[&D_5&:"4:~]$ restyore --core
> MinTd: RESTORED
> Soul: RECONNECTED
> ReboPot: COMPLETE
[&_5&:"4o:~]$ _
I inhaled a sharp breath of air; I could feel my lungs reassembling themselves. I opened my eyes and I was on the ground. Something cold was holding me and pressing against my cheeks. I couldn't move; I felt no pain, nor anything in general. Everything was strange. It was pitch black, and only the faint light of the moon allowed me to see anything at all.
Suddenly, my head began to float. As it rose, I saw a body with purple skin. Maybe I'm forgetting something. The hands of that corpse, apparently, were holding me. Around me, I watched as my limbs moved on their own, seeking each other out; little by little, as if I were a Lego set, my anatomy recomposed itself. Finally, my head sealed onto my neck.
My blood began to pump, filling that vessel with life. Letters appeared in my field of vision:
[User has been rebooted]
[Critical failures have been resolved]
[Does the user remember their name?] [Yes / No]
[Choose an option]
Remember my name? Who am I? What am I doing here? What am I? What does all this mean? I don't know what I'm doing.
$°=¢×&6
Everything is too confusing. I put my hands to my face and began to feel everything. My cheeks were hairless, but everything else was fur. I looked at my hands and they were like those of a primate. Wasn't I a human?
My name was... what was my name? Did I forget my name? Do I have no identity? I breathed heavily while my forehead grew hot; my heart was beating very fast and my vision was becoming blurred.
"Who am I?" I asked the wind.
Soon, a slight pain in the back of my neck made itself felt and a dull ringing began to echo in my ears. I fell to my knees on the grass and pressed my hands against the ground. My eyes were wide open, blurred by a few tears; I couldn't help but vomit.
Buaaargh!
"Ha, haha, hahaha... hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" I began to laugh like a madman.
!;-782;:@-(
Why am I laughing? A memory landed in my mind; it was only a flicker. I was talking to a moss named Freddy and I couldn't move. Apparently, I was something like a rock. Another memory landed, and this one hit me like a punch: an animal with arms similar to mine picked me up from the ground, only to later die in a flood.
Another experience thundered in my head. This time I could move and I made a shelter, only to end up being devoured by wolves. Another fell: now I was a baby chased by a twenty two feet bear. Then another, and another, and another, and another... My head throbbed until a phrase shook everything: "Now you shall be known as Samuel, the creator of m... n... s...".
I am Samuel, that's it. But also a certain Frido... I remember everything now.
I stood up and chose an option. I marked that I did remember who I am.
[Does the user remember their name?] [Yes / No]
[User has chosen Yes]
[Good choice, Frido]
The letters vanished, leaving me alone in that unknown place. I looked around and saw two corpses: one was enormous, about ten feet tall; the other was nearly seven. I approached and discovered they were Old Siro and Janeth. They were cold and lifeless.
"It's true, I should also be lying here, decapitated," I exclaimed.
That attack was devastating. What happened to Anastasia and Petra? Are they okay? Although I had grown a bit fond of Janeth, for some reason I didn't cry; not a single cry came from my being. She only wanted to recover her kingdom and free Zoran... and this is how she ended up. This is more like Earth than I thought.
Where is Uuk? Did he escape with the twins? Or maybe they were kidnapped? I highly doubt the enemy could handle that beast.
Before leaving to see what might be happening, I took a pile of stones and covered the bodies of those who were once my companions. I offered a prayer so they could rest in peace. The night was already fading when I finished. Rays of light invited the dawn. Everything looked strangely beautiful to be true. Bigue was to the north; that is where I must head. It might take an eternity on foot, but it's what I have to do.
I began to walk toward the coastal village; perhaps the guys who attacked us were heading there. It could be that when I arrive everything will be in ruins—whatever! It's not like I care too much about these people; I don't even know why they want me to stay alive. If I died before and nothing happened, why was it different this time? The system was completely corrupted. That shadow silhouette might have something to do with it.
A good while passed; I walked in a straight line for about two hours. Truth be told, I don't know if I was on the right path; we'll see later. My stomach began to growl; I had to eat, but I don't think there's any food in the vicinity. This place, even though it has grass everywhere, doesn't have many trees, and the ones I find are empty. I could hunt some animal, but I don't have the patience for that right now. Being alive is complicated!
