His eyes failed to comprehend the catastrophe that flashed before him like a fleeting bolt of lightning. His mind could not contain the shock that consumed his very being, swallowing him whole, just as the waves devour a fragile ship, leaving nothing but ruin behind.
He collapsed onto the ground, his legs betraying him, his limbs failing to support him. He stood there, drowning in a gaze of utter disbelief, embodying the unimaginable.
Everything had vanished… his family, his friends, his homeland, his hopes, his memories, his future. Even the very sand beneath his feet had not been spared from the horror that had unfolded. The entire universe had turned into a void of deathly silence.
He lowered his head as though the weight of the heavens had settled upon his shoulders, his hand clutching his burning chest. Then, he wept—silent, suffocating sobs that tore through the stillness of the moment.
And when his breath finally found a sliver of steadiness, he suddenly lifted his head, as if a spark from hell itself had ignited within his veins. He rose, abruptly, with a storming force, as though he were the earthquake itself. His legs carried him forward with unyielding momentum.
His friend tried to hold him back with all his strength, to stop him from taking that path.
As his friend's grip tightened, his own hand clenched harder, as if trying to crush the unbearable feeling within him. He lowered his head, shutting his eyes as if fleeing from the agony of reality.
With a broken voice, barely above a whisper—words that could shatter a heart—he pleaded:
"Please… don't let me lose you too. We don't stand a chance against those entities. We'll charge at them like dust swept away by the wind… and we'll die in an instant, leaving no trace behind."
His eyes burned like a sharpened blade—sorrowful, broken, yet never extinguished. They were ablaze with an unrelenting fire, a fire of vengeance that knew no mercy.
He let out a thunderous scream, a roar that erupted from the depths of darkness, pulsating with hatred, echoing through the silence of the night like thunder tearing through the sky:
*"I swear by my unending tears and by the land swallowed by the curse, I will never forget! I vow that I will return—not to reclaim what I have lost, but to erase everything! I will not leave a single stone upon another, I will not allow life to stir nor the wind to breathe.
I will drown you in an ocean of terror, I will make death the hope you will never attain. I will show no mercy, grant no forgiveness, accept no repentance. From this moment forward, this world will kneel beneath my feet, and my sword will never rise from your throats until all things wither and burn to ashes.
From now on, I am the mercy that is lost, the forgiveness that is slain, the vengeance that will never be sated.
Wait for the day when the entire cosmos turns against you… It is coming, and I am coming with it. I will make you a memory the winds do not dare to carry."*
His friend only tightened his grip, holding him in place. His eyes, drowning in a sea of sorrow and defeat, spoke of a bitter story—one carved by the cruel indifference of reality.
In a place somewhere in the human world, in a small town enveloped by winter:
The night was long, carrying the breath of cold and the echoes of loneliness. Amer, a sixteen-year-old boy, woke up in his dark room. His window, covered with black curtains, separated him from the world, leaving him face to face with his past, burdened with poverty and deprivation.
His childhood was a shadow of homelessness and violence, amidst cruel parents and siblings who stripped away any trace of compassion. He witnessed the horrors of war, and life left nothing in his soul but deep scars.
Yet, despite everything... the flame of curiosity in his heart never went out. He loved knowledge, reading the torn books scattered in the corners of his room. Behind his sorrow and silence, he still held a kind heart, attentive to the feelings of others, as if he were trying to be the opposite of what he had lived.
He rose slowly, as if a great weight was pulling him to the ground. He glanced briefly at his old books, then at the window. He thought about school, about life, about his failed attempts to put an end to everything.
And he silently asked himself:
"Does this life have meaning?
Do people like me have a place in this world?"
He looked through the curtains at a world still strange to him... searching for an answer.
Once he finished changing his clothes and enjoyed his simple breakfast, he gently pushed the door open. He stepped outside with quiet steps, surrounded by the refreshing air carrying the scent of rain, filling the horizon with its fresh fragrance.
He raised his gaze and enjoyed the view of the sky, which was covered with dark yellow and brown clouds, a mixture of colors like a magnificent cinematic painting.
Amer, the fifteen-year-old boy, was tall and thin, weighing around 60 kilograms, giving him an athletic build. His fair skin reflected the innocence of his youth and the purity of his soul, while his delicate facial features enhanced his natural beauty.
His short black hair was styled neatly backward, with strands gently falling on his forehead. His large eyes, a shiny brown color, held a deep contemplative gaze, as though he saw the world from a unique angle, between wisdom and curiosity. His thick eyelashes added an extra charm to his gaze.
