The stillness of the jungle at dawn was almost serene, broken only by the soft rustle of leaves and the distant calls of unknown creatures. He awoke to the warmth of the rising sun on his skin, his body rested but his mind still a haze of half-formed thoughts. Memories tugged at the edges of his consciousness, refusing to fully surface.
Sitting up, he rubbed his temples, frustrated by the emptiness in his mind. Yet, it wasn't entirely empty. Something lingered fragments that didn't belong to this place. Faces he couldn't remember, sounds he couldn't place, and one word that surfaced for only a fleeting moment: Gray.
He whispered it to himself, tasting the word on his tongue like it carried weight he didn't yet understand.
Shaking off the unease, he decided to move. The jungle stretched endlessly in all directions, its towering trees cloaking the land in a green shroud. He felt a pull, a need to see more, to understand this strange place. His gaze turned upward to one of the tallest trees nearby.
Its trunk was thick and gnarled, its bark rough under his hands. He began to climb, his muscles flexing with ease as if they'd done this a thousand times before. The higher he climbed, the fresher the air became, carrying a crispness that felt almost intoxicating.
As he broke through the canopy, the world opened up before him.
The sight stole his breath. The jungle stretched as far as the eye could see, a sea of green kissed by the golden rays of the morning sun. Patches of mist clung to the treetops, and far in the distance, mountains rose like jagged teeth against the horizon.
The wind brushed against his skin, cool and pure, carrying scents that spoke of life in its rawest form. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting it wash over him. For the first time since he had awoken, a sense of calm settled over him, as if this place, despite its mysteries, wasn't entirely hostile.
He opened his eyes again, scanning the horizon for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing moved among the treetops, but there was a glimmer in the distance perhaps water reflecting the sunlight.
Satisfied, he began his descent, careful but swift. His feet touched the ground with barely a sound, his body moving with a precision he hadn't fully realized before.
Curiosity and hunger drove him forward. He made his way toward the glimmer, weaving through the dense underbrush. The jungle seemed alive around him, every sound amplified as if his senses were attuned to a frequency beyond normal perception.
The stream he found was wide and clear, its water flowing gently over smooth stones. Kneeling by the edge, he cupped the water in his hands and drank deeply, the coolness refreshing his parched throat.
As he leaned over the stream, his reflection stared back at him, distorted by the ripples. This time, he felt a flicker of recognition. His piercing blue eyes, his sharp features they felt familiar, yet distant.
Then, a name surfaced. Gray.
He blinked, startled. The name felt like an anchor, a fragment of a past he couldn't piece together.
"Gray," he said aloud, the word echoing softly in the stillness.
His hands curled into fists, the water dripping from his fingers. The confusion was maddening, but it was accompanied by something else: a strange, growing awareness of himself. His strength, his reflexes, the sharpness of his senses they weren't normal.
To test the thought, he looked to a nearby tree. It wasn't as large as the one he'd climbed earlier, but its trunk was solid and thick. Stepping back, he drew in a breath and swung his fist with all his strength.
The impact was immediate and jarring. Bark splintered, and the tree shuddered, a deep crack running through its surface. He stumbled back, staring at the damage.
He flexed his fingers, expecting pain, but there was none. His knuckles were unscathed, his skin unbroken.
"What am I?" he murmured, the question hanging in the air.
He sank to the ground by the stream, staring at his hands. The memories that refused to come, the name that meant something yet nothing, the strength that defied reason it was all too much. But he couldn't afford to dwell on it for long. He needed to survive, and survival meant food.
For now, he would follow the stream, hoping it might lead him to more answers or at least, to something he could eat.
As he moved along the stream, the air shifted. The jungle grew quieter, the usual sounds fading into an eerie silence. He stopped, his heightened senses on high alert.
From the corner of his eye, something moved in the shadows a blur of motion too fast to follow.