Chapter 002

Lost Origins

???'s House

??? World

???

Who am I?

I don't know

Where am I?

I don't know

Why am I here?

I don't know

...

I don't know what?

Everything

I truly believed that the most beautiful sight was the night sky, not hindered by the clouds. It was such a unique sight to the young eyes of mine. The purple light leaking out behind the stars and soaking into the shadows was captivating. It was a shame that this beautiful sigh flickered away when morning dawned on the land.

A single moment, that's all the time I had to admire. Sure the light blue sky was dazzling but something was missing about it, it was bland. However, there's nothing similar about the night sky, the stars were always changing locations and there was a diversity of views every night.

Even with all the darkness, it managed to shine out and enthrall all the observers.

I wonder if I will be able to do the same

I had lived there for as long as I could remember, ever since I had some sort of conscious. I was left here all alone by the ones I cared about, but it was fine, darkness was pleasant. Some are frightened of it. But that's not true. They are afraid of what's lurking within it.

But what if... you were the one lurking in it.

Would you still be afraid of it?

I wouldn't

Darkness surrounded me, protected me, hid me. Murky, shade, void, shadow, call it what you want... but I call it home.

It was formerly a house; one with lots of life and light. But now those days are gone. I had a friend, but then they left forever. Time flew by like grains of sands in the wind. Most of my memories faded through time, even the strongest ones started to be foggy.

Life was boring. But to me it was everything. They say, once you experience fun, you could never go back. But for me, there was no such thing. This was the most exciting thing of my life. I questioned my existence but I was thankful for the life I had been given.

With nothing to affect me, I was truly myself, even in this period.

Water rushed over me as I started my day. Sometimes it was roaring like a lion and charging like a bull, but sometimes it was as calm as ice. This time, however, it was more of a song in the moonlight. I sat, waiting for something to hit me, whether physically or mentally. Maybe even a realization. But, my relentless pleads were turned down in an instant, like I was an object of scorn instead of a living being.

I ascended to my feet, my white, naval blue hair still being cleansed by the river, even when I was standing tall and mighty.

Now it was time to hunt.

I strolled outside searching for anything, but I ended up in the same place I usually did—a cave. Caves were the home to a variety of animals, grey lizards were the most filling.

They were the largest I had seen, if there was something bigger lurking in the shadows, then my life was forfeit. They were almost twice my size but they had problems existing in the dark. Grey lizards were huge though, they hunted everything smaller than them. They were short but extremely long, I could easily stand taller than them, almost twice their height. Their length was troublesome, they were almost twice my height when I laid down. Their strength and speed are also nothing like the other animals around here.

Nothing compared to me though

After hunting them for ages, all they do is lurk in the burrow peering out to see if I was in the vicinity.

This time, I could climb above their burrow on the rocks, they wouldn't be able to see me this way. They were smart and cautious, worried for their own life as I was. But if it meant saving mine, I would sacrifice them all.

tap tap tap

Two of them—no, three. Two adults, One elder. The two adults' footsteps were much louder and faster, signaling that they were larger and stronger. The elder's steps were softer and slower, it meant he was getting weaker over the years. Infants don't leave their burrow anymore until they grew larger than I was currently.

Easy prey

I leaped off the rocks, twirling in the air. The pebbles that leaped off with me hit the floor, alerting the Grey lizards. I struck one of the adults in the eye with my left leg in mid-air while landing on its head with my right, drilling my rough, long nails into its neck. it wasn't a mortal wound but it was enough to stun it.

The elder lacked reflexes and would react later than the other adult one. Right on cue, the other adult struck at my leg, tearing it off. I grunted as the pain was excruciating but I was prepared. I relied on my ears to locate them, and I had already jumped off the first adults' neck. With an injury like that, his reaction would be slower than the elder. The elder didn't have the same rhythm he had in his prime years but he definitely packs a punch.

Blood gushed out of my leg, plugging the adults' ears, blocking his only useful sense. With that, I twirled around, gathered momentum, and struck its neck with a sharp rock I picked up off the floor.

One down, two to go

The elder began to move and swiped at my other leg. However, I switched to standing on my hands, raising my legs in the air and making the elder confused with my leg's new position. I pivoted around, scooping up the same rock with my right leg, and tried to release it right over the elder's head but it managed to bite on my long hair, smashing me into the ground.

It pranced towards me, preparing to bite me with full force. Even if it was an elder, a bite like that would be lethal. Dreading the future, I grabbed the alive adult's body and tossed it right in the elder's path. Blood gushed out of its body as the elder bit down on its body.

Thanks for helping out

The elder cried over the body of its fallen comrade, maybe even their child. I might not have been able to see its tears but I could hear the weeping noise from the elder.

Couldn't care less, goodbye

I grabbed the same rock and smashed the elder's head inwards, killing it with blood splashing all over my face.

