The Void

It all started when he was 13 years old. He did not really have any friends, but honestly, it was a good thing he didn’t have any. He was in his hometown, reading books. That is what he did in his spare time. Sometimes, he would go horseback riding. He was rather skilled at that. He had also just started sword-fighting and archery 2 months before. He wanted to be a knight when he grew up.

The knights in the books he read were always so fascinating and brave and strong. They always gave him courage when he fell off a horse or had a bad day. Due to the location of his village, a lot of knights passed through to get food and rest.

He always loved to watch them pass by. Some of them would even tell him some awesome battles they fought in. He loved every single story. Malik read for another hour before going home. Dinner was ready when he arrived. His mom was the best at cooking, which is why she was the chef at the inn. His dad was a bard. Dinner was already on the table. It was a nice steak with some rolls. There was a small beer for him. Beer happened to be his favorite drink.

Now, you may be wondering why a kid is drinking alcohol. In the medieval times, everybody drank alcohol. Water was not safe, since they did not have the technology to purify it, but with alcohol, they boiled the bacteria out of the water, making it safe for consumption.

“So, how was your day, Malik?” Mom asked. “It was good. I read this story about a knight who’s town was attacked by goblins! He was the only warrior there, and he single handedly fought them all off without any of the villagers getting hurt! It was amazing!” Mom and Dad just smiled. “Well, that sounds like quite an adventure. I am glad you had a nice day.” Mom replied.

When they were done with dinner, they played chess and also went outside for an hour before it was time for bed. Malik loved his life. He wouldn’t want it any other way. It was fine for him if he didn’t have any friends. He loved the knights, and as long as they kept coming and telling him stories, and he had his books, he was fine with it. He drifted off to sleep with this thought.

“Wake up! We need to hurry!” Dad yanked Malik awake. He had a grim look on his face. Suddenly, he heard screaming. There was some sort of commotion going on outside. “What is going on, Dad?” “Not even I know. Come on. We need to get you out of here.” Malik was so confused. He thought Dad knew all kinds of things.

He saw some sort of solid shadow rushing up to a man outside, while he was trying to run away from it. “WHAT IS THAT????” Malik started to cry. A knight on a horse was at the door. “Here, Malik. Take this. We may never see you ever again. But we do not have time!” Mom and Dad handed Malik a broadsword. It was made of steel. “What? I don’t want to leave you!”

Mom picked Malik up and handed him to the knight. “Please take my boy to safety.” “I will do as you wish.” “NO PLEASE! MOM! DAD!” All hell was loose outside. Some sort of black mist had overtaken the city. All kinds of animals were loose. People were running around. Some sort of shadow creatures that were huge were chasing people. One of them picked a man up and absorbed him. Then, another shadow creature floated out from it. What the hell was happening? Malik tried to convince himself that it was a nightmare. He pinched himself and felt the pain.

This was real. The knight ordered his horse to go into a full gallop. Malik clutched onto the sword his parents gave him. He was not sure if he would ever see them again. Soon enough, Malik, the knight and the horse were all outside of the village.

The entire village became enshrouded in the same black mist that was inside the walls. The walls were not even visible anymore. He did not see anybody else in the village. The only people he knew that were alive from the village were him, and the knight. It was the beginning of the end.