A piercing cold chilled Sebastián to the bone. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking to adjust to the dim reddish light illuminating the room. He sat up with difficulty, feeling a sharp pain in his left knee. He brought a hand to his head, trying to chase away a throbbing that ran through his temples.
He looked around, but didn't recognize the place. It was a large room, with blackened stone walls and a vaulted ceiling that disappeared into the darkness. The air smelled of ozone and ice, a strange and penetrating aroma that turned his stomach.
Where am I? he thought, his mind confused. He tried to remember how he had gotten there, but his mind was blank. He knew his name, Sebastián, and remembered basic concepts: that he was a botanist, that he could read and write, everyday things like eating, sleeping, or dressing. But his past, his home, his purpose… all of that had vanished like smoke.
He looked around for his companions, but the room was empty. An emptiness that resonated with the echo of a sepulchral silence. Companions? he thought, frowning. The word resonated in his mind, but didn't evoke any concrete memories.
His eyes landed on a small bundle huddled in a dark corner. It was a girl, small and thin, with a pale face and her body trembling slightly. Sebastián felt a strange connection to her, a vague sense of familiarity that he couldn't quite grasp. He approached cautiously, feeling a pang of worry.
As he approached, he felt a cold and imposing presence emanating from the girl. It wasn't a physical cold, but a sensation that ran through his mind, as if an invisible force was trying to penetrate his thoughts. He staggered slightly, feeling a strange throb in his head, as if a memory was about to surface, but then faded away.
It's… like I'm forgetting something important, he thought, with a feeling of vertigo. He tried to concentrate, to force his mind to remember, but all he found was an icy void.
Ignoring the strange sensation, Sebastián knelt beside the girl. He observed her carefully. Her face was childlike, with small freckles on her cheeks and tousled hair. Despite her paleness, she conveyed a fragility that moved Sebastián.
"Hello…," he said softly, extending a hand cautiously. The girl didn't respond, remaining huddled in her corner, with her eyes closed.
Sebastián then noticed the strange traces that were all over the room. On the floor, where his companions must have been before, there were only circles of fine, icy dust, like ash mixed with frost. Fragments of metal and fabric, unrecognizable, lay scattered around him.
Sebastián frowned, trying to understand. What the hell happened here? he thought, his mind becoming increasingly confused. He tried to remember the previous night, the discussion with his companions about the girl, but everything was blurry, like a distant dream. He only remembered the tension in the air, the feeling of imminent danger.
Touching the girl on the shoulder, he noticed that her skin was icy cold. "Wake up… please," he murmured, with a worried voice. The girl didn't react.
Sebastián sighed, feeling a mixture of sadness and determination. I'm not going to leave you here, he thought, looking at the girl with tenderness. And I'm going to find out what happened. The confusion and sadness mixed with a new sensation: a responsibility towards this unknown girl, an unstoppable impulse to protect her.
Carefully, he lifted the girl into his arms. She was as light as a feather. He looked around once more, searching for a clue, a sign that would explain what had happened. His gaze finally stopped in the center of the room. There, floating at mid-height, the reddish orb shone with an unusual intensity, pulsing softly with blue and gold flashes. Sebastián felt a strange fascination for the object, as if it held the key to his lost memory. He moved a little closer, adjusting his hold on the girl to make her more comfortable. As he approached, the feeling of cold that seemed to emanate from her diminished, replaced by a soft warmth that came from the orb. The smell of ozone also intensified, but now mixed with a sweet and unknown, almost floral aroma. Sebastián, still holding the girl in his arms, extended a hand towards the orb, hesitating for an instant before touching it. It was a little uncomfortable to hold her like that while trying to interact with the object, but he didn't want to leave her on the cold and unknown floor. Upon touching the surface, an intense white light enveloped him, forcing him to close his eyes. He felt a brief sting in his head, as if a bolt of energy had passed through him.
He felt a brief sting in his head, as if a bolt of energy had passed through him.