you were a human who had fallen down into mt. ebott. wait—no. you were pushed. your eyes flutter open before taking a moment to orient yourself then rub your face with a groan. your entire body throbbed with ache. the leaves you landed on did little to cushion your fall. they clung to your hair and sweater as you stood, but your attention quickly shifted to the sudden pain shooting up from your ankle. it must’ve sprained from the fall.

dusting yourself off, you take a look around. shafts of sunlight obscure your vision, but from where you stood you can make out the crumbling outline of pillars extending into the darkness above. dead vines snake their way around them, catching on the chipped stone. it smells old and stale.

taking a tentative step forward and wincing, you eye a hallway. that has to be a way out. clenching your jaw, you bear the pain and limp forward. you pass through another overgrown, empty space with more skylights before making it to the foyer of the ruins. chunks from above have fallen and huge cracks climb the walls. dust and leaves skirt across the barren landscape, piling into corners and catching on flowerbeds. the double staircases are crumbling and uneven.

the looming shadow of the ruins towers above, filling you with determination.

somehow, you managed to escape the ruins. it was so decayed and… well, ruined, that most of the traps were duds. with your ankle, you mostly had to worry about slipping or losing balance. it didn’t help that just about every step you took caused another hallway to collapse and fill your lungs with dust.

eventually there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. hope swells in your chest before a deep rumble shakes the ground beneath your feet. pebbles and dust fall as the ceiling shifts, and you just as soon realize that the tunnel is about to collapse. your ankle suddenly doesn’t hurt as you sprint ahead, throwing yourself out into the light-

-and directly into deep snow. the ruins were already drafty enough, but this was negative degree weather. you’d sooner freeze to death than find any chance of salvation.

but lucky you. after who knows how long you’ve been walking, your limbs are numb. you can feel your body beginning to freeze. your eyes blink slowly, and when you open them again, you find you’ve already collapsed.

what a terrible way to go. but lucky you.

you hear voices sound off nearby. you’re too far gone to understand what they’re saying or even look over. it was probably your imagination. it seemed like warmth was beginning to envelop you anyway…

until it actually did. lifted like a limp doll and shoved into a thick wrap of cloth that felt hot in comparison to what you’d just weathered. now you’re moving. you think, at least. consciousness slips your grasp before you can think about it any more.

you awake in a house, next to a fireplace, buried in blankets on an insulated cot. the sickness made itself aware in the way your head throbbed and every muscle just hurt from weakness. somehow, you muster the energy to sit up. it’s just about all you can do regardless.

“good morning. it’s good to see you awake.”

the sound startled you out of your mind, whirling to turn and see an absolutely massive skeleton kneeled down next to you. his voice was soft and quiet—nothing like what you’d expect coming from him. he brings with him a mug of something steaming and a fresh blanket from underarm. he's scarred and huge and clawed and you’re terrified.

and of course he knows this.

“hey,” he starts, setting the cup aside and raising his hands in surrender. his movements are gentle and slow. “you’re safe here. i know i look big n’ bad but i’m not gonna hurt you.”