Jacob groaned, a deep, throbbing ache pulsing through his skull like a relentless drumbeat. He stirred, the pain intensifying with each movement, making it feel as if his head were caught in a vice.
Blinking against the dim light filtering through a dense canopy of leaves, he instinctively reached up, fingers tracing the contours of his skull, searching for any sign of the injury he knew should be there. But to his bewilderment, there was nothing.
No blood, no gaping wound, just the faint echo of pain that seemed to fade with each breath.
"What the fk...?" Jacob muttered, his voice a strained whisper as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.
His heart raced as he pushed himself upright, his hands sifting through the cold, damp earth beneath him. The forest around him was alien, the trees towering with strange, thick foliage that cast uneven patches of light and shadow on the ground.
The distant calls of unfamiliar birds pierced the silence, adding to the surreal feeling of the moment.
"Where the fuck am I?"
Before he could fully grasp his situation, a sudden, searing pain exploded through his skull, driving him to his knees. It was as if a spike had been driven straight into his brain, twisting with relentless force.
The agony was so intense that it paralyzed him, making him collapse onto the forest floor, his body convulsing uncontrollably. As the pain surged, memories flooded back in a disorienting torrent.
Drew. The alley. The gunshots.
The betrayal.
Jacob's rage ignited like a wildfire, burning through the pain and confusion. Drew's face loomed large in his mind, the image of his so-called friend's fear-stricken eyes as he turned his back and fled.
The memory of warm blood trickling down his neck, the fading light of consciousness, and the wail of distant sirens replayed in his mind with brutal clarity. The sense of betrayal was a raw, open wound in his heart.
"Drew!" he roared, his voice trembling with hatred and sorrow, reverberating through the forest. The intensity of his scream startled the strange birds from their perches, sending them flapping wildly into the sky. Jacob's chest heaved, his eyes burning with a fierce, almost primal fury.
"You spineless coward!"
The anger was quickly overshadowed by a more profound, piercing grief as thoughts of Ava and Lora intruded upon his rage.
His heart clenched painfully at the thought of his daughter and girlfriend. The image of Ava's innocent eyes and Lora's supportive and loving smile haunted him. His mind raced with agonizing questions about their future. How would they cope with his absence? His little girl, growing up without her father, and Lora, who had stood by him through countless trials—how would they navigate this cruel twist of fate?
Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, but he fought them back with a fierce determination. He had been on the verge of turning his life around, of making something better for his family. Was this some cosmic joke? The universe had seen fit to mock his efforts and snatch away the chance at redemption he had so desperately sought.
After what seemed to be hours of despairing Jacob gritted his teeth, his anger and sadness giving way to a desperate need for understanding. He forced himself to sit up, his gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar forest. The towering trees, the strange sounds, and the earthy smell were all alien to him. This place was nothing like the city he knew.
His mind raced back to the last moments of his life. He remembered the gunshot, the blood, the fading consciousness. And then, amidst the chaos, there had been something—a warmth, a strange sensation of being drawn or absorbed.
The ring. Mr. Will's ring.
Jacob's eyes fell to his hand, and he stared in disbelief at the ring still glinting on his finger. It looked unchanged, simple and unremarkable, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it had played a part in whatever had happened. "Did... did you do this?" he murmured, feeling absurd for speaking to an inanimate object. There was no response, but Jacob couldn't escape the sense that something extraordinary had occurred.
"Is this... heaven?" he whispered, though he knew the answer even as he spoke. If there was a Heaven he definitely wasn't going there. And this certainly wasn't hell. The place was too beautiful, too peaceful.
Was he trapped in some kind of dream or coma? He pinched himself hard, wincing as the sharp pain broke through the numbness. The pain was too real to be a dream.
His mind whirled with possibilities, but the one that kept surfacing was the most impossible. "Did I... get transported to another world?"
Jacob shook his head in disbelief, trying to dismiss the notion.
This was real life, not some fantastical story. But as he stood amidst the strange forest, with no clear explanation for how he had ended up here, he couldn't deny the unsettling reality of his situation. The thought of being in another world was both thrilling and terrifying. Whatever had brought him here, it was far beyond anything he had ever imagined. And as he struggled to comprehend the enormity of his predicament, he couldn't help but wonder what would come next.
Jacob's awareness of his dire situation hit him like a tidal wave. The realization that he was in an unfamiliar world was overwhelming. He glanced down at his clothes, finding them barely intact but covered in dirt and twigs. The plain and ripped jeans covered in dirt were not suited for this strange, otherworldly environment. He felt a pang of hunger so severe it was almost physical pain, gnawing at his insides and pushing him to act quickly. He needed to find food and water if he was going to survive long enough to figure out where he was and why he was here.
