‘What a pity’ Arden sighed
He was in a predicament.
He’d managed to regain a modicum of composure after spending hours calming himself down following the events of the previous night. Eventually, he was able to fall asleep after further contemplation and concern about his sanity.
Unfortunately, doubt about his sanity was the first thing on his mind when he opened his eyes.
He was not greeted by the familiarity of his room. Instead, he found himself in a very large cave, seated on a rock before a slightly elevated platform bearing what seemed to be some kind of scripture. A small stream of water flowed through the middle of the cave, about a dozen feet away from him.
The texture of the rock, the richness of the air, the gentle sound of the steady stream nearby, the incredible amount of detail.....
Ard sighed once more, succumbing to self-pity. He'd been here for a few hours and, after a long time of contemplation, had narrowed it down to a few scenarios, with two of them being the major options: one, that all of this held some semblance of reality; or two, that he had entirely... lost it.
True to his pessimistic nature, Ard leaned toward the latter option —the one he dreaded.
The only anchor preventing a complete descent into despair was the breath-taking beauty surrounding him.
As the sun rose, the outside view was even more stunning. Tall trees adorned with vibrant colours painted the scene, with birds and small creatures dancing about.
In its entirety, every element—from the radiant morning sunlight to the ambient sounds, and even the undulating textures of the colossal cave walls—exuded an intense vitality, resonating with an undeniable truth.
Ard discerned the murmur of nearby conversations, signifying the presence of people around the cave. At a slight distance, he observed individuals in distinct uniforms walking about, carrying various items. As he slowly shifted his gaze further, the visage of a beautiful residential area unfolded before him.
A sudden pang of familiarity struck him as his eyes settled on a particular part of the scene. This presented the other major problem he grappled with—images and information that didn’t seem to originate from his memory were attempting to infiltrate his mind, and he struggled to push them away.
However, he was derailed from his train of thought when he spotted something sizable soaring through the sky in the distance. Upon closer observation, he discerned that it was a man standing on something, gliding through the sky.
‘I’m nearly certain now’
Ard sank deeper into his previous misery, but suddenly, felt as though he had tipped some sort of balance. His emotions seemed to send ripples to the core of his body, and he sensed it going haywire. Pain, unlike anything he had ever experienced before, began to assault him.
He felt the instincts of his body kicking in. They vaguely guided his breathing, causing abrupt starts and stops. A sensation of heat surged from his navel, traversing up to his chest and then reaching his forehead. This fiery sensation then branched out from this central line, coursing toward his limbs.
In what felt like an eternity, the heat seemed to accomplish its task, and Ard sensed his body rejoicing in response, filling with an immense vitality that coursed through his being.
Soon after, this was replaced by an opposite and soothing cooling sensation. This coolness travelled in the exact opposite direction of its fiery predecessor, creating a harmonious dance. The complementary sensation was remarkably soothing, providing a level of comfort that Ard had never encountered in his life. This feeling alone seemed to compensate for the recent hardships he had endured.
The relaxation battled against the stirring impulses of his newfound vitality, which urged him to move. He found himself sinking deeper, slowly succumbing to unconsciousness.
What roused him was a shaking sensation. As he opened his eyes, the faces of Trev and Avien loomed over him, their expressions mirroring the same worry from the previous night.
As Ard rose contemplatively, a blend of relief and lingering uncertainty enveloped him.
While he was slowly finding solace in the familiarity of his surroundings, a premonition violently took hold—that a wild new chapter of his life had just begun.
