Rough ground scrapes against bare feet, everything else tired eyes can see an infinite expanse of black.

  Eyes widen.

  Sinking to the ground, lips tremble within a dazed expression.

  Tiny particles float as if stuck in the same place. Some cling to the body.

  Stillness.

  And a feeling of peace.

  [Is… is this it?]

  The words fall out, unable to reach anything.

  Stillness, again.

  Himself.

  Maybe, it’d last for eternity.

  Maybe…

  Bulging spheres burst to the side of his face. He lies on the ground, screaming in pain.

  His extremities shift back and forth, from human to something else.

  A strong wind cuts his skin.

  In the distance, a strong purple glare blinds him, burning through his eyelids.

  Through painful moans, he tries to stand up, barely managing to do so as his knees hit the ground.

  His body becomes numb to the grotesque shifting.

  He snaps his eyes open.

  Coarse breaths, followed by a loud, insect-like buzzing inside his head. Entities spread throughout. Their shape resembles nothing, twitching countless times in a single second.

  Millions of particles, all drifting towards one direction.

  Hundreds of shapeless, unseen hands, all pointing towards one direction.

  The light.

  Gazing at what’s left of his arms, he freezes.

  [What’s…]

  His vocal cords strain, only managing to let out a whisper.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  [The point…?]

  Breathing calmly, he lets himself be.

  Closing his eyes as his consciousness drifts away.

  It starts to fade, turning his vision black.

  Almost.

  Something keeps him perpetually awake.

  Perpetually aware.

  He watches the incessant movement around him.

  His body’s changes, back and forth.

  Unblinking.

  A desperate cry rips out of him. He lunges forward, falling face-first into stone.

  Grunts and wails follow as he worms through the ground, ripping his nails against it.

  A few meters.

  Pain settles again, though still numbed.

  A few shaky breaths.

  [After all I gave…]

  Stretching an arm ahead, he continues.

  His movements become desperate, inaccurate.

  His head slams against the ground several times.

  A bone snaps.

  Glancing back, he shuts his eyes, stopping yet again.

  [I thought… I had it…]

  With a whimper, he continues.

  A small hill forces him to push harder.

  He moves, leaving some entities behind while others linger ahead.

  The flecks cling to his eyelashes briefly before floating towards the purple light.

  Laborious grunts escape him as he tries to snake towards the point.

  His body feels heavy, and soon, a single movement drains all his energy.

  Slowly, he advances with straining stretches of his arm.

  Slowly, steadily, wavering.

  The surroundings feel the same, even though they move perpetually, leaving nothing for orientation.

  Besides looking ahead.

  He stops again, biting his own tongue hard enough to draw blood.

  Regaining his breath, he closes his eyes, stripping himself from the view.

  A chilling cold seeps through.

  [I… can fix this, right?]

  [Please…]

  [Let me go back.]

  It stops.

  His arms turn to what they were once, along with the rest of his body.

  His injuries remain, making him squirm from the pain.

  With a breath caught somewhere inside his chest, he attempts to stand.

  Futile.

  Though he crawls.

  Slow, then faster.

  His knees hit the ground, his palms scrape against it.

  The glare dims ahead, disappearing under the white rock.

  His heart drops, gaze snapping all around.

  The figures keep pointing, lowering their hands.

  Floating spots continue to travel.

  He follows them, using them as guidance.

  After unceasing dragging, he gazes ahead.

  Nothing.

  He lowers his head, focusing on his painful, fatiguing movements.

  His hands grab the edge of something.

  A bright, purple light lights everything up, forcing him to squint his eyes.

  Below, everything points. Everything travels, coursing around.

  He freezes.

  Unable to stand, he decides to roll down.

  He cries in pain as he hits the ground.

  [Is this… all I want?]

  Crawling closer to the light, he feels himself burning. A loud whistling deafens him.

  Nonetheless, he advances, feeling as his tissues melt.

  Reaching for the light, his senses overload.

  A blink.

  His knees press against something.

  A soft light shines, warm against his skin.

  A fresh smell overwhelms him.

  Cloth wraps around his body.

  All around, a vast expanse of green, turning golden as it sways under the light.

  [Hey!]

  The voice rings from outside.

  A man in layered garments steps down from a horse, a confused expression on his face.

  A sword hangs from his waist.

  [You lost?]