countdown.

Fifteen

The room held its breath.

Ten

The tension became suffocating as the final countdown of the remaining nine seconds began. Every second was dragging the world closer to what felt like the edge of existence. Each number weighted with the dread of an inevitable end.

Nine

Eight

Seven

Six

Five

Four

Three

Two

One

Zero

END!

But nothing happened.

No earthquake. No volcanic eruption. No apocalyptic rain. No swarming hordes of the undead. The world remained eerily, impossibly still.