His initial hope of finding human civilization faded as he looked around. The forest was unlike anything he had ever seen. The trees stood tall and imposing, their trunks wide and gnarled, and the foliage was a riot of unnatural colors. The leaves shimmered with hues of purple and gold, and the shapes of the plants were bizarre and unfamiliar. None of them bore fruit or any recognizable signs of sustenance. Even more disconcerting was the complete absence of animals. The silence of the forest was almost oppressive, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant call of a bird he couldn't quite see.
Determined to find help, Jacob decided to choose a direction and start walking. The thick canopy above blocked out much of the sunlight, casting an eerie twilight glow over the landscape. The dense trees reminded him of the rainforests he'd seen in documentaries—foreboding and almost impenetrable.
After what felt like hours of walking, Jacob stumbled upon a clearing. His eyes widened as he saw what appeared to be a cluster of fruits hanging from a tree. The sight was a beacon of hope, and he moved forward, eager to investigate. However, his excitement was abruptly cut short when he froze in place.
In the center of the clearing, lying in a coiled position, was a Behemoth of a beast . The creature was immense, easily over ten feet in length, and its dark, storm-gray fur shimmered softly in the dim light. Its massive, clawed paws were tucked close to its body, and it seemed to be in a deep, relaxed sleep, its chest rising and falling with each breath.
Jacob's heart raced as he watched the Behemoth's nose twitch, as if it had caught a faint scent. Slowly, the creature's eyes opened, revealing a pair of intense, glowing blue orbs that seemed to cut through the gloom. The Behemoth's gaze briefly met Jacob's, and he felt a shiver run down his spine. The beast's cold, calculating intelligence was palpable, and Jacob knew he had to be extremely careful.
The tension in the clearing was thick. Jacob stood frozen, unsure whether to stay still or try to escape. The Behemoth's lazy, deliberate movements suggested it was ready to act if it sensed a threat. Jacob's mind raced as he considered his options, weighing the risk of confronting the creature or trying to flee.
Before he could make a decision, a sudden commotion disrupted the silence. Jacob heard a large group of unintelligible voices, their sounds growing louder and closer. It seemed the Behemoth had also heard the approaching group. Its massive body shifted from its relaxed position, becoming alert with startling speed and agility. The creature's eyes, previously drowsy, were now wide and focused.
In a flash, the Behemoth sprang from its spot just as a barrage of arrows struck the ground where it had been lying moments before. Jacob barely had time to process the sight before a group of humans emerged from the trees. His excitement was tempered by wariness as he observed them closely. They wore crude leather armor and carried various weapons—swords, spears, and hammers. The group appeared to consist entirely of men, ranging from muscular young warriors to middle-aged veterans.
The group quickly split into two. Two middle-aged men wielding giant swords, accompanied by a young man with a spear, charged directly at the Behemoth. Meanwhile, three younger men approached the fruit-bearing tree Jacob had eyed earlier. They began to harvest the strange, glowing fruits with practiced efficiency, using specialized tools to avoid damaging the delicate plant.
The fruits were unlike anything Jacob had ever seen.
They were about three feet tall, with the vibrant red-and-gold fruits hanging from thick, vine-like stems. The plant's broad, heart-shaped leaves shimmered with iridescent veins, giving it a celestial appearance. The fruits themselves were smooth and slightly soft, with a delicate skin that yielded easily when pressed. Their sweet, intoxicating aroma was a tantalizing mix of exotic spices and ripe tropical fruits.
The harvesting process was tense. The men worked quickly but carefully, their actions precise and practiced. The contrast between their hurried effort and the looming threat of the Behemoth created a palpable tension in the air. Jacob's attention shifted back to the Behemoth, which had begun to growl loudly. Its eyes locked onto the harvesting men, but the growl was not the only sound—Jacob could hear the rustling of another creature moving nearby.
Jacob's instincts screamed at him. He realized that the Behemoth was calling for a partner, and his eyes darted around, searching for the source of the rustling. As he watched in horror, he saw a blur of motion—another creature, similar to the Behemoth but smaller, emerged from behind the trees. Its intentions were clear as it charged towards the group harvesting the fruits.
Jacob shouted at the three men harvesting the fruits, his voice breaking through the chaos. "Watch out! Behind you!" he yelled. The men turned, their expressions a mix of confusion and surprise as they took in the sight of Jacob. They seemed to struggle to understand his words, their faces reflecting a lack of comprehension.
In the midst of the commotion, Jacob saw one of the young men, shorter in stature, about to be struck by the charging creature. The smaller Behemoths, growl reverberated through the clearing.
The scene unfolded in a chaotic blur.
The smaller Behemoth, its eyes narrowing in determination, charged at the intruders harvesting its fruits.
The three men with the large swords and spear were engaged in a fierce battle with the Behemoth, their movements swift and powerful as they tried to subdue the creature. The young men harvesting the fruits sensing something scrambled to escape, their movements frantic and disorganized.
Jacob's heart pounded as he watched, his eyes locked on the short young man at the far end. The creature's attack was imminent, and Jacob could only hope that the group would somehow react in time to save their comrade.