"HAAAAAAAAAAH!" I gasped, jolting upright as my chest heaved with desperate breaths. My lungs burned, and my ragged panting filled the still air. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion as I tried to get my bearings.
A forest?
I looked around, my eyes darting to take in my surroundings. Yes, it was unmistakable—a forest.
But… how?
I wasn't supposed to be here. I shouldn't be in this forest.
I should be…
I...
Wait.
A cave.
Yes, I was in a cave.
"What happened to the damn cave?!" I hissed through gritted teeth, forcing myself to stand. My legs wobbled beneath me, stiff and uncooperative as if I hadn't used them in weeks.
"Argh," I groaned, clutching a nearby tree for support. My gaze swept over the dense foliage around me.
I was here.
Really here.
The forest.
My chest tightened as realization struck like a thunderclap.
"I should be dead," I whispered, my voice trembling.
