Void Fate: A Novel

By Suren G. Hakobyan

Empty streets are littered with stalled-out cars, buses, and motorcycles. A sunless and moonless sky is covered with an enormous barrier that prevents any view of the heavens.
Nothing stirs. The air is oppressive and there is no wind, not even the softest breeze.

It was supposed to be a typical day for the five friends, but they wake up to discover that they are left alone on earth. The world that they knew is gone. All that is left is silence, pervasive, absolute silence.

What happened while they slept? Are they the only ones left? As the theories start to fly, and their imaginations run wild, they wonder if they are still on Earth at all, possibly abducted by aliens, trapped in a simulation, or claimed by the afterlife.

Aram is the only one who can see deep into the silent world. That's why, from the very beginning, he starts to look for a way out of this new reality. If he can convince his friends to stay focused, as the whispers begin, and fight against the evil of the silent world, the fog-shaped beings that wander the empty streets, they may stand a chance.

If not, the only thing that lies ahead is the fate of the void.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Suren G. Hakobyan
• Release date: Jul 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9798646316487

Book preview

Prologue

His heart was pounding so loudly in his chest that he worried whatever was at the other end of the long hallway would be able to hear it. He ran his hand through his graying hair and leaned against the wall to listen, still and wide-eyed, with a face so pale it looked as if it had been drained of all blood.

There was absolute silence.

Moving away from the wall, his gaze still glued to the end of the hallway, he imagined something hideous, Lucifer himself, waiting to pounce from around the corner.

Something closed in on him from behind.

He took a step, his legs shaky, and the floor creaked beneath his feet. He glanced back again fearfully. A sharp wind rose from the far end of the hallway, whipping at him.

He spun around and ran.

In the absolute silence, only the sound of his footsteps could be heard as the sound echoed and amplified against the walls.

He was in a hotel, on the first floor; red carpet, white walls, and dark wooden doors. His lungs labored furiously, attempting to keep up with the demands of his pounding heart, the freezing cold air burning his lungs.

Every now and again, he glanced back over his shoulder, his eyes wide and full of dread, expecting, at any moment, one of those creatures. In another ten yards, he’d reach the end of the hallway and find safety in the lobby.

As if on cue, a big puff of cloud flooded upwards. It filled the hallway like water filling a tunnel.

He came to a screeching halt.

The fog had a human shape; hands, legs, and even a head. The horrified man focused on a pair of cold, black eyes in a snow-white face. He held a pistol but didn’t try to shoot the demon, well aware that the bullet would fly right through it. He reached for the door to his right and turned the handle.

The man threw himself into the next room, adrenaline rushing through his veins. In a second, he clocked the window across the room. Frantically, he slammed the door behind him and ran for it.

When he reached the window, he covered his face with his coat, hurtling headlong into it, smashing through the glass.

Bits of glass rained down as he crumpled onto the asphalt.  He scrambled across the ground and jumped to his feet like he would have done in his youth.

Once on his feet, he cast a quick gaze back through the window to the door. Through the keyhole, white gas was pouring in. He took a deep breath and ran as fast as he could.

As far from the hotel as possible, he kept telling himself. He didn’t look up, well aware there was nothing to see but a weird dome overhead that had covered the city a week ago, bringing forth those creepy demons.

For over seven days, he’d been surviving in this hellish new world. Two days ago, he’d gone farther for supplies than ever before, and that was when he’d spotted a human-sized fog that drifted along the street an inch above the asphalt. It was something that should only have been possible in horror movies.

Demons.

They’d tracked him down. They’d come for his soul.

He wasn’t young anymore. As he ran, his breath quickened and his legs strained to hold his heavy weight for so long. When he reached the corner, he saw the parking lot. Multiple dead cars greeted him mournfully.

As far from the hotel as possible.

He stopped abruptly in the middle of the parking lot.

From every side, human-shaped fog entered the lot and gathered around him. Seven of them. He glanced back. Two more loomed into view.

This is it, he thought. He could try to run to the hotel entrance, but they were fast, especially when the ground was flat.

The fogs started closing in on him, the circle narrowing with every passing second. Terrified, the man watched them approach, mentally counting the last seconds of his life. Hope had abandoned him since he had fled his room. His aim had been to get as far from the hotel as possible to give a chance to the ones still in the hotel, but he’d failed. This was as far as he’d make it.