He wore a neat white shirt with a dark blue tie, tied carefully, adding a touch of elegance. Over it, he had a stylish black coat adorned with golden edges on the sleeves and collar, giving him a striking presence.
Amer buried his hands in the pockets of his coat, walking towards his school with indifferent steps, while the cold breeze gently touched his body.
He stopped to gaze at the distant horizon, his eyes widening in deep thought and inner calm. He smiled a serene, inexplicable smile, as if it were a symbol of a rare tranquility that he himself did not fully understand.
He walked alone through abandoned roads, devoid of people or animals, lost in the depths of his thoughts, exploring the hidden corners of his soul. He did not emerge from his contemplation until he collided with the door of his school.
He tripped and fell to the ground, clutching his head in an attempt to ease the pain of the shock—a sensation like the echo of a storm disturbing a peaceful sea. At that moment, the school bell rang, its sound reverberating like a melody announcing the start of the second period.
The school stood like a quiet oasis amidst the noise of the city, two massive buildings standing proudly at the edges of a stone-paved courtyard.
Amer walked toward the gatekeeper, politely pleading to be allowed inside, then proceeded to his classroom with slow steps. There was no sign of worry on his face; his expression remained calm and composed.
As he approached the classroom door, Amer took a deep breath, his brow furrowing slightly in a calm expression. He then knocked gently and apologized:
"I'm sorry for being late."
The woman in front of him was in her thirties, her face radiating a quiet beauty and tranquility that seeped into every detail of her being. Her fair skin glowed under the natural light, enhancing the purity of her features.
Her dark brown hair was styled in a short bob that reached past her shoulders, with light waves adding a touch of vitality to her appearance.
Small strands of hair on her forehead accentuated her wide emerald-green eyes—eyes sparkling with wisdom and calm.
She wore elegant gold earrings and a simple necklace around her neck, adding a modern touch to her appearance. Her black blouse was fitted at the waist, and her dark short coat reflected her practical and formal nature.
Her white wide-legged trousers added comfort and vibrancy to her classic look.
Ishter's warm eyes gave him a gentle hand gesture, inviting him to enter and take his seat.
Amer entered the classroom, nodding his head in gratitude, then headed to the far corner near the window.
He lowered his bag and settled into his seat, breathing deeply with a heavy sigh, while his gaze wandered toward the window—a gateway to another world.
In that moment, a sigh escaped from the depths of his heavy heart, a silent melody carrying the weight of his soul. His inner voice whispered with fading breaths:
"Despite everything, I am still here in the embrace of this world, after twelve failed attempts to escape its grip. And each time, survival appears as if I am being pulled from the hands of death itself."
"If only I hadn't been born with an ugly face, a frail body consumed by illness, and a life devoid of all blessings and wealth. Those wars opened the gates of hell in my heart, leaving me with painful memories and nights that are unbearable."
"How many times have I stood on the edge of death while other children wove their innocence in dreams of love and life? I am the one who fought against existence itself, searching for crumbs of bread in piles of garbage under the weight of a harsh military siege."
"How many nights did I endure the torment of hunger? How many bodies did I bury with trembling hands? How many severed heads and lifeless limbs did I see scattered, as if they were scenes from an endless nightmare?"
"The scars of poverty and the humiliation of deprivation are still engraved deep in my heart, and I can't forget those mocking gazes that pierced my soul. The foundation of my childhood was shattered, and now I long for it like a thirsty person hoping for a drop of water in a barren desert."
"For a boy not even ten years old... isn't that too much? Too harsh?"
Amer's thoughts drifted in a sea of contemplation until the voice of his teacher, Ishter, gently broke the air, carrying a deep curiosity:
"Amer, have you found an answer to the question that was asked of you?"
"The question was: What is life?"
Amer smiled a calm smile and said in a voice soft as the morning breeze:
"Life, my teacher, is nothing more and nothing less than a window through which we look out onto existence."
Ishter received his answer with an expression of surprise mixed with admiration. She then smiled kindly and said:
"A unique answer. Could you elaborate more, Amer? Do you mean that there is a significant difference between life and existence?"
Amer answered calmly and confidently:
"Yes, there is a fundamental difference between life and existence. The meaning of life differs from person to person, depending on poverty or wealth, beauty or ugliness, health or illness, success or failure, and even gender or beliefs."
"These factors make it impossible to define life in a comprehensive way. As for existence, it can be defined universally: anything that has the ability to be affected and to affect is considered to exist. This characteristic is shared by all things."
"Existence is not merely a material state, but it takes life as the window through which we view the universe. Every being has its own window through which it sees existence—humans, animals, plants, and even inanimate objects. And that window is life itself."
