VOID MONARCH: BLACK ASCENT
Chapter 1
Deborah was not a normal world. Not even close.
The rule?
They never heard it said aloud, but everyone knew:
The strong make the rules. No matter who they are.
"You hear about that kid who went into the forest today?"
A voice thick with disbelief cut through the air.
"Which forest?"
Another voice snapped back, startled.
"Oh come on, you know who I'm talking about."
The first voice dripped with more mockery than curiosity now.
"That weak, useless brat."
Laughter wrapped around the words like smoke.
A few seconds of heavy silence.
Then someone spoke, low and serious.
"You're sure it was the Traas Forest?"
"Yeah. I saw him myself. He went in looking for some herb."
This time the tone carried certainty.
"What? An herb?"
Someone repeated it in pure shock.
Then the laughter exploded again.
"Doesn't he know? Nothing grows there."
The mocking echoes dragged on…
like a seal stamped on someone's fate.
Far away, inside the Traas Forest, a boy pressed forward.
Torch in hand. Legs moving on willpower alone.
The flame barely reached two steps ahead.
The tree bark was pitch black.
Their branches didn't stretch toward the sky—
they bent downward,
as if trying to clutch something. Anything.
The silence was so thick his soft footsteps sounded loud. Too loud.
"Got carried away and came this far, Adarsh…"
he muttered to himself.
"…but why does moving forward suddenly feel impossible?"
His name was Adarsh.
Resident of Vimasal, the famous city in the Vikram Empire.
Heir to the Shrivastava family.
Big name.
Big reputation once.
Power?
That was the cruelest joke fate ever played on him.
He had completed Body Awakening like a genius.
The whole city had talked about it.
But the moment he started Qi Circulation—
everything stopped.
One year.
Two years.
Five years.
Same level.
Same failure.
Where others had surged ahead,
Adarsh was still stuck. Right there.
Khurr… khurr…
"Who's there?!" Adarsh shouted.
Khurr… khurr…
The sound came again.
Closer this time.
Heavier.
Like massive claws scraping the ground with every step.
His heart slammed into his throat.
The torch flame trembled—or maybe it was his hand.
He spun around fast.
Nothing.
Just black trees, drooping branches, and darkness that now looked hungrier.
"Who's there?"
His voice came out again, weaker. Barely audible even to himself.
Fsss… fsss…
A hiss answered.
Like something saying: I'm right here.
The moment he heard it, Adarsh ran.
His feet tangled.
Roots seemed to rise on purpose, tripping him.
The torch was dying, flickering low.
He kept glancing back.
Every time—nothing but thick, choking black.
But he could feel it.
Something was behind him.
Then a massive shadow stepped out between the trees.
Adarsh froze.
He raised the torch.
In front of him stood a creature.
Not human.
Not animal.
Something in between.
Four legs—impossibly long.
Skin black and slick, swallowing light instead of reflecting it.
If it had a face, it was just one huge mouth studded with countless sharp bone shards instead of teeth.
And eyes—four of them.
Two above, two below.
All pure white. No pupils.
Adarsh's breath caught.
He stepped back.
His foot snagged on a root.
He fell.
The torch hit the ground.
The flame still burned, but weak. So weak.
The creature took one step.
The ground shook.
Another.
Another.
Adarsh yanked the small sword from his waist.
The one his father had given him as a child.
Now it just looked like a piece of old metal.
"Don't run…"
It wasn't the creature's voice.
It was in his head.
Like the thing was speaking straight into his mind.
"You came here. You should know—no one leaves."
Adarsh screamed the words back inside his own skull, as if answering it.
He swung the sword with everything he had.
The creature raised a claw and slashed.
The blow tore into Adarsh's shoulder.
Blood sprayed in a hot arc.
The pain was blinding. Tears stung his eyes.
He tried to stand.
The creature attacked again.
This time Adarsh struck back.
The blade bit into the creature's arm.
But it wasn't deep—just a shallow hole.
No blood came out.
Instead, thick black ooze leaked like oil.
The creature yawned.
Adarsh saw it and felt sick.
It looked like it was laughing at him.
Then it lunged again—faster.
Adarsh tried to dodge.
Too slow.
The claw sank into his stomach.
Nails deep inside.
Blood poured from his mouth.
"Ahh—"
He screamed and dropped to his knees.
His breathing turned ragged.
The world spun.
The torch was almost out.
Darkness pressed in from every side.
I'm going to die now…
but at least this useless life will finally end.
Mom… forgive me.
I couldn't even protect your honor.
Goodbye, Mom…
Will Adarsh survive?
What happens next?
Keep reading
VOID MONARCH: BLACK ASCENT