A New World

The rain fell in thin lines, weaving a grey veil over the city.

BANG! A dry breath echoed in the alley, making the metal container vibrate. The moisture of the ground mixed with the metallic smell of blood.

"Please... We won't bother you anymore..."

The man who had been thrown against the container begged in a shaky voice. He looked down, exhausted as he breathed in pain.

The metallic smell of blood stuck in his throat. He rolled the lollipop against his tongue, the artificial sweetness mixing with the iron taste of the air.

He looked at the moaning man. A dozen bodies lay scattered, blood pooling in the cracks of the pavement.

"What a mess."

A young man wearing a bloody green apron. His wavy black hair danced delicately in the breeze, his mole under his left eye emphasizing the depth of his black eyes. Without hesitation, he grabbed the man by the hair and forced him to look into his eyes. The lollipop clinked against his teeth as he spoke. "You shouldn't have done it in the first place."

There was a continuous silence. The man coughed, letting out blood. "I never thought a person as empty as you would care about someone... Void."

The young man pierced him with his gaze, but without being able to say anything to deny those words. He let go and stood up.

Without raising his head, the man finished saying a few words as Void walked out of the alley:

"No matter how hard you try, you will never have loved ones, because every time you have them, they will be taken away from you. The emptiness can never be filled..."

The dying man's last words echoed in Void's mind.

"No matter how hard you try, you will never have loved ones..."

The rain muffled everything else. He exhaled, watching the mist of his breath fade into the cold air. The alley reeked of blood.

For a second, he just stood there. Unconsciously, the lollipop in his mouth had already disappeared.

"…I need something sweet."

Without looking back, he stepped out onto the street. The neon lights of a convenience store flickered in the distance.

As he walked towards the store, his mind replayed the violent moments in the alley, wondering if it would always be the same.

Cling, Cling.

A middle-aged man sat at the counter reading a newspaper. He looked towards the door and after turning the page he said,

"Did you hit people again?"

Void let out a sigh as he took off his apron. "They robbed the store again…"

The man, after hearing him, closed the newspaper. He stood up. "You could have just talked, there was no need to resort to violence…" he said in a saddened voice.

"That might have worked before, in today's world it's impossible."

The young man's answer made the store fall into silence.

It was normal, the world we all knew had changed. The tragedy began three months ago.

For some strange reason, the weather conditions around the world began to get out of control. Heavy rains, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis...

Even so, people didn't think of anything strange, the only thing that was said was that it was climate change. Although many others took advantage of this strange weather to give theories or conspiracies.

At first no one seemed to pay attention, however, as time went by people began to get upset, what if the conspiracies became reality?

And so, one day when no one expected anything, all the natural catastrophes stopped in the world. At the same time.

You might think that people would be happy to finally see the sun; but that was not far from the truth.

In the sky, a crimson sun illuminated every corner of the planet, as if it were a horror movie. And after a few long minutes of tension and doubt, an earthquake hit each of the capitals of the world.

This event was already too strange, however, it did not end there. From that tremor, imposing and enormous doors rose, their appearance was masterful, each of the doors were different but all had the same characteristic, strange engravings in gold.

That was what marked the change of the world. Those doors were given the name "The Abyss Call". The few people who ventured inside for various reasons, had to face their greatest fears and nightmares.

Most ended up going mad. However, with it came a reward, runic abilities. Skills like superpowers that each of the people who managed to overcome their nightmares acquired.

The skills had to be used against the main threat, the nightmares. Which were basically the creatures that arose from the evil of humans.

However, they began to be used to conquer each other, now the slayers, users of runic skills, used their power to gain power in the world.

And the reason for all this is Void. Why? Using those conspiracies he decided to write a novel, which ended up becoming his reality.

'Why?!' he thought irritated as he sat behind the counter. 'Damn it... If the novel was going to be a reality it could have been waited and not done in the first chapter!'

And so, Void, the author of the novel that had become a reality, also had no knowledge of what was going to happen.

'I only wrote it because I thought it could make me rich...' he picked up the newspaper that was on the counter. 'I better not have!'

Cling, Cling.

Void, annoyed, glanced at the door. A couple of young students entered, closing their umbrellas.

'Void... Have you seen where my father is?' asked one of the young men. He was pale and thin, his hair, dark and straight, accentuated his clear blue eyes.

"No idea."

"It's dangerous to go out there alone... Aren't you worried, Arthur?" asked the other young man.

Arthur smiled slightly trying to hide his concern. "No need, we're in neutral territory."

Void walked past the young men. "Are you leaving already?" asked Arthur.

"My shift is over... If I find your father I'll tell him you're looking for him."

The young man smiled. "Thank you, see you tomorrow."

Without giving any answer, Void left the store. With a black umbrella in his hand, he looked at the rainy sky.

The gray of the sky showed the same mood as him: Confused, disinterested, exhausted... His insides felt empty.

Fwoosh. He unfolded the umbrella. He began to walk, thinking about his uncertain future.

"Void?" A warm voice interrupted the young man's mind. Slowly, he looked towards where the voice came from. It was his boss.

"It's quite cold, don't you want to stay overnight?" the man asked him. His face showed a noticeable concern.

Void smiled, trying to hide his emptiness. "Another day, thank you."

Despite the smile shown, the man seemed to notice that he was hiding something. "...We are your family, please do not forget it, we will be here for you." he said, trying to remove that feeling from the young man.

His smile widened. "...See you tomorrow." After the sour farewell, Void sank back into his thoughts.

...

Void walked thoughtfully through the busy streets of Seoul. The silent rain was the only sound that broke into the young man's mind. He stopped in front of a crosswalk.

After looking ahead for a few seconds, he sighed. Without taking his eyes off the front, he offered his black umbrella to an old woman who was trying to protect a child from the rain.

The old woman's hands shook as she pulled the child closer. Her coat was thin, too thin for this kind of cold.

"Young man... Thank you very much," she said. Her voice was hoarse.

Void didn't answer. His gaze fell on the newspaper at his feet, soaked and illegible. The headline still loomed:

"The war between gangs continues. This time with several deaths."

The old woman lowered her head in gratitude along with those words of thanks. Void simply began to cross the crosswalk. Thoughtful.

Now the wars between gangs had intensified and although on the outside people do not take it seriously, fear was noticeable.

The bosses are slayers and the pawns who sacrifice themselves are normal people, who must fight without any objective other than survival.

The government cannot stop it, even for the good of it they must remain silent, watching as their country is governed by others.

Violence was no longer about evasion, authorities or people should not intervene. If someone was abused, they cover their eyes.

Strength rules. Now, in this world, it is hunt or be hunted and Void has already survived enough in this type of environment.

Without realizing it, the young man had already arrived home. He searched his pockets for his keys. After finding them, he opened the door and entered.

A small house, it wasn't luxurious but it covered the basic needs; a kitchen, a bathroom, a bed... Well, what else do you need?

After taking a few steps, Void had already reached the center of his house. Tired, he grabbed the remote control and turned on the television.

"The reproduction stage of worms usually occurs between spring and summer, when the temperature is around 15°C..."

Void sighed. He threw himself on his bed. 'Why can't I have a moment of peace?' he asked himself.

After "The Abyss Call" no strange events occurred again, however that was what people feared the most. Calm always precedes destruction.

Void was in doubt. What should he do now? He had lost his goals long ago. Now all he wanted was freedom, not to be tied to anything.

But that wasn't going to be possible right now. A tremor began to stir everything. The calm was over.