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CHAPTER 1 - A New Start
The sun hung high in the sky, casting its relentless heat upon the world below. Beneath the shelter of a large, weathered tree, a boy, barely 17 or 18 years old, sought refuge. The sun's rays filtered through the canopy above, painting the ground in a mosaic of light and shadow. But the beauty of the day was lost on him.
His eyes, once full of life, were now dulled by despair. His brows knitted together in a perpetual frown, and his face was etched with the lines of worry and exhaustion. His clothes hung loosely on his frame, torn and dirtied from days of wear. The expression on his face was one of profound sorrow, a sadness that seemed to weigh on him like a heavy burden.
"Three days..." he murmured, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Three days without a single bite of food. Is this how it all ends for me?" His words hung in the air, a testament to his fading hope. With a deep, weary sigh, he added, "Old man Jon, if I ever get out of this alive, I'm going to kick your ass for leaving me like this."
He tried to push himself up, but his limbs refused to obey. "No strength left..." he whispered, the realization settling in like a cold dread. His vision blurred as darkness crept in at the edges of his consciousness. With a soft, almost resigned thud, his body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Time slipped by, the hours stretching into eternity.
It wasn't until the sky was cloaked in the deep, velvety black of night that he stirred. Slowly, achingly, he pried his eyes open. The world around him was still, the silence broken only by the distant murmur of water. He blinked, trying to make sense of his surroundings.
*The sound of water...*
It was faint but unmistakable, the gentle flow of a river nearby. He strained to move, his body protesting with every attempt, but he managed to push himself up, a groan of pain escaping his lips. Blinking again, he scanned the darkness, his senses sharpening in the cool night air.
"A river..." he muttered, his voice hoarse and weak. "It's close."
Driven by a desperate need for survival, he forced his unsteady legs to carry him forward, each step a battle against the weakness that threatened to drag him down. His eyes, heavy with exhaustion, remained fixed on the direction of the sound, as if it were his last thread of hope.
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