STRANGER

As the wail of sirens drilled into my ears like torture, I slowly forced my eyes open. The only thing staring back at me was an endless sea of pitch-black darkness. Squinting, I tried to make out my surroundings. All I could see were the massive trunks of ancient trees tangled together, with only a few faint rays of light struggling to slip through the branches. The unbearable pain imprisoning my body tore an involuntary groan from my lips. It felt as though I had fallen from an impossible height and slammed into solid ground. Had I... fallen from somewhere? Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I tried to sit up. The instant I moved, I realized my mistake. My ribs felt as if they were piercing straight through my lungs, and a sharp metallic taste flooded my mouth. The agony forced me back onto the ground. Where was I? My trembling hands searched the ground around me. Damp soil. Broken branches. Dry leaves. I was in the heart of a forest. But what was I doing here? Questions without answers clawed at my mind as my vision gradually blurred. I could feel my consciousness slipping away, life itself draining through my fingers. Maybe I was dying. My eyelids grew heavier with every passing second, but I fought to keep them open. Blood gathered in my throat, and each cough dragged me one step closer to death. Then, an absolute silence swallowed the forest. A moment later, a distant sound rose through the darkness—like the low rumble that comes before a storm—rustling the leaves overhead. And then... A faint light emerged from the darkness. As my eyes slowly drifted shut, the light wrapped itself around me. A figure with no discernible features stood over me, leaning closer. Just before my eyes closed completely, I heard one final whisper—so soft it was almost weightless, yet so certain it left no room for doubt. "You will live..."