Cold.
Not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate through the unyielding, ancient rocks. The torches on the stone walls that were once lit had long perished, leaving the space in complete darkness.
There was no movement, no sound. Nothing was supposed to survive here.
Huff...huff...
At the furthest end of the darkness, something moved.
Covered in dust and dirt, her figure was barely recognizable as she gradually shifted her body upright.
Huff...huff...
The light, airy yet inaudible whispers from her endless dreams resounded in the back of her head as she opened her eyes, little by little sinking deeper into the tranquil lake of her heart.
As she scavenged the ground around her feet in complete wilderness, her hands flinched at the clanking sound of metal chains beside her feet. She stumbled back subconsciously where her back met with the stone wall with a silent thump.
Huff...huff...
It's as if her lungs had been deflated for centuries, just breathing normally felt like a luxury. Her joints were like old gearwheels that make a creak every time she moved an inch. I can't see. What was that metal sound? Where am I?
Another question abruptly surfaced in her mind. Who am I?
Her mind turned blank all at once. The tip of her fingers grew cold as she stood there unmoved. Not even the dusty air bothered her as she attempted to recall anything to answer her own question. Yet her worst fear had been proven right when she ended up with not even the slightest clue.
Impossible.
A distanced, lonesome howl sounded in the distance, creating a chain of echoes that repeated themselves. She turned in the direction of the noise and listened, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm down her racing heart. Which world am I in? Was that a wolf from the Twilight Realm or just a bird-type awakener?
"Wait." Her voice came out coarse and faint. The pupil of her eyes enlarged as she ridiculed the idea. How did I know that? What's Twilight Realm? Awakener? What am I talking about?
The constant thoughts that pop here and there piled up in her mind like a tower built with coins that were destined to collapse. Her palm came in contact with the surface of a smooth stone wall after she took a few steps to her right. A thick layer of dust had settled on the surface from years of isolation from society.
I just need to follow this wall and I would get out, right—
A loud clank rang in the cave as the steel chain around her ankle reached its maximum length. The flaming sensation from the freezing metal grew more severe as she struggled to break free.
Another howl resonated in the distance, bouncing off the walls beside her. She dug her nails into the gap between the loose bricks beneath her feet and yanked one out.
Once, twice, thrice...all six edges of the brick were chipped by the time the chain finally gave in. With trembling hands, she chucks the brick aside and stood up.
Tracing the stone wall, she took small steps towards the direction of the noise by memory. The frigid air absorbed her warmth with every movement she made, like ghosts trying to suck away her life spirits.
The creature howled again as if to guide her out of this pitch-dark nightmare. Her breathing gradually stabilized as she took careful steps forward, hopeful that this path might lead somewhere.
***
How long has it been?
The howl never sounded again, but a soft breeze of air began to brush past her from ahead. The distance between her steps became bigger as the sound of the wind grew closer and closer.
A sharp pain jolted from her foot when her toes hit on a lone, rough-edged rock in her path. A thousand thoughts flew over her head as she loses her balance, hitting the ground with a solid thump.
An unfamiliar sensation tickled her head as she rose from the mud with shaky legs. Her eyes widened when the soft ray of light shone on her face—giving her the warmth that didn't exist in the dark space that she woke up in. She reached out her hand towards the light as she moves forward subconsciously.
A blurred image flashed past her eyes for a split of a second—something forgotten, yet so precious that it aches in her heart.
Light is beautiful...but darkness is the natural colour of the world. A voice whispered in her head quietly. It was her own voice, yet she couldn't comprehend the meaning behind it.
The subtle scent of grass and flowers filled the air as she finally stepped out of the cave. The sun was blindingly bright. She uncovered her eyes little by little as she adjusts to the new environment.
Berry bushes and small shrubs thrived in this little forest up on a hill. The leaves of the trees were luscious green, devouring the sunlight like a feast.
The corner of her lips curved upwards as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
In the distance, she could see the pollution cloud that engulfs the entire city. The centre was occupied by the tallest building—a tower that reaches all the way above the pollution cloud. The shortest and least decent buildings were the furthest from the main tower, while the rest are in between them and the tower.
Just as she was about to sit down, chatters sounded beside her. In a panic, she hid behind an enormous berry bush and peeked cautiously.
"This week's produce is pretty good."
"You think so too?"
She squinted her eyes to take a better look at the speakers.
"Well, I tasted the berries myself." The women replied.
"It's all thanks to the generous weather and the blessing from the deity in the First Realm." The old man said, a faint smile on his face.
The woman didn't answer right away. "You still believe that there are deities in the First Realm?" she said finally.
"Of course."
Their chatter gradually faded, and after making sure the two of them have gone far enough, she walked out of her hiding spot and plucked a berry from the bush beside her. As she chewed on the berry, a glance at the city sparked curiosity in her eyes.
First Realm...there's a deity there?