The Last Stand

The night was eerily still in the dense forest, the air thick with tension. Only the distant howls of wolves and the occasional rustle of leaves dared to break the silence. Alex crouched low, his breath steady, eyes scanning the darkened woods ahead. He had been living near this forest for the past year, ever since his memories were sealed—ever since he came out of the rift. But tonight, the Minotaur had emerged from its depths, and Alex knew he couldn't let it escape into the nearby village.

His limbs were weary from days of tense anticipation. The Minotaur had already wrecked one village earlier in the week, and now it was making its way through this one. Alex had prepared himself, but he was far from the man he had been before the rift. His strength, his skills—they were all clouded by the fog of lost memories. And now, facing this beast, Alex was fighting with half of what he used to be.

The ground trembled beneath him.

Then, through the underbrush, he saw it.

The Minotaur

It stood at least twenty feet tall, its massive frame silhouetted by the crimson moonlight filtering through the trees. Its fur was matted, its horns thick and jagged, coated with remnants of the destruction it had wrought. Eyes burning with fury, the creature snorted, the air around it vibrating with the power it exuded.

Alex stood up slowly, his hand brushing the hilt of his sword. His movements were slower than usual, the weight of his lost memories pulling at him."I used to fight monsters like this with ease," he thought, his mind struggling to recall the certainty he once had. "But now, I'm nothing more than a shadow of who I was."

It roared, a deep, guttural sound that shook the ground beneath Alex's feet. The forest seemed to hold its breath.

Alex exhaled, steeling himself. This battle would be difficult. The Minotaur wasn't just another mindless monster. It was smart, deadly, and enraged. But Alex had no choice. If he didn't stop it here, it would destroy everything.

"I have to finish this. For the village. For them."His thoughts rang with determination.

After Alex left the rift, completely battered, he walked to a nearby village called Eldir and collapsed in the streets. The village chief, an elderly man named Baran, took him in and helped him recover. After three days, Alex woke up from a small coma, only to realize that most of his life was a blur. The village chief explained how he ended up in Eldir after emerging from the rift, and Alex, desperate to remember, forced himself to recall his past for an entire week. But the memories didn't come.

Finally, Alex decided to settle in Eldir. The villagers had welcomed him with open arms, offering him food, shelter, and a new life. In return, he helped protect them from occasional monster sightings and assisted with day-to-day tasks. The villagers had grown fond of him, and Alex found himself living a peaceful life. It was simple, but it was enough for him. That was, until today.

Now, standing before the Minotaur, Alex remembered why he hated that his memories were sealed. It was not just the lost past, but the fact that his power—the strength he used to wield—was only half of what it once was.

"I've never felt so powerless," Alex thought bitterly. But this time, he couldn't afford to fail.

The Minotaur growled, charging at him with terrifying speed. Alex didn't hesitate. He sprinted forward, his sword raised high. The creature swung a massive fist in his direction, its claws aiming for Alex's throat. With a quick sidestep, Alex barely dodged the strike, his blade flashing in the moonlight as he retaliated.

Clang! His sword scraped against the Minotaur's thick hide, but the beast didn't even flinch. It was like hitting a wall of stone. Alex's heart sank. He wasn't going to win this easily.

His instincts kicked in, and he went low, his blade aiming for the creature's legs. With precise timing, he slashed across the Minotaur's left calf. The force of the strike was enough to draw blood, but it barely slowed the beast down. The Minotaur roared in fury and swung its massive horned head at Alex.

He dodged once more, his movements growing slower with each second, but the Minotaur was relentless. It stomped the ground, sending vibrations through the earth that nearly knocked Alex off balance.

*"I can't keep this up,"* Alex thought desperately, sweat trickling down his brow. His body was already starting to give in, but he couldn't stop. Not now.

The Minotaur came again, this time aiming a crushing blow with both fists. Alex darted in between its legs, barely avoiding the attack, but the Minotaur turned in an instant, roaring as it swiped at him from behind. Alex's sword sliced through the air in an attempt to parry, but the Minotaur's fist caught him on the side, sending him crashing to the ground.

"No... I can't lose. Not like this," Alex thought as he struggled to rise. Blood dripped from his side, his vision blurring. His sword felt like an anchor in his hand.

But then, he saw it—the opening.

The Minotaur was breathing heavily, its muscles twitching with exertion. Its chest heaved, a deep, guttural growl emanating from within. It was tired. So was Alex, but he could still finish this.

His mind clicked into focus. The memories of his training, the way he used to fight, flooded his mind, urging him to act. He had been a master of the sword once. He had been invincible. "I'll be invincible again."

He lunged forward with a newfound resolve, spinning his sword in a wide arc that connected with the Minotaur's exposed side. The creature bellowed in pain, but Alex didn't stop. He slashed again, carving through the beast's thick hide. Blood sprayed across his face, but he didn't care. This was his moment.

With one final roar, Alex leaped into the air, using all the strength he had left. His sword plunged deep into the Minotaur's chest, finding its heart. The beast's eyes went wide with shock as it crumbled to the ground, lifeless, its massive body hitting the earth with a resounding thud.

Alex stood over the fallen beast, his chest heaving, his body trembling with exhaustion. He had done it.

But it was too late.

The toll of the battle was too great. His vision began to fade, the world around him blurring as his legs buckled beneath him. His sword slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground.

"I... did it…" he thought faintly, the words slipping from his mind as everything went dark.

Alex jerked awake, gasping for air, his heart pounding in his chest. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus. The world around him was different. No longer the chaotic battlefield of the forest, but his old, familiar bedroom—small, cramped, and far too clean for what he'd just experienced.

His hand shot to his chest, feeling for the deep wounds that should have been there. There were none. He was... whole.

A cold sweat broke out across his skin. "What... What's happening?" His mind raced, panic rising in his chest. "No, no, no, this isn't real. It can't be real."

Slowly, he rose to his feet, his legs shaky. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror. He looked... younger. Much younger. His hair, once streaked with silver from the battles he'd fought, was now dark and untouched by time.

"I'm... fifteen again?" The realization hit him like a tidal wave. "No, this is impossible. How am I here?"

His breath caught in his throat as the full weight of the situation settled in.

"I died. That was real. I died, and now... I've been sent back?" He clutched his head, trying to make sense of the disorienting flood of memories.

He was silent for a long moment, absorbing it all. His past life—his failures, his mistakes,his regrets—were still vivid in his mind. Slowly, more and more fragments of his past returned: his life before the rift, the battles he fought, the life before he settled in the village.

And then, the prophecy. The knowledge that the world was meant to end, that the destruction he had witnessed was supposed to be inevitable. He had heard whispers of it—the whispers of a world burning, of death and despair. He had heard of it but didn't believe it. He thought it was just some ridiculous myth. Yet here it was, now crystal clear in his mind. The future the protagonist of this world, the chosen one was supposed to save the world from all of it, but he died before he could experience all of it himself,then he shook his head and thought to himself "Even if I was alive, I couldn't have survived to see The Chosen one saving the world due to how weak I would have been infront of the monsters later in the future."

He clenched his fist with determination to get stronger this time to protect himself and his close ones.