Zahb Lwheat stood alone in the deserted alley, his eyes fixated on the dimly lit street ahead. The flickering streetlamp cast eerie shadows, dancing around him like specters in the night. He shivered, not from the cold, but from the overwhelming sense of abandonment that gnawed at his soul. His parents, lost to the grip of drug abuse, had long forsaken their responsibilities as guardians, leaving Zahb to fend for himself in a world devoid of compassion.

As Zahb pondered his dismal existence, a sudden shift in the air sent a chill down his spine. The atmosphere crackled with an otherworldly energy, and before he could comprehend what was happening, the ground beneath him trembled. A rift tore through the fabric of reality, engulfing Zahb in a vortex of swirling darkness. Panic surged through his veins as he was pulled into the abyss, his screams drowned out by the deafening roar of the void.

When Zahb regained consciousness, he found himself in a world unlike any he had ever known. The sky was a swirling maelstrom of crimson and obsidian, crackling with bursts of unnatural lightning. The ground beneath his feet was barren and desolate, littered with the remnants of ancient civilizations long forgotten. And looming ominously in the distance were three towering structures, their spires piercing the heavens like jagged daggers.

Confusion clouded Zahb's mind as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. Where was he? How had he ended up in this bizarre realm? And most importantly, how could he find his way back home? But before he could dwell on these questions for long, a voice echoed in his mind, sending shivers down his spine.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Welcome, Zahb Lwheat, to the world of the Black Sky Cries," the voice intoned, its tone as cold and unforgiving as the void itself. "You have been chosen to partake in a war unlike any other, a conflict that spans across the very fabric of existence."

Zahb's heart pounded in his chest as he listened to the disembodied voice. What war could possibly be waged in a place as desolate as this? And why had he been dragged into it against his will? But before he could voice his protests, a blinding flash of light illuminated the sky, heralding the arrival of an army unlike any Zahb had ever seen.

They were the inhabitants of other worlds, displaced and disoriented, much like Zahb himself. Some bore the scars of countless battles, their armor stained with the blood of their enemies. Others wielded arcane powers beyond mortal comprehension, their very presence sending tremors through the earth.

But amidst the chaos and carnage, one thing became abundantly clear: Zahb was no longer alone. He was surrounded by warriors from every corner of the multiverse, each with their own story to tell and their own demons to conquer. And though he had been thrust into this conflict against his will, Zahb knew that he could not simply stand idly by and watch as others fought for their survival.

With a newfound resolve burning in his heart, Zahb stepped forward, his eyes ablaze with determination. He may have been abandoned by his parents and cast aside by society, but in this strange new world, he would forge his own path. He would not be looked down upon by anyone, not the shadow gods who had dragged him here, nor the warriors who fought alongside him.

For Zahb Lwheat was no longer a boy adrift in the darkness. He was a force to be reckoned with, a beacon of hope amidst the chaos, and he would not rest until he had carved out his own place in this world of Black Sky Cries. And so, with his fists clenched and his spirit unyielding, Zahb prepared to face whatever challenges lay ahead, ready to defy fate itself in his quest for redemption.