They said it would take almost fifty years for nature to reclaim what humans destroyed. They said humanity will prevail. They said so much before it happened.

But look at us now, only a year after.

Separated.

Frightened.

Destroyed.

And all it took was taking away our stars. We didn’t knew how vulnerable we were. How deeply fear loomed in our very souls. Who would have know that the fear of darkness wasn’t just one children had?What bad things could happen if we would be just covered in darkness?It didn’t take long after the stars disappeared for humans to turn on each other. First some crazy ones spoke of the apocalypse. Many took their own lives. Then the people turned crazy in this never ending darkness. Killing each other. You could only trust your family. And even then, they changed. Everything changed.

The even the very nature changed. Animals turned to monsters. Becoming more ferocious.The few survivors after the first months were those who adapted fast or had resources horded beforehand.It was as if someone just turned off everything. People began to wonder why it happened. Was it punishment from god? Why take away the stars? And not only the stars. Every advanced technology stopped working. Will it ever come back?Humanity learned fast how depended they had become. Most people where not able to tell how much time had passed. But there where a few.We call them Timekeepers. How would have thought that people with hourglasses would become some of the most important ones in the few reclusive communities that had survived?I am one of them, Timekeeper Raphael they call me. Probably because of my blond hair and handsome face which reminds them of drawings of an angle.My real name though is Raphael Morgenstern. I used to be a janitor at a High school. Nothing fancy, just a job to meet ends.

In a few hours it will be a whole year for me and the people around me living in total darkness. Helping and surviving off of each other. Hunting, cooking, learning together how to live in this new world.I looked up in the sky, wondering if I will ever see the stars, the sun or the moon again.

We all lost so much, and we will keep loosing.

But then it happened.

A Bell rang.

It resonated deep within ones very own soul.

“Awaken and use our power”

And the darkness was gone. In front of me, the stars humanity missed returned. More brilliant and beautiful then ever. Recognizing differences from before. Earth used to have one moon. Now it seemed as if we had three. Blue, red and yellow moons orbiting the earth. And I am pretty sure other stars changed positions as well. Are they the same ones as before? Did earth travel in space?What voice did I hear?

I streched out my hand towards one of the moons.

My hand was glowing.

“Awaken”, they voice said.

“Use our power”, it repeated.

“The age of magic has begun”