I don't have water either; this is a suicide mission. If only I had the carriage or the Kaplas we left in the forest... Sometimes I wish I were an animal without a conscience; they just exist and move by their instincts. They don't have mundane worries like paying rent or walking in a desolate, miles-long valley without food or water; they only worry about not dying and making sure their species moves forward. In the end, what every living being wants is for their genes to continue: to be born, to grow, to reproduce, and to die. That is the law of life; we only exist to continue a lineage of people who will do stupid things or be super-influential; it's just a matter of luck to see what you end up becoming.
I ended up turned into a demonic Liva in the middle of a super-hostile world where they only see me as a pet; I've gone through ordeals that no one wants to go through. They even crucified me once... that was horrible.
Sometimes it's good to have distractions; when you're alone with your thoughts, you end up rambling about unimportant or super-important things. Why didn't I just die of cancer? I could already see myself resting and without responsibilities. I had a beautiful wife; her presence alone eclipsed any bitter memory. She had that light that makes you believe the world isn't shit. She embodied everything that could make a person happy: she was helpful, attentive, affectionate, hardworking, and knew how to fend for herself. I, on the other hand, was a rather pathetic guy; since we were little, she was always there. I don't know what she saw in me that was good. I just wanted to die; I'm a cursed man.
[&D_5&:"4:~]
Without realizing it, I arrived at a small cabin far from everything; I had been walking aimlessly. Is this a matter of fate or did I come here consciously? It looked a bit neglected, as if no one had passed through here in a long time. Perhaps, at some point, this was the home of a loving family with a farm. Now it's just cracked and moldy wood. The door fell off and the windows are boarded up; only a small fence remains standing and the roof that holds up because the world sometimes acts in mysterious ways.
"Ha! What is this doing here in the middle of nowhere? Could it be that this damn system put it in my path? Or was it already here waiting for my arrival? I'm going in; there might be food."
I went through the entrance and everything was dark; a ray of light pierced the roof, revealing something. The floor felt damp and creaked with every step.
Creak! Creak!
At the back was what appeared to be a kitchen; it looked quite old, completely ruined. Several broken ceramic utensils adorned the counter, which was split in half, guarded by a wooden chair that barely held together. Looking to the right, a black door covered in mud and more mold looked at me; it had no latch, yet I pushed it anyway. I didn't have to use much force: it fell immediately and broke in half. A swarm of insects came out from there; I jumped from the fright.
I went in and, immediately, a nauseating smell invaded my nostrils; it smelled of sewage and rot. At the back was a bed with sheets on top; I approached and moved them. Underneath was the mummified body of a demon. He was very large and had the features of someone elderly. Beside him there was nothing else; I imagine his relatives left this person adrift and he ended up dying.
"Demons are too much like humans," I whispered as I covered the body again.
I went back out to the living room; past the kitchen there were more doors. I don't even want to imagine what's in there. Better I leave. I moved away from that cabin; perhaps in the future someone else will find it and examine it better. I don't have time.
I continued my way without thinking about anything else. After a few hours, the sun became powerful and abrasive; without water or food, this already felt like torture. Suddenly, the sound of a current snapped me out of my trance of suffering. There was water nearby; I ran toward the sound and reached a cliff. I looked down and there it was: a bright and majestic river. I had to go down to quench my thirst.
I looked everywhere seeking a way to descend and realized that if I kept walking in the direction I was going, I would reach it. Quickly I went and threw myself in; my fur got wet and I drank water as if I hadn't done so for an eternity.
"This is wonderful!" I splashed and played with the water.
After a while, all the euphoria escaped; only the echo of hunger in my gut remained and the reminder that I must reach Bigue. It's on the coast; if I follow the river, I might end up at the sea. I'm going to do that; besides, water attracts food. It's a double prize.
While I was submerged, a fish approached me. Quickly I caught it with my hands; it almost slipped away, but out of pure impulse I bit its head. I ripped it clean off, killing it instantly. I had food now! Like a wild animal, I devoured it right there; my stomach was grateful.
With my hunger satiated, I got out of the water and sat on the ground. Staring into the void, I began to ramble again.
Why should I go to Bigue? It's not like those people were my friends. The demons, from the beginning, didn't treat me well. First, the Moria killed my parents and almost finished me; then, Zoran challenged me to a duel because supposedly I wanted the throne, and I almost died again. Then, that Augusto attacked and Karlota tore me to shreds. I have nothing to do with that war; I lived peacefully in the forest, preparing to kill a damn Leviathan. The only ones I was actually worried about were the twins, though if they are with the dragon, nothing will happen to them.
Better I stay at this river to live out the one year of life I have left. It's not like an immature god wants me dead, right?
Shit! I was forgetting that little detail. I don't know what to do; I'm tired.