High above the trees bright rays of light shown down upon the city. While below the city, deep within the earth among the roots and rotted things, the ancient one opened his eyes, looked up at the city and smiled.

The ancient one rose and went forth into the city, among its streets and the people who busily ignored the light around them. He studied their faces, their manners and their cold dark hearts. He watched and felt them as they went about their ways. The city screamed in rage, its pain flowed through his essence and his ethereal form quivered as he took it into himself. Then the ancient one peered upon the light and spoke to it, "Shine no more light, you have sent forth your rays of hope, the rays that give life and all that is". Feeling the light touch him he continued, "They have forgotten you. Even as you show them the way, they ignore you. The paths that they follow are shallow and murky like the fetid waters of filth and blackness that flow through pestilence. The time is now." The ancient one shifted his heavy gaze towards the city and the smile receded. He then slipped through the hardened concrete heart of the city into the damp ground reaching out his arms as if to caress it and the rotted things that it contained. Then the ancient one spoke for the last time, "I am Death and I shall consume you."

The rotted things moved and the light turned away.