I won’t give myself to you, you fucking demons, the man bawled as he put the gun to his head.

The human-shaped fogs halted, their big hideous eyes fixed on the man.

They waited.

His eyes flickered from demon to demon. A slight smile curled his lips as he squeezed them tight.

God bless me, he hissed under his breath.

He sucked in a deep breath—his last ever.

He pulled the trigger.

Part 1: The Silent City

Chapter 1: Dead night

Arthur

Well, time to call it a night. Arthur stood and stretched his long, slim body, years of going to the gym, and working out had given him the athletic body that he loved. He was sure that women loved it too. Even after a long night of cards, Arthur’s appearance was still neat. He took off his glasses for a moment and cleaned them with his shirt, before putting them back on. His dark hair was almost as dark as his eyes. Looks like we could all do with some sleep. We meeting back here in the morning?

Yeah, eight sharp. Michael rose and glanced at his watch. He was three inches shorter than Arthur, but he never seemed that much smaller than his friend. How’d it get to be five already?

The five of them had played cards through the night, drinking vodka while the khash simmered, a dish traditionally eaten early in the morning after cooking all night. A big saucepan bubbled on the gas stove in the kitchen, spitting tiny goblets of liquid into the air.

I should get going, too, Harris said, sitting with Daniel on the aging red couch. He cupped his face and stroked his beard, something that made him look intelligent which he actually was.

Stay, Michael said. It’s late, or early, depending on how you look at it. There’s plenty of room.

Daniel looked over at Harris. He’s right, you shouldn’t be driving after drinking so much.

Harris rolled his eyes. Who said anything about driving? My place is three hundred yards down the street. A few minutes’ walk, or stumbling, at most.

A few more minutes of sleep, Aram–the youngest of the friends–said, looking up from his drink. You’ve got to be back here in three hours, anyway. And there’s...the disappearances.

It’s not like you’ll be sleeping on the floor, Michael said, ignoring Aram’s concern. There’s a double bed in the bedroom, it’s all yours.

The room you’re constantly complaining about being too cold, Aram said. He pointed to the electrical radiator just beside the armchair. That piece of shit barely keeps this room warm. You take the icebox, and I’ll just curl up in the chair. 

Just get some sleep, all of you, Arthur said as he headed for the door, wherever you can.

I’ll walk you out. Michael fell in step beside his friend. He opened the door, and they stepped into the dark hallway, the only illumination coming from within the small room.

What happened to the lights? Arthur asked.

Who the hell knows. They walked down the dim corridor, and Michael pressed the elevator button in annoyance. Nothing happened. Fuck, not again. 

It’s not the power. Arthur looked back at the propped-open door to his friend’s apartment, a dim orange glow still flooding out. 

Stay, or you can take the stairs, it’s up to you, said Michael.

I’ll take the stairs, Arthur murmured in irritation. He took out his smartphone, tapped the screen, and a white glow shot out, illuminating a small area in front of him. He swished it from side to side like a flashlight. Hope there isn’t a maniac or something down there.

Hey, that’s not funny. You know there’s a serial killer on the loose, don’t you? It’s all over the news.

Come on, Mike, you really think this is one guy? No one can murder twenty people and not be caught for this long, not in a city this size. He’s not the Zodiac killer, after all, that’s for sure, Arthur said.

It’s not twenty. More people have gone missing, Michael pressed on. Just be careful.

Calm down, I’m only joking, laughed Arthur. I don’t think this new Zodiac’s grand plan is to cut the wire of the entrance light just to get me.

Be careful, anyway.

Yeah, yeah. See you in a few hours.

Bye.

Arthur pressed on through the dense darkness, holding his smartphone out in front of him. The little light struggled against the dark, with just enough power to illuminate a step or two ahead.

He moved carefully, not wanting to make any noise in the blackness. No matter how hard he tried, every time his foot hit the concrete, the sound of his footfall echoed around the stairwell, and there was something different about the sound; it was wrong. Arthur felt it but didn’t pay it any attention. He was exhausted, and his eyelids longed to close.

On the ground floor, he pushed the entrance door wide open.

On any other night, the cold winter wind would have slapped his face, sending a chill down his spine. Tonight it was absent. The air was odorless, motionless, dead.

