Chapter Text
Writing this book was not an easy endeavour. It started when the United Nations asked me to investigate what happened-what could have caused this unexpected cataclysm and its very real and human toll. A cataclysmic event that changed not just the world, but the universe itself. They asked me to investigate the events So naturally, I accepted. At first, it seemed like a huge mystery-the theories from aliens to dimensional convergence to mass hallucination all were proven wrong. Then, I came across the Butterfly name, mentioned time and time again. When I presented my finished report to the Comission,They laughed at all the hard work I had put in-calling it everything from 'outrageous' to 'silly'. I'll concede-it sounds crazy. I had trouble believing it myself. Magic? Monsters? Mewmans? However, all the facts as we know them line up with the story told by the fair citizens of Echo Creek. And then there was my report on the Septarian War, which was accepted and eventually published, after I had to edit out the ‘human element’. But isn’t the human element what defines us the most?
The story that changed our planet's very ground and sent ripples through every facet of the human race- I had to investigate it. I spent hours reading up on various subjects. I tracked down and talked to many people who had experienced it in one way or another. I also interviewed several scientific experts and professionals in order to get a better view of the science behind it and the profound effects it had on the area of study. I'd like to think that I left no stone unturned, from a fisherman who survived the 2014 San Francisco Earthquake which the Event was a cause of, to a cryptid expert in Oregon. For these stories are what define us and what define humanity. By looking to the perspectives of those who experienced the Great Cleaving and its aftereffects, only then can we fully heal from all the chaos and destruction it caused.
And since the UN didn't want it, I can only publish it now in the hopes that all my work did not go to waste.For the sakes of our future generations, so that this world-shattering event shall not be forgotten. This is the oral story of that great event that reshaped our world. It’s a story of love, loss, humanity, cruelty, change, and continuity. This is the story of the Cleaving.