Neither wind nor light can pass through the Black Forest.
"..."
Strange. I feel like I was abandoned, and now someone decided to look at me again.
I guess it's just my imagination.
Aaah! Why can't I even open my eyes?!
My frustration grows with every passing second. The only thing I can hear is my heartbeat echoing through the silence.
What day is it today? Is it morning or night? How long have I been here? Why is the sky blue? What is the meaning of life? Why do we exist? What purpose were we created for? What is real? Why is there something instead of nothing? Does darkness have a speed?
I try to take a deep breath, I try to scream, but nothing happens.
I'm going to lose my mind like this.
What else did Eladreo say about this world?
With nothing else to do, all I can do is try to remember the conversations I had with Eladreo. But unfortunately, they are becoming more and more distant.
Come on, memories!
Even though I've forgotten some things, I still remember the most important points.
From the beginning. The Source, the energy that every living being in this world possesses.
Skills, a raw and overwhelming form of power, but one that always comes with consequences.
Ancient Art, versatile and less powerful compared to Skills.
That's all I can remember.
The basic knowledge about the Source, Skills, and Ancient Art is strangely well preserved in my mind. I remember talking a lot with Eladreo about various subjects before I left, but this conversation about these three things... I don't remember us ever talking about them.
I try to remember when Eladreo told me this, but it's no use. The conversation feels lost, as if only the knowledge itself remained.
Now that I think about it... I should have asked how I could obtain these powers.
I find myself stuck on important questions. Besides the basic explanations, Eladreo never told me how to use or awaken these powers. My memories whisper that Eladreo explained how I could obtain them. But I can't tell if it's just an intuition or something I truly know.
There's no way around it.
I'll have to figure things out the hard way.
Well, time isn't exactly something I'm lacking. Since I can't move, but I also don't have any external needs... then...
Focus!
I clear my mind, trying to concentrate on the Source. I don't know if staying focused is the right path, but usually, clearing my mind should give me some clues about this world's energy.
***
As time passes, I feel something strange. It feels like I'm surrounded, as if I'm at the bottom of a swimming pool, but I'm not underwater.
It's like a blanket is wrapped around me, even though no one is covering me.
I can feel something inside me as well. It's the same sensation I feel around my body.
But now I understand what it is...
This is the Source.
***
I remain motionless on the ground, but now I have something to keep me distracted.
A long time ago, training to sense the Source became my only form of entertainment.
A thin line passes through my vision and then disappears.
What was that?!
I swear I saw a line just now.
Could it be... the Source? Is it possible to see energy?
Before I overthink this sensation, I decide to simply focus again.
Time passes without me noticing, until suddenly, I feel that presence again. I'm certain. My instincts tell me this is the Source. I can see this energy.
When I realize it, I see thin white lines passing in front of me. But looking closely, I notice that these lines are actually made of countless tiny points of light packed tightly together.
The more time passes, the more I realize that these little points of light can break away from the branches and float around, like fireflies, or simply fade away and disappear into the air.
Wow! I'm actually seeing the Source... Some parts of the Source appear white, while others are a very light gray.
Look at that. It's true. Objects like the ground and my clothes don't have a Source, but they seem capable of absorbing it or being surrounded by it.
I feel my mind slowly growing tired. But thanks to my regeneration and training, the effects lessen over time.
And finally, with a lot of effort and patience, I manage to not only feel the Source but also see it, even without opening my eyes. A true achievement.
If I could express myself, I would definitely be showing off a smile.
The only thing missing was that screen appearing.
Status! Showing me that I had achieved something.
I wait for something to happen, but nothing does.
"..."
It was to be expected. I discovered that this so-called "status" only exists in people's imagination. In real life, things like EXP, MP, HP, or attributes like that don't exist.
It would be a blessing and a curse at the same time.
Good because I could see my limits, understand dangerous plants, animals, and their strength. But it would be bad because I would end up becoming dependent on it. What if the blue screen suddenly disappeared? It would be chaos for me. But denying that I wanted one would be a huge lie.
Going back to the subject of the Source. Even though I can see it now, to put it simply, I can only see black and white... and a little bit of gray.
When will I finally be free from this place? What good is having an enhanced regeneration ability if I can't even move a single finger?
Calmness takes over me, and all I can do is continue talking to myself.
Well... I'll train more to sense the Source, then. Since it's the only thing I can do.
***
I feel my lips trembling, but that's not the most important thing. What matters is my new achievement.
I did it! I improved!
I can already see the Source much more clearly and across a much wider area.
After long and patient training, I can see the Source far beyond a simple field of vision. If I concentrate, I can even see the Source behind me or beneath the ground.
***
I wasn't expecting this. Suddenly, on what could have been a day or a night, I managed to open my eyes and move my mouth.
