Serenity Saga Book 1: Finding Serenity

Prologue

Peaceful. Quiet. Dark.
Just...existing.
A sudden, blinding light.
Scorching. Beautiful. Dangerous.
The world shifts. Cracks. Yawns wide open. Rushing air passes by. The Void is abruptly, swiftly filled. Bursts of color explode outwards, revealing a space far beyond what the eye can see. The change is violent, threatening what once was constant, immovable.
A wave of heat, a treacherous swirl. The very fabric of the world seems to rip. Utter chaos. Then...
Serenity.
Everything frozen, as if the Void itself is holding its breath, waiting. The silence is deafening in the aftermath of disarray. Not even a whisper of wind fills the air. Utter and complete sile—-
A cry.
That of an infant.
Soft. Whimpering. New.
The novelty of a child entering the world saturates the Void, prompting awe and happiness. Eyes open, lungs inhale, and creatures long forgotten spring to life. A cacophony of noise permeates the atmosphere, coaxing all who slumber, to awaken.
A fine powder coats every sentient being, as if protecting them. The dust is especially apparent around the infant, which settles heavily on its face, eliciting a sneeze.
Its own voice startles the child, who pauses, before a smile breaks free and giggles erupt.
The wondrous sound carries far, touching the ears of many a soul, each as entranced as the last.
So enthralled are they, they fail to notice a singular figure.
A man.
Shrouded in darkness, not only in appearance, but in his very essence. His every step leaves behind roiling, angry billows of gloom. He snakes his way, undetected, toward the beckoning light of the child. None spare the man a glance as he approaches, ready to snatch up his prize.
None save the "prize" itself. The infant's piercing eyes gaze right into his own, seemingly straight to his soul.
Shaking off the stare, the man stretches forth his hands, and promptly grabs the infant. Upon contact, a shockwave of pure power blasts out, causing man and child alike to cry out at the intensity.
The world trembles and shakes and the rip starts, as the creatures scramble to rescue the infant from the unseen clutches of the man.
Acknowledging the danger imminently upon him, the man briefly weighs his options before heading for the rip. The closer he gets, the more the darkness which previously cloaked him starts to flicker and fade. As such, the throng of oncoming beings grows thicker as they begin to truly see what threatens them so.
The man picks up speed, so close to the rip he can taste the power in the air. Even as his darkness curiously begins to fade, his excitement grows. And suddenly he's there.
The Rip.
It stretches from below the man's feet to far above his head. It gapes open, revealing a writhing, whirling vortex that screams of something different, unknown, and decidedly other.
Cradling the infant to his chest in an act of fabricated care, the man looks back. Seeing the inhabitants of the Void mere feet away from reaching him, he takes a leap of faith and steps into the Rip.
The moment he passes through, the Rip snaps shut, sealing itself in one violently swift movement. Its closure echoes in a loud, abrasive boom.
The resulting shock of knowing they've lost something so precious leaves every living thing within the Void in uproar.
Wailing. Gnashing. Mourning.
Each voice drowns out another voice until it's as if the very depths of Hell have opened, and the writhing, weeping souls of the wicked were pouring out.
Alas, 'tis but the misery of the creatures of the Void. Oh, but how great it is.
Perhaps, that's why they missed the cries of another babe. Swept away, leaving behind nothing but the laughter of something that never should have been freed.