Thump, thump, thump. The deep, rhythmic pulse of a heartbeat echoed in the void, pulling life from the darkness. Thump, thump, thump. It quickened, stirring something—or someone—into consciousness.
A boy awoke to the sounds of birds chirping, his bright amber eyes fluttering open. His long, disheveled black hair cascaded over his shoulders, his frail body aching as if he'd been through a battle. A jagged scar marred his back. Confused and disoriented, he struggled to sit up, his muscles trembling as he pressed his back against the cold stone wall behind him.
He blinked, surveying his surroundings. He was in a small, dimly lit room—no larger than a cell. It was empty except for a narrow bed, a small table in the corner, and a tiny window to his right. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting soft beams of light onto the floor. Outside, the birds continued their song, oblivious to the boy's confusion.
He tried to stand, but his legs wobbled beneath him. Slowly, he reached out to the bed for support and guided himself toward the table, where a modest meal awaited—a loaf of rye bread, an assortment of fresh fruit, and a gelatinous substance of unknown origin. His stomach growled, sharp with hunger, but he ignored the unfamiliar texture of the jelly and grabbed the bread. Starved, he devoured the food with ferocity, barely pausing to breathe. The flavors were unfamiliar but overwhelming, igniting his senses.
"What is this?" he wondered, bewildered. "I've never tasted anything like this before." The richness of the flavors felt foreign, yet somehow comforting.
With the food gone and a sliver of strength restored, the boy approached the window. Through it, he glimpsed a breathtaking view of towering mountains, lush greenery, and a shimmering pond nestled in the valley below. His mouth fell open in awe.
"Wow," he whispered. The landscape was vast, almost endless, and he realized with a sinking feeling that he was at the highest point of wherever this place was.
Turning back to the room, something caught his eye—a door, half-hidden in the shadows at the far end. It was heavy, wooden, and sealed with multiple locks. His brows furrowed in thought. Why was it locked? Was he being kept here on purpose? A cold sense of dread trickled down his spine as he stared at the latch.
He scratched his matted hair, frustration mounting. If there's a lock inside, he reasoned, there has to be a key somewhere. He searched the bed—its thin, cream-colored sheets, under the mattress, around the edges—but found nothing. His fingers combed through every crevice, yet no key materialized. Defeated, he sank back onto the bed, staring at the door.
Am I supposed to stay in here? he thought. Are these locks meant to keep me from leaving?
For a moment, he considered giving up. But something deep inside refused to let him. His gaze hardened, his hands clenched into fists.
"No. I can't stay here. I don't even know who I am or where I am, but I can't just stay trapped like this!" His voice echoed in the silence, filling the small room with resolve.
Determined, he scoured the room again. His eyes landed on a fallen stone fragment in the corner—perhaps from the crumbling wall. It looked solid enough to use. He snatched it up, feeling its weight. With a determined breath, he approached the door. The locks were old and rusted, small but numerous. He raised the stone, focusing all his strength, and brought it down with a sharp crack.
One lock shattered, but many remained. Undeterred, the boy raised the stone again, gritting his teeth. "Break!" he shouted, pouring every ounce of energy into his swing. A sudden flash of red light surged from his hands, filling the room with a pulse of power.
The door splintered under the force, collapsing inward with a crash. The boy stumbled back, eyes wide in disbelief. What... was that? He stared at his hands, then at the shattered door. He hadn't just broken it—he had obliterated it.
Beyond the wreckage lay a long, narrow staircase spiraling downward into darkness. Lanterns flickered on either side, casting faint shadows along the ancient, dust-covered walls. The sound of something moving below—a soft, unsettling shuffle—caught his attention.
His heart raced. He hesitated, gripping the cold stone wall to steady himself. Do I go down?
The shuffling sound grew louder, as if whatever was below sensed his presence. He swallowed hard, forcing down his fear. He had already come this far. He couldn't turn back now.
"One step at a time," he whispered, pushing himself forward. The stairs creaked under his weight as he descended, the lanterns flickering ominously. With each step, the sound below intensified—shuffle, shuffle—until he reached the bottom.
A massive door, much larger than the last, loomed before him. Strange symbols, glowing faintly, were etched into its surface. The boy ran his hand over the markings, feeling a warm pulse of energy beneath his fingertips. It was familiar, comforting—like the power that had broken the locks upstairs.
Suddenly, the shuffling behind the door grew more frantic. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.
The boy pressed both hands against the door, instinctively calling upon the power he'd felt earlier. A surge of energy enveloped him. The symbols glowed brightly, and with a deep, resonating click, the door began to open. A gust of wind rushed in, nearly knocking him off his feet.
As he stepped outside, the view that greeted him was clearer, brighter than before—the vast expanse of nature stretching out beneath him. Tears welled in his eyes, though he didn't understand why.
"Why am I crying?" he whispered, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
Before he could dwell on it, a small, cat-like creature with large, pricked ears appeared in the grass. Its fur bristled as it stared at him curiously.
"Were you the one making those noises?" he asked softly, extending a hand toward it. But before he could touch it, the creature darted off, sprinting down the mountain as if called by something unseen.
Without thinking, the boy chased after it, his legs carrying him forward, heart racing with a sense of purpose he didn't yet understand.