The world will burn. Eight deaths in eight seconds. A whirlwind of events. An unfortunate haze. A great feeling of euphoria. The obscurity of human connection.

First, we need to start at the beginning. Allow me to introduce you to the people known as the Enigmatic Eight. We’ll start with Castiel, the first among them, a name spoken with urgency and carried throughout the wind with mystery.

I'll tell you now that his name is not actually Castiel nor whatever else he tells you it is. The truth is that he has lied about his name for so long that he has forgotten it. He finds pleasure in lying to people about something as simple as his name.

It brings him joy amidst the burden placed upon him for eternity: the burden of both mortality and immortality.

The fact is, he is going to die.

The next fact is that it will be centuries before he does so.

A life spent with deceit and morbid self-attention. A death that will forever hang on walls in museums and be read in history books—one death out of eight.

I suppose I should introduce the next two people. Their names are Caelus and Clover. Indeed, these are their real names, but that does not make them any less of liars than Castiel. The two of them are not related, nor are they friends, but they are stuck together.

A silver bracelet of immortality slipped onto their wrists, binding them together for life. They both know that removing it means death, and with years passing, both of them have thought of it, but they have never thought of it at the same time. So they've lived on.

It is quite clear which direction this story is heading. I have outlined the lives of three members of the Enigmatic Eight, and now it's time to introduce the remaining five.

These five names are rarely spoken, as they lived in a world of silence and isolation. They were not aware of each other's existence, but their connection could not have been stronger: Cecilia, Charlie, Cairo, Casey, and Cassius.

Unlike Castiel, Caelus, and Clover, these five spent their lives hiding from the truth. Castiel, Caelus, and Clover gained notoriety as liars and thieves, stealing money, food, and various things in their pursuit of peace in an unjust world.

One could say that they all died the moment they surrendered to self-destruction, seeking solace in the numbers hanging above their heads—the years they have been alive. When you combine their ages, the total surpasses any number you've seen before.

Now that I've introduced our group of eight, let's turn to what truly matters: their impending demise.

I'll spare the details of their initial meetings, as they had encountered each other unknowingly on several occasions throughout their lives. However, it was when a letter materialized from the clouds in the sky, guiding them to a location near the mountains, that everything began to align.

The realization was painfully evident. Everything they had been searching for stood right before them. Death was in the palm of their hands, twisted around their fingers.

Yet, they still couldn’t understand. Why were they forced to live these wretched lives without end? Why did they cry out in agony during sleepless nights? Why were they brought together? All of this was merely the point.

It was all enigmatic. None of it really made that much sense.

I must inform you that they had been chosen. The letter stated as much. They were selected to save the world from imminent conflagration. Why? Because no one else would dare to risk their lives. After living for an extended time, they would be given the golden opportunity of death and the world would be saved.

A win-win situation, one might think. Surely, they believed so. It didn't take long for all of them to agree to give the rest of their lives for others, including Caelus and Clover, who finally came to an accord.

In the grand scheme of the world, the eight of them might have meant nothing, but when it came to its end, they meant everything. Their hands connected, eight final breaths would be taken, eight seconds would pass, and they would all perish.

Though I wish it were more complicated than that it wasn't. That marked the end of their lives, but it also signaled the beginning of countless others. You might not have known that without these eight enigmatic souls, the world would be ashes.

But they gave their lives for the greater good and their sacrifice became known as a beacon of hope. From the ashes of their existence, a new world would rise. From the flames of renewal and rebirth, the world will burn.