Where were you when the Spires emerged? I was "unlucky" enough to have one emerge right in front of my dorm; Out in the street, I heard it break through the concrete, like a silent explosion. Before I knew what I was doing, I had jumped out of my window, and was already in front of the thing. I'm not sure why, maybe it was Them already speaking to me, but I touched that thing. I'll never forget what it felt like, to be connected to the Spire through physical contact. It was the first time I truly felt like an ant, as if I was a small part of some massive network that stretched forever, into the ground and beyond. I Saw for the first time then, I guess. I Saw a Spire in Brazil, pushing it's way past the ground floor of an apartment building in what seemed to be in the slums. I Saw a Spire destroying a telephone pole somewhere in the Outback, and watched the rest of the pole fall into the garage of some poor farmer. I Saw a Spire burst through the Autobahn, and no speed limit meant that a pileup was inevitable. I Saw so many people die, dear listeners, on that first day, either directly or indirectly from the Spires. And, the most traumatizing part? I Saw their souls leave their bodies, and felt the energy of them burning inside the Spires fill my body. It was, in a way, awful, but in another way, I instinctively knew that they were the lucky ones. They were spared from what was to come. As I was Seeing, I felt my body getting colder and colder, and a voice Speaking to me from that dark, infinite abyss, telling me to give in, to truly be a part of this sprawling network, but I also Knew what that meant. Giving up what made me "me." To this day, I curse and laud myself for taking my hand off the thing. As I reeled back, stumbling away from it, I Knew somehow, I was changed. There was no name for those like me yet, but some may know me as a Prophet. It is thankless work, but I am glad for the opportunity, for at least I am not Hopeless. I apologize, dear listeners, if you are, but to idea of Hearing constantly terrifies me. If you think you can change my mind, please, feel free to contact the station on its Line, located at 3.665. Please. I've not heard anyone, dear listeners. Someone just please contact me. I need to know if I'm alone, or if there's someone out there. I will continue to broadcast everyday, but for now, they are coming for me, meaning I must sign off. This is Prophet Radio, and I'm your humble host, True North. Remember, dear listeners, never give up, don't listen to the Voices, and never forget, they can Speak, but they can't Hear. True North, signing off.
Heyo! My name's Nonmatter, and thanks for reading the prologue to my novel, "Trial of the Spires." TOTS is not for the faint of heart, as it only gets darker from here. Be warned, this story doesn't pull punches, and North swears way too much. I'm going to be trying to upload a chapter a day (*gulp*), and I hope you enjoy the ride! Don't hesitate to comment your thoughts, or shoot me a DM @Non_The_Writer on Twitter!
-Nonmatter