He stepped out, breathing out warm clouds, and checked the street. Aram and Daniel’s cars, visible with his smartphone’s faint light, were parked a few steps ahead. The street lamps were off, bathing the street in absolute darkness. Arthur looked up into the black sky in wonder—no moon or stars tonight, just black.

That was odd too, but Arthur shrugged and made his way toward home. His mind yearned for sleep, and nothing else really mattered, everything could wait until morning.

Arthur’s condo was in the same complex as Michael’s. It was a long building with several entrances, and Arthur’s door was a few hundred yards walk. 

He’d known Michael all his life, but they hadn’t been close until recently. Every so often, he’d bump into Michael and his friends, and they would all hang out and have beers. It was the card games that he liked the most, and he found himself attending them more and more.

One summer evening, just warm enough to be perfect beer-drinking weather, Michael had offered the use of his empty apartment as a place for card games. The room upstairs had become a little private casino for the five friends.

Arthur had not been one for romance in his thirty-two years and had never had a serious relationship. He loved one-night stands, and every so often he asked Michael for the apartment keys so he could use the bedroom to entertain his newest girl.

He knew that his other friends didn’t have the natural charm and charisma to do what he did. Aram and Daniel were both married. Aram had a baby son, while Daniel had a ten-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl. Harris was a man who never talked about his girlfriends. At least, Arthur had never heard him talking about them. From what he knew, Harris had a fiancé two years ago, but something had happened, and it hadn’t worked out.

Arthur opened the door to his condo, slowly, so as not to wake up his mother and brother. He didn’t even check to see if the lights were working. Holding his smartphone flashlight, he made his way to his bedroom, kicked off his shoes, and collapsed on his bed, not bothering to take off his clothes.

In his fatigue, he didn’t even think about how loudly his brother, Alex, usually snored. The sound of it always made its way through the walls and into Arthur’s bedroom. Tonight the apartment was quiet.

He checked his phone for missed messages. In the middle of the game, the messages from his new girlfriend had abruptly stopped. He worried that she was mad at him for something. That was when he realized that his phone didn’t have any bars. He began brushing his fingers across the colorful screen and checked the phone settings—he couldn’t figure it out.

He took out his glasses and put them with the smartphone on the stand beside the bed and raised the covers to his neck. The faint light of the phone’s screen died away.

Absolute darkness.

He was too tired to worry about a signal on his phone. He didn’t know it then, but he soon would. His phone would never have a signal, there would never be any signal ever again.

Chapter 2: The game is on

Michael

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Michael was dragged from his fitful sleep by someone hammering on the door. The bang, bang, bang pulled him from his dream and toward consciousness. He rubbed his eyes, the pupils widening amongst a sea of rich chestnut as the light hit them. He ran a hand through his short, brown hair before sitting up in the bed.

Hey, Mike. Are you there? Open the fucking door. Mike!

Michael blinked his heavy eyes; he could see a dull daylight streaming into the room. It looked like it was a cloudy day with an overcast sky, but the light was surreal, somehow different, dim and cloudy, shining through the dirty windows.

Mike, hey Mike!

Another bang on the door.

Anybody there? Open the door! Arthur’s voice boomed from outside.

Michael sat up and hurried to put his boots on.

Guys, he called as he stepped past his sleeping friends. Wake up, Arthur’s back.

Daniel yawned in answer. Just a few more minutes.

Someone, check the khash. Michael left the room and opened the door. Arthur threw himself through the doorway with a panicked expression, his eyes wide and imprinted with fear, his face shining with sweat.

Are you all right? Michael asked, blankly staring at his friend.

Mike, oh God, you’re here. Arthur put his hands on Michael’s shoulders, gasping for air. For a moment Michael thought Arthur was going to kiss him on both cheeks, but the kiss never came. His friend looked like he had seen a ghost.

Michael grabbed his hands. What is it? What’s going on? Are you okay? It’s Sunday, we need to keep the noise down, the neighbors are asleep.

Neighbors? No neighbors to care, Arthur breathed frantically. Michael stared at him for a long moment. No one cares, no one cares.

What are you talking about?

We need to get inside. Arthur spat in frustration.

Just slow down and–

Where are the others? Arthur interrupted him with an abrupt turn. He looked toward the living room.

They’re inside.

Lock the door. Get in quick.

Michael gawked at Arthur’s back. He said nothing, just closed the door.

Aram, Get up! Now! There’s something strange going on out there. Get the fuck up!