"Fi..."
"Finally."
"After so long..."
"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah! Yes!"
"I can speak and see again!!"
Tears stream down my face, and I can't hold back my smile.
"How long has it been since I last spoke? Since I last saw anything?"
Little by little, my excitement fades. Because it's still not time to celebrate. After all, my body is still paralyzed, and I still need to think about how to get out of here.
So, I put the celebration aside and evaluate my situation. I analyze everything step by step. My condition is still the same: paralysis. There isn't much I can do right now, so the next step is figuring out where I am.
I can't move my head, but I can still move my eyes. I see that I'm in a forest. I already knew that, but everything is dark. However, it's a type of darkness where I can still see, regardless of whether it's day or night.
Looking more carefully, I notice black orchids clinging to the trees. They are the ones releasing the dark pollen into the air. I remember these orchids. They are the reason behind my paralysis.
"These orchids don't seem like they belong to these trees."
I can see that these flowers extend from the base of the trees all the way up to the top of the leaves.
"They look like vines."
"There are so many..."
"That must be why everything is dark here."
I breathe through my mouth, feeling my tongue and throat becoming numb, and my mouth becoming somewhat stiff.
It seems like it paralyzes anyone who breathes in or touches the pollen.
Around me, there are hundreds of recent monster corpses, others that are much older, and countless bones scattered everywhere. One thing I notice here is that most of the bodies seem to belong to flying creatures.
Looks like many creatures die here.
That's right!
There were those wolves.
Even with difficulty, I can now move my head, allowing me to increase my field of vision.
I strain my eyes, trying to find out if they are still here. I know they are dead. Before, an explosion sent us flying here. Considering how long we've been here, there's no way a normal living creature, not even monstrous wolves, could survive in this condition.
"Hm?"
"Where are they?"
I mentally scratch my chin.
"Did they escape?"
"That can't be. They should have been badly injured. They wouldn't have been able to run away."
"It's also unlikely that another monster took them, because that monster would have taken me along with them."
"But what if they did escape? They would have eaten me."
"So... where are they?"
I think of other possibilities, but none of them make sense.
I take a closer look at the skeletons around me. I notice there are two large skulls with cracks in them. The skulls look like those of wolves. And there are some bones near me that seem to belong to quadrupedal creatures.
Putting the facts together, I figure out what happened.
"The wolves died. And their bones are even turning into dust."
"The explosion that sent us here must have injured them fatally."
"That's it."
"Wow... how long does it take for a body to turn into dust? Months, maybe."
"Well, it doesn't matter. But this answers my question."
I look around.
"Hm... strange..."
I don't know why, but I'm talking, thinking, and explaining my situation. It almost feels like I have to give an explanation to someone.
"..."
The darkness in front of me is heavy, almost tangible, but it doesn't scare me as much as it did before.
"Well... what I want the most is to get out of here and see the world. I wonder how many adventures are waiting for me?"
I feel my eyes shining.
I never fulfilled my dream of traveling. I always wanted to see different peoples and cultures, but I never even had enough money to visit a neighboring city.
The only time I ever traveled was precisely to get a job... which was exactly on the day I died...
Silence dominates my surroundings, but I won't become sad.
Eladreo told me before that my mother was overcoming the loss. I'm already far away from home, and on top of that, I'm in a completely different world.
I furrow my brow, filling myself with courage.
"I have to get out of here!"
I've already been here for too long. If I truly want to see the world, I have to move and get out of here as soon as possible. Determined, I try to move my body again and again.
I feel the exhaustion, but my regeneration renews me.
Time passes, but I keep trying. I won't give up.
My body starts to tremble.
"Oh!"
"That's it! Don't stop!"
"I'm almost there!"
My fingers begin to move, trembling, bending, stretching. After a lot of effort, I manage to move my body. Recklessly, I try to stand up all at once, but I fall. I'm still partially paralyzed.
I don't give up. Hope is right in front of me. I repeat it several times, but I keep falling every time. It feels like I have an enormous weight on my back. Realizing this method isn't working, I decide to get up as if I were doing a push-up.
My legs feel weak, but I manage to stay standing. My body feels heavy, but I can walk.
I take a step, almost fall, but manage to steady myself.
I take another step, then another. My balance improves.
I stumble, but I manage to support myself against a tree.
When I lift my face, a black orchid releases pollen right into my face.
My consciousness slowly begins to fade, and my body grows weaker. My fingers slide down the tree trunk, and I feel my legs becoming weaker.
I furrow my brows, grit my teeth, and the strength returns to my legs as my fingers bleed from digging into the tree bark.
My eyes fill with determination.
"I'm not falling!"
And my steps continue moving forward through this darkness.