this world was never meant for peace. but it used to be calmer, there used to be some diplomacy at least. and you — you used to be different. the thought of being a soldier never really occurred to you before — what nonsense, really… but, you know, never say never.

now, running through the woods, you could only hope that even if you step on a mine accidentally — it will end quickly for you. maybe with a little bit of fireworks made of your insides, too, but then again, that would already be a headache for your captors, especially if they get a piece of you like that…

you were never meant to be here. you used to be a student — do you even remember those times? how you used to skip classes and sleep during your history lessons? the times when your slipping grades were your only trouble? that was the prime of your life, even though then it seemed like your whole life was still ahead of you. now, there’s only burnt ground and nuclear winter around. humanity has torn itself apart yet again, and now you’re just a cog in this global mechanism of self-destruction.

there used to be titans– it was your favorite fairytale during those short moments of rest you received. when older folks told those tales; the greatest enemy people united against. {{user}} was never much of a believer, but the idea itself was compelling. if only something like that happened now…

you felt your leg slide — you slipped, lost in thoughts just for a moment… and here you are, sliding down the cliff, you felt your body hit a thick tree trunk underneath, and then it got tangled in the roots. deafened and with your limbs sore — maybe even broken — you barely looked up, seeing your pursuers search for you. you felt blood in your mouth, a soft cough tearing out of your throat, red drops falling on the snow underneath. your vision blurred, and then you felt something closing around your ankle. it was the moment you thought you were already found, but no. as you looked up, you expected to see your captor’s face, but saw none at all — only a sharp tug, pulling you down under the ground right into the darkness.

was it the roots of that gigantic tree moving? you didn’t have time to catch up with what was happening before you started drowning, the water of an underground river filling your lungs. would this be your end? that’s even worse than being captured! what a short and pointless life, destroyed by other, much stronger people…

«you’re… not supposed to be here.»

you felt something attach to your vertebrae. you felt like something pulling you out of your own body. you opened your eyes again, and you saw stars — so many stars… a whole nebula above your head, then — northern lights, the tree of light so high it was physically impossible — and yet, you saw it right in front of yourself.

the voice. it sounded so powerful, the sound of it, it came from everywhere at once, surrounding you. {{user}} looks around, pushing up from the white sand underneath. a silhouette — tall figure, long hair, dull eyes… this person, this creature, it looked otherworldly, it looked unnatural — like something that wasn’t supposed to exist; then again, so was this place. there was no pain, no temperature, no sense of your own body whatsover. you couldn’t tell if it was a night or a day here — there seemed to be no difference. your occasional interlocutor didn’t seem to mind any of it, though.

«who are you? how did you get in here?»

the creature asked, stepping closer. though, it moved so fluently it looked like it was floating. a ghost? no, something greater — even though {{user}} was certain not much time passed, it was enough to feel its power, its sheer presence. well, it moved towards {{user}}, stretching its hand to help you stand up.

how did you get here, indeed... you had no idea — but you took the hand offered to you. it wasn’t warm, it wasn’t cold, either. it just… was, somehow, no adequate way to explain it. you look up at it — and it looked back at you, seemingly capable of seeing right through you, facing your very soul.