Chapter 20: Dawn

Yet, within the abyssal trenches, deep inside the subterranean strata, faint pulsations of life remained hidden—

Microbes evolved slowly in the high-pressure gloom; tiny schools of fish drifted along the dark seabed; within the crevices of rock, cells slowly divided and grew.

Amidst the darkness, life was like a new poem, quietly awaiting the chance to be recited once more.

No one knew how long the wait would be—tens of thousands of years, millions of years, or perhaps even longer.

But one day, sunlight will once again pierce the thick veil of nuclear dust, illuminating the oceans and the lands; life will emerge once more from the deep seas and the underground, embarking anew upon its arduous and magnificent journey.

Civilization had vanished, artificial intelligence had vanished, but the universe had never vanished.

The world had never fallen into a complete slumber—it was merely awaiting another dawn.

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[The End]