Damnit, looks like I have to take another bath.

I stared lifelessly at the elder. He cried for its friends even during its last moments.

I wonder... am I supposed to feel something right now?

I didn't like killing but if it meant survival, I would kill anything. With that, I curled up the stone, cleaving off the heads of each creature to make sure they are dead.

As I finished, I curled up all three of them on my back and hopped my way into the light.

What an overwhelming victory.

Grey lizards normally hunted and lived in packs. It was a perfect coincidence to find 3 of them by themselves, and I only lost my left leg which was already growing back. I slowly limped on my left leg back to my part of the cave. I had marked off the territory with out-of-place rocks, warning anything with intelligence to back off. While occasionally some small critters bustled, intrigued by the light, I only had to swat them with my hands.

My injuries were severe, but not mortal wounds. I hobbled over, carrying the fruits of my victory, proud of my achievement. Until a shiver went down my spine like a slimy, ice-cold liquid trickling onto my back. I jumped, shrieking at the sudden, nauseous feeling. I released the three lizards on my back as I trembled from my senses warning me of the dread coming.

I darted, rolling through the light, onto the other side of the small pathways of the cave. I hunched over, preparing to strike anything I could sense, even falling pebbles. I quivered, my hands still trembling from the sudden feeling. My knees shook, clenched my fists, and held my breath as a small creature scurried through the light and quickly exited.

I sighed with relief, doubting my own instincts. I stood up, still trembling from the exerting feeling of danger. I squashed the little critter even as it scrambled with all its might. A futile, useless attempt.

What a nerve-racking feeling

I slowly trudged over to the grey lizard's corpses, still with my guard raised, jumping at the slightest noise.

"Don't worry it's nothing" I shivered, raising my head, surveying the area in pitch darkness even when I grabbed the lizard's corpses and tossed them over my back.

You can never be too safe

"No, I'm fine. Even if it was something, I could just kill it."

Not with the load you carry

"Then I'll drop the load when it comes."

You'll be dead by then

"You doubt my strength?"

You doubt your enemies' strength

"I'll survive. I always have. No matter what."

Words and oaths won’t increase your survivability

"I'm prepared. I always have been."

You've prepared to risk your life in battle, maybe even die. But what if it's an adversary you can't defeat?

"There's no such thing."

Look behind you

I knew of its existence, ever since my conscious awakened and my existence was realized. Bright streaks of light appeared in the hole, illuminating the entire cavern, slowly but surely. A gulp ran down my throat. I had tried to ignore its existence, hoping that it was just a part of a fleeting memory.

No such luck

With most of the room now illuminated, it was as clear as day. An abyss was encircling part of the cave I lived in. It enhanced its size, growing, swallowing everything. I should have been afraid, I should have tried to run. I should have tried everything I could... but, I just couldn't.

Nothing happened in my life, no action, no emotion, just existing.

Maybe that's why, I just stood there in awe, awaiting my chance to get swallowed too. The ominous feeling coming from this void was eating my senses. It was dark and gloomy, enveloped with a feeling of death. It was just a gut feeling; however, it seemed real–too real.

As it began to touch my skin, The cold darkness got stronger. As it swallowed my hand, a cold shiver went down my spine. I wanted to leave, I should have run away. My nerves jumped out of my body. The slippery, nasty feeling of darkness climbing up through your roots seeped into my brain and stuck there. As I thought about my plan to escape, I realized it was far too late. I could not do anything. I was far too weak.

As my body was enveloped, A huge streak of light shined past the ceiling in my cave, radiating insurmountable light throughout the cave. A few words showed up, this room was finally illuminated after all these years. Memories flooded back, the time spent with my friend. The memories we shared, the fun and laughter that filled up the house.

how could I forget this?

Even after the days go by, I could never forget this moment.

"Forgive me"

What do you mean? Why did you leave me here? What happened to you?

Did... did you carry those emotions as I did? Was everything just a lie?

I couldn't focus on my body being devoured by the void, that message was strange. As the void swallowed my body a new feeling washed over me and it covered something missing within me.

huh... how interesting

Maybe, it was because my mind was on those words but the darkness was nonexistent until it started eating me. Anxious, my body curled up, free-falling through nothing. My mind twirled in circles attempting to grasp my current situation. But I no thoughts rose, nothing but who I was.

My body got eaten from the inside out but I couldn't even focus on it. As the darkness entered my system and started eating my blood, all I could do was pray and gasp for air. The sea of infinite void engulfed me, but I pushed myself as the throbbing pain continued, keeping it away from my vitals. I had thought the darkness would have been hard to dominate. I had expected it to swallow me for eternity. I never hoped to escape from the boundless abyss— drowning in the ocean of nothingness, forever swallowed and encaged like an animal.

As I traveled the nothingness, I continued my endless fight to not be devoured by the void.