Aram murmured something under his breath.

Danny! Arthur called This is not a joke, guys. Turning to face Michael, he involuntarily knocked the glass from the coffee table. It fell to the floor and shattered.

What’s going on? Aram sat bolt upright. He blinked several times, looked at his friends, and then down at the broken pieces of glass splashed all over the parquet floor.

Arthur’s voice deepened. You’ve got to get up, right now. You’ll see.

What? asked Aram, his anxious eyes focused on Arthur. What did you see?

What did I see? repeated Arthur raising his eyes from the floor and looking at Aram. I saw nothing and no one.

Seriously? Is this some weird prank? Michael laughed as he said it, trying to make sense of the situation. Arthur looked frantic, though he did not move. Aram jumped up from the couch and bolted to the window, pulling open the curtains.

What is it, Aram? Daniel called after him, finally waking, but Aram ignored the question.

Michael knew his friend well. Aram was not one to worry, but he could see the panic on his face. Something was wrong.

Aram opened the window and stuck his head out.

Guys, I know this sounds insane, but you’ve got to believe me on this, Arthur said. They’re gone, everyone has disappeared.

Disappeared? Michael said looking from Aram to Arthur in astonishment. Like the others in the news? You mean somebody close to you has disappeared? Who?

No, Mike. All of them, Arthur said his voice deep and creepy.

Aram stepped back. He had his head in his hands, muttering something under his breath.

Daniel was throwing questions at Arthur, but Michael couldn’t hear them talking. The air in the room became dense, and the volume of Aram’s voice was cranked up, amplified over everything else in the room.

What. The. Fuck!

Chapter 3: The first night

Aram

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The previous night, an hour or so before Arthur left the apartment, Aram walked over to the window and looked out.

A moonless night greeted him.

He ran his hand through his hair, slicking the dark mop back, flattening it, the scent of wax still there. He was slim and athletic, like Arthur, but he could not keep up with his friend, no matter how much he tried.

Below, an empty, unlit street stretched out, fading into black. He waited for his eyes to adjust and could see the road through the all-encompassing darkness.

Lazily, a white cloud of cigarette smoke escaped the room, curling into the darkness in slow motion. It lingered in front of his face. Aram stared at it in awe.

He waved the smoky cloud away. The smoke retreated, almost reluctantly; in a few seconds, Aram’s view became clear again. The only thing that he could see was the darkness of the night and the blank, starless sky. That was when Aram realized he had been holding his breath. As he exhaled, his breath formed puffs of white clouds. Like the smoke, his breath found its way toward the window at a lazy pace.

Nothing was odd, not in an obvious way. The narrow street was supposed to be empty at three in the morning, but, still, something didn’t feel right. The buildings, the street, and the cars all seemed so dismal. The quiet was like nothing Aram had never heard before—it was too quiet. The air was too still—no wind, no breeze, just cold and dead.

Aram reached for his cell phone. He wanted to call his wife–Adriane–regardless of how early it was, she would be asleep and her cell would be on mute so as not to wake their newborn son. The battery was dead. He could borrow one of his friends’ phones but thought better of it.

Now, with Arthur in a panic, and an eerie merry silence outside, he regretted that he had left his wife and child alone at home. Something had warned him of this, he was sure of it, no matter how crazy that sounded. Well, Aram couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Chapter 4: The new sky

Michael

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Time stopped while Aram and Michael stared at each other. There was fear evident in Aram’s expression; something terrible had happened, something that made Michael’s whole body shudder. Arthur abruptly resumed his narrative, waking Michael from his stupor.

When I woke up, my apartment was empty, Arthur was telling Daniel. I know it’s crazy. I don’t think that I’d believe it myself if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. I knew something was wrong when I got home last night, but I didn’t think anything of it. I didn’t realize that it was going to be like...this.

I don’t understand what you’re saying. Get to the point! Daniel interrupted, his face falling. In words that I can understand, please.

The door swung open. Harris, a tall, broad man with an athletic body entered, looking drowsy, but still in a better mood than anyone else in the room.

Everyone’s up. Nice, he said, clapping his hands. He would have made a good bodyguard or bouncer. He was the same age as Michael, bald, and had a carefully trimmed beard on his face as if the absence of hair on his head had made him more conscious of his facial hair. Let’s get this party started.

