Chapter 2: First Soul
I woke up tired, my body still aching from yesterday's fight. My hand throbbed dully, but it wasn't as bad as before. At least it wasn't bleeding anymore.
Sitting up, I looked around the small patch of land I had explored yesterday. I sighed. No matter how much I walked or searched, it was clear, I was trapped.
The rocky walls surrounding me didn't seem natural, and every time I tried to climb them, an invisible force shoved me back.
"This damn barrier," I muttered, rubbing my shoulder where it had thrown me. "There's got to be a way out."
For now, though, there was only one thing I could do was to hunt. My stomach growled, demanding food, and I needed to grow stronger if I was going to survive.
I grabbed my makeshift spear and headed into the forest again. The air was damp, and the faint rustling of leaves told me animals were nearby. But they weren't like any animals I'd ever seen, or at least I didn't think they were. My memory was still a blank.
I walked deeper into the forest, spotting creatures of all shapes and sizes. Some had long necks that bent unnaturally, others had glowing fur, and some moved in ways that didn't make sense. I couldn't name a single one of them.
Suddenly, I heard a strange noise, like a faint hum. I turned quickly, my spear raised, but all I saw was a green ball floating in the air.
"Huh?" I blinked, lowering the spear slightly. The ball hovered silently for a moment before bouncing to the side and reappearing behind me.
"What the—?" I spun around.
I tried to grab it, but it darted away again, bouncing as if it were alive.