The village of Calden's Reach lay nestled in a valley, surrounded by towering, ancient trees and fields ripe with crops. The air was thick with the scent of fresh earth and the rustling of leaves, a peaceful place where the hum of nature and the rhythm of labor shaped the days. Calden's Reach was a self-sustaining village, its people hardworking and content. Fields of wheat and vegetables stretched across the land, and orchards of lush fruit trees stood at the village's edge, their branches heavy with harvest. It was the kind of place you could call home, where every corner felt familiar and every face knew your name.
Seven-year-old Lyric, the elder son of the chief, was in the fields with his hands deep in the soil, helping gather the last of the harvest for the season. His black hair hung in damp strands across his forehead, and his grey eyes narrowed in concentration as he dug through the soil, pulling up root vegetables. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the land.
A small, cheerful voice broke his concentration.
"Lyric! Lyric!"
He turned to see his younger sister, Chime, skipping toward him, a grin stretching across her face. Her long black hair fluttered in the breeze, and her bright grey eyes sparkled with excitement. She held a fruit in her hand, a plump, purple orchard pear she'd picked herself.
"I picked it just for you!" she said, beaming. "It's the sweetest one!"
Lyric smiled, brushing the dirt from his hands as he took the pear from her. "Thank you, Chime," he said, his voice soft but warm. He took a bite, savoring the sweetness of the fruit. It was the small things like this that made the world feel safe, simple, and good.
But then, something changed.
At first, it was subtle. A faint tremor in the ground beneath his feet, a strange chill in the air. The birds stopped singing. The trees swayed in an unnatural, eerie silence. Lyric's stomach tightened, a sense of dread creeping in, though he couldn't say why. The skies above seemed to darken, though the sun was still setting. It was as though a shadow had been cast over the world itself.
He looked up, his heart pounding as the feeling of unease deepened. A sudden gust of wind whipped through the village, kicking up dust, and the air turned thick with a metallic scent—like blood and something far older. The earth beneath him trembled again, stronger this time, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Lyric?" Chime's voice wavered in the sudden stillness. She gripped his arm, looking up at him with wide, confused eyes. "What's happening?"
Before he could answer, the sky split open.
Pitch-black portals, like gaping wounds in reality itself, tore through the air, opening above the village. They appeared without warning, sharp and jagged, their edges swirling with dark energy. From them, creatures emerged—monsters, twisted horrors with jagged teeth, multiple eyes, and gnarled claws that gleamed with an unnatural sheen. Their bodies were dark as night, the color of tar and ash, and some had translucent splotches, through which the pitch-black blood and organs could be seen churning and pulsing.
Lyric's breath caught in his throat as the creatures charged into the village, their eyes gleaming like mirrors, intelligent and malevolent. His heart raced in his chest as he instinctively pulled Chime closer to him, his arms wrapping protectively around her.
"Get to the house!" he shouted, his voice sharp with fear. "Now!"
They ran toward their home, the sound of screaming villagers and the grotesque growls of the creatures filling the air. Lyric's thoughts raced—his parents, the others in the village, everyone—what could they do against this? What was happening?
The house was only a short distance away, but it felt like an eternity. The ground trembled again, the earth cracking open as more and more of the void monsters poured from the portals. Lyric's mind raced, trying to process it all as they reached the door. His father stood inside, already donning his armor, a stern, familiar figure amidst the chaos.
"Get inside," his father barked, his face grim. "We're not safe out here. Get Chime to safety."
Lyric didn't argue. He nodded and pushed Chime inside, closing the door behind them. His father turned to his mother, who stood by the hearth, her face pale with fear. She looked down at Chime, her eyes filled with pain, before she spoke softly.
"Take her, take her now!" she said urgently. "Run! I'll stay here and fight."
Lyric's heart twisted. "No! I won't leave you!"
His father's hand caught his shoulder, strong and firm. "You don't have a choice, Lyric. You're the man now. Protect her. Go!" His voice cracked, but he didn't let it show. He looked back at his wife. "Go now! I'll hold them off."
"Lyric, take Chime and run!" his mother pleaded, her voice breaking as she pulled him toward the door.
Lyric shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. "Please... No! Please don't go!"
But it was too late. The ground shook violently beneath their feet, and a massive, towering figure emerged from one of the portals. A void golem—monstrous and colossal—its stone-like body covered in jagged cracks that oozed dark energy. It lumbered forward, crushing everything in its path with each step. The village's defenses crumbled under its weight.
Lyric saw his father charge toward it, sword drawn, ready to fight. He couldn't even scream as the golem's massive hand swept down and crushed his father, reducing him to nothing more than dust and blood. The golem's roar echoed in the distance as it began its rampage, reducing their home to rubble.
"We need to leave," his mother whispered urgently, pulling him toward the back of the house. She grabbed Chime and pushed them both toward the stables.
As they ran, Lyric couldn't help but glance back. His home—his village—was being torn apart by the void creatures, by the unnatural storm that had swallowed everything. People ran through the streets, screaming, trying to escape the monsters and the crushing weight of the golem. But many weren't fast enough. Some were torn apart by the beasts, others crushed under the golem's steps.
The world around them seemed to fall apart. The plants, the trees, the very earth—they began to wither. The crops in the fields turned to ash in moments. The water in the wells turned black.
Lyric's chest tightened as they reached the horse. His mother hurriedly lifted Chime onto it, but before she could mount, a creature—a foul, ghoulish thing—leapt from the shadows. It sank its teeth into her back with terrifying precision, causing her to stumble and fall to her knees. She gasped in pain but pushed Chime and Lyric away.
"Run!" she cried. "Run, now!"
Lyric pulled Chime to her feet, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her. "No!" he cried, but Chime tugged at his sleeve, her own face pale with fear.
"Lyric, we have to go."
They ran, their feet heavy with dread, as the world around them buckled and shattered. And then, the rumble grew louder, a deep, resonating sound that seemed to come from the very core of the planet. The sky crackled as a shard—brilliant and glowing, yet dark at its edges—plummeted from the heavens, crashing into the earth just beyond the village. The force of its impact sent a shockwave through the land, knocking Lyric and Chime off their feet.
The rift behind Chime tore open. A swirling black vortex, its edges sharp and jagged, appeared without warning. Lyric reached out, but it was too late.
"No!" he screamed, but the rift had already claimed her.
Chime's terrified face twisted in a final moment of confusion as she was sucked into the rift. Lyric tried to follow, but the world erupted into chaos. The monsters charged toward the shard, oblivious to the chaos they were causing.
Lyric's body was thrown to the ground as the world seemed to collapse around him. He lay there, dazed, half-buried in rubble. His mind, a whirl of confusion, couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
His sister was gone. His parents... gone.
The only thing he could hold onto was the promise he had made. He would find her. He would find a way to bring her back.
As the void creatures surged toward the shard, Lyric's thoughts hardened. His sister was alive somewhere. He had to find her.
And so, the rift closed behind him, leaving Lyric, alone and broken, in the ruins of his once peaceful village