Everyone stared silently at him. Harris’s gaze moved from face to face. Finally, the melancholy atmosphere of the room struck him.

What’s wrong? he murmured, the happiness on his face quickly fading away.

Arthur took a deep breath and went back to telling his story. Nobody was home. Mom’s and Alex’s beds weren’t made.

Maybe they had to go somewhere, run some errands, Michael suggested.

No. Arthur faced Michael. His eyes were dark. They would have told me. Mom always makes her bed. And, Alex’s cell was still in his room. It was dead, wouldn’t turn on. Everything was untouched, and there was nobody there. I could feel the emptiness like it was a living thing. The street is completely empty, too, Mike. Look out the window. It’s odd, even at this hour. He looked at Aram, who was now listening to his story intently. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?

Can somebody tell me what’s going on? Harris asked.

The world’s gone, everybody’s gone, Arthur insisted, his voice loud and raspy. We’re the only ones left.

When he finished, quiet fell over the room. Everybody stared at Arthur.

Michael blinked. As far as he knew, Arthur didn’t use drugs. He looked sober, but what he was saying just didn’t make sense.

Gone? Like everybody? If I go out now, I’ll see nobody at all? Daniel asked smirking. You’ve got to be kidding me. Did you bump your head, Arthur?

Shut up! Arthur grumbled.

Aram grabbed his coat and hastily pulled it on.

Where’re you going? Arthur asked.

Sorry, man. I’m sorry for your family, but I have to go check on mine. Maybe this thing is happening in this block of the city only, Aram said with hope, his voice low and uncertain. I’ve got to know for sure.

Hey! Arthur called after him, but Aram had already fled from the room.

Michael ran after him.

Aram, wait a minute! Michael stopped him and instantly noticed the change in the tone of his voice as it muddled through the hallway air. It was like talking underwater. Confused, Aram glanced around at the walls before his worried eyes rested on Michael. Do you really buy this crap?

Mike, I really feel something. I don’t know what it is, but there is something out there, Aram said anxiously.

It’s not serious. But if you insist, let’s check on Grig first.

Grig, the neighbor next door, was supposed to spend the night with them, but he was a heavy smoker. Daniel and Harris couldn’t stand him in the small room all night long. He had left before Arthur had.

Michael banged on the door. Grig, are you there? Open up, it’s Mike. Banging again, he eyed Aram.

No answer, Aram said.

You don’t know what’s out there, Even as Michael said it, he still did not believe that anything was wrong. It was Sunday morning, no one was out and about this early.

I don’t care. I just need to get home.

Aram quickly turned and started down the stairs, taking two at a time. Michael opened his mouth to call to his friend again, but he was too far gone. Harris and Daniel appeared behind him.

Michael looked at them. He’s going home.

He’s panicking. Daniel thinned his lips as he said it.

What is it with your voices? Harris asked as he looked from Daniel to Michael with an impatient air.

It’s early, Daniel chortled. Not enough sleep.

Your voices sounded normal in the room.

Michael banged at the door again. Grig!

No answer. Let’s go, Arthur said.

* * *

They gathered their stuff and descended the stairs, just as Aram had done. Michael was the last to step out through the entrance.

Everybody stopped.

All four looked for something but only found stillness.

Michael had never heard it so quiet before. Every sound was absent, leaving the street in such a complete silence that Michael could hear the thump-thump-thump of his friends’ hearts. No traffic sounds reached him from the nearest street, no nature sounds, as if everything that once lived has perished.

It was hard to put into words, but it was easy to feel the pressure that radiated from the surroundings and the cold air. Michael’s head swam for a moment. He wanted to cry out loudly and ask whoever had done this to them to let him out of this cage, this prison.

Guys, what the hell is going on here? Daniel muttered.

A car door closed, the thud traveling across the street.

The battery’s dead. Aram stood by his car. He leaned against the door and took his face in his hands.

It’s not the battery, Arthur said. It’s like the city was hit by an EMP.

Aram pointed at the sky. Look!

Michael raised his eyes. Something was there. Instead of blue sky, an enormous dome arched overhead, transparent, but visible in the morning sky. The air, somehow visible at the border, bounced and reflected off it.

The sky was not dark, but not bright either, somewhere in between.

Holy shit! Daniel gasped, the color draining from his face. What the hell is that? Has anybody ever seen anything like that before?

The