"Beings differ in the form of life they experience, but they share the fact that they all interact with existence, which makes life an essential state of this existence."
After Amer finished speaking, he looked around and met the eyes of his classmates and his teacher, Ishter, who were gathered around him in interest. He felt a bit of unease, but he smiled gently and said:
"I hope you'll forgive me if I spoke at length. I hope my answer has met your approval."
At that moment, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the class, with its clear sound that resembled the bells of salvation.
Amer stood up and headed to the school cafeteria to buy some snacks. He chose a secluded table and sat alone, enjoying his food.
But without realizing it, a young man and woman approached him and sat at the same table without any introduction, as if fate had decided to weave a new story into his life.
Sarah, a fourteen-year-old girl with a slender body and silver hair that reached her shoulders, and blue eyes that reflected innocence and depth. Her fair skin glowed with purity, and her delicate features were completed with a shy smile. She wore a white shirt with a blue tie, a blue coat, a pleated short skirt, black stockings, and silver shoes that matched the color of her hair.
As for Aram, he was an attractive young man with golden hair that fell gently over his forehead and hazel eyes that reflected intelligence and calm. His ivory skin gave him a natural handsomeness, while his sharp jawline hinted at a particular maturity. He wore a white shirt with a blue tie, a dark blue coat, elegant trousers, and white shoes.
Aram and Sarah exchanged glances full of surprise and curiosity, surrounded by silence, as if they had witnessed something extraordinary.
Sarah broke the silence with a voice filled with confusion and a face full of astonishment:
"Amer, has something happened to you? This is the first time I've seen you smile... and what an amazing smile it is!"
Aram, still astonished, said:
"That's true. If you have such a beautiful smile, why have you been hiding it from us all this time?"
Amer looked at Sarah warmly, his eyes filled with apology, then said gently:
"How are you, Sarah? I apologize again, I'm the one who caused the incident that put you in the hospital."
Sarah lowered her head, filled with regret, then spoke in a cold and sad tone:
"There's no blame on you, Amer... you're not at fault. You can't control your feelings. It's true that I was shocked when you rejected my feelings, and I cried a lot until my health deteriorated, and I ended up in the hospital."
But she lifted her head with a bright smile and said:
"But look at me now! My health has improved more than ever!"
Amer and Sarah exchanged warm glances, but Sarah's true feelings began to show when tears fell down her cheeks. She quickly apologized and left in a hurry, leaving Amer watching her with concern.
Aram gently placed his hand on Amer's arm, seeing him shake his head in deep sorrow, and said to him firmly:
"Don't remain a prisoner of this pain."
Amer sat at the table, leaning forward, his face drowning in sorrow, burying his head in his hands, trying to calm the emotional storm in his heart.
In the last class of the day, while Amer stared out of his classroom window, strange whispers interrupted the air around him:
"Amer... Amer! I'm here, look at me!"
In the darkness, illuminated by a faint glimmer of light, stood a celestial being as though it had emerged from a forgotten myth, radiating with grandeur. Its face was pale like moonlight,
and it carried a mysterious chill that touched the soul before the body. Its eyes were as deep as the darkness of a starless night, gleaming like the glow of a fire on the verge of extinction.
In the center of its forehead, there was a black mark resembling a sword buried in time, a seal for unknown secrets that cannot be understood. Its pointed ears were crowned with two black horns, a blend of demonic features and royal beauty.
Its hair was as black as the night, flowing freely over its shoulders, forming a delicate frame around its face, while decorative black threads hung, giving it a unique appearance.
Its neck was adorned with tattoos resembling intertwined roots sinking into its skin, extending to its chest in a majestic flow.
From its neck, chains of metal rose, carrying mysterious symbols, like secrets hidden across the ages.
Its physique was massive, its muscles taut, and its strength was evident in every movement, adding to its imposing presence.
The form reflected an ancient being, possessing enough power to control everything around it without needing to move.
Its clothes were black as a shroud, adorned with intricate symbols and engravings, almost like a hidden armor.
The air around it was filled with an invisible aura that evoked awe and fear, as if standing before a lord from another world, crossing time with indifference.
Amer looked at it in shock, thinking it was just a hallucination, then turned his gaze away, unconcerned, but the being suddenly appeared in front of the window and whispered coldly:
"I will meet you tonight in your room. Wait for me."
Before Amer could comprehend what had happened, the being disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him in complete shock, wondering about the reality of what had occurred.
Was it just a figment of his imagination that crept into his mind? Or was there something greater that he couldn't understand?