“Grahhh!!!” I gave one final battle cry as a spear stabbed through a gap in my chainmail created mere minutes ago, into my chest. Blood spurted from the no-doubt lethal injury, and I gritted my teeth, my Estoc steady even through the pain. With one final leap, I brought my Estock to his eye, then, as the light began to depart, through it.


    Void. Darkness. Nothingness. I was surrounded by pure nothing—the only living being in an endless abyss. Or… Could I even be called living now? Damn, the memory of dying felt so distant, almost asif a hundred years had gone by. It was as if I was in a sensory deprivation chamber, lacking a body. There was no sight, no touch, not even sound — Hell, I didn’t even have a body — and yet I found my mind starting to wander, my thoughts branching out from the original. The void was cold and foreboding, even without a physical body to feel it with. Is this where you go when you die? With no clear indicator of time, I began counting, each second an eternity with nothing but my thoughts to focus on.


    Then, from the depths of the primordial nothingness voices started to appear—no, that wasn’t quite right. It was more akin to a mix of cheers, wimpers, and cries. Five portals appeared, one white, one purple, one green, one black, and one gold.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    “Choose.” A voice thundered throughout the entirety of the abyss, not heard physically, — sound left this place eons ago — but mentally.


    “Any suggestions?”


    “The path of voided eternity will bring only madness. Choose.”


    “And which one would that be?” C’mon! Seriously! You won’t even answer me? Well… The black was likely the path of voided eternity, whatever that meant.” Th–


    “--CHOOSE!!!” The voice screamed asif in pain.


    Dark entities, swirling writhing masses of shadows emerged from the portal, each defined by shapes that seemed to twist unto themselves, a distance nothing could traverse, yet always see. Non-euclidean shapes, I realized. I needed to go.


    The white and gold paths likely lead to heaven or something but…


    I dove through the purple portal. I was a warlord, and I lived for fighting. For the battle. For the ever-so-sweet victory against an opponent you had no right to challenge.