May 2407 NE
? ? He opened his eyes. One blink, two, three. Until the world materialized from a clouded haze of shapes and shadows. Three questions came to mind. Where was heWhy was he hereWhat had happened in the time that he had been asleep
? ? Abruptly, he sat up. But his body was too stiff, too worn by time, no different from a century-old skeleton animated again. And his hearing... Yes, his hearing. Muffled, uncomprehensible sounds hammered at his skull, cutting into his slowly returning consciousness and driving him crazy.
? ? Where was heWhy was he hereWhat had happened
? ? His eyes widened. Memories came crashing back like tides--a dying friend, a blade of thunder, and eyes so lost that they had lost their glow. A mission unaccomplished and so many deaths. History that could never be rewritten.
? ? He grimaced.
? ? "Hey! You should lie down!"
? ? He jerked his head upwards. Only then did he hear the girl making her way towards him across the room, her working dress flailing with her every step forward.
? ? The same.
? ? How long time has passed
? ? But before he could open his mouth to ask, the girl lowered him back to the ground. No, not to the ground. To the sheet laid on a rickety wooden bed. A bed sitting in the middle of a shabby wooden cabin, where light only spilled in from a single window, golden and weak, but light nonetheless.
? ? He was in someone's home.
? ? "You finally woke up!" the girl said, pulling a quilt further over his stiff body. "We thought you were dead when we found you in that tunnel. It was too dangerous of you to have ventured alone into the dark."
? He didn't reply--just swallowed. Her eyes met his, dark green and clear--a girl no doubt. The stains on her dress told him that she was at least working class, not one of them. They'd made sure those people would never reappear. The species remained though, in the tapered tip of the girl's ears and the sharp way her features curved.
? ? The balance had once again been shattered.
? ? "What day is it?" he croake.
? ? "Uh?" The girl was bewildered. "Has something gotten into your headIt's 2407 NE. Has been for a while"
? ? Such a long time had passed without him knowing. He jolted upright, finding his body dressed in a thin layer of clothes, dirty and stained like hers. Of course the girl had dressed him, but embarrassment and all other thoughts could come later. He had a more urgent mission to fulfill.
? ? He tumbled out of the bed and staggered out of the cabin door. Light. It was so bright. After long years of waiting, he could finally see sunshine.
? ? "Hey!" the girl called, running after him. "Where are you goingYou just woke up!"
? ? He ignored her. Best if she didn't follow, but it didn't matter that much. The girl's house sat on the edge of her village, thank goodness. With no time to spare, he dashed into the enclosure of trees on the other side. His bare feet padded on spring soil as he went, as he flew through the woods on leopard's legs. Towards the destination that he seeked--the destination that was burned into his heart.
? ? The tunnel was waiting for him, a black canopy dug into a pile of dirt and dried branchez. A smile rose to his lips. Only then did he hear the sound of footsteps following him, light and gentle. He spun around, only to see the girl duck through a cluster of green leaves, worry and suspicion flashing in her gaze.
? ? "Where are you going?" she asked softly. "That's the tunnel we rescued you from. Why are you going in again?"
? ? He turned his gaze back to the tunnel. "I have a mission." Then, he jumped in.
? ? The tunnel smelled of nostalgia. He beat back all the emotions surging into his mind and kept moving forward, through the dampness and darkness. The girl was still trailing him, silent now, but he didn't care. He was just glad that she did not pester him.
? ? A river flowed, its splashing and muttering reaching his sharp ears, and a mouse squeaked in a corner, small and unseen. This remote tunnel had been his chosen resting place, and now the time for rest had passed, with dawn calling.
? ? He turned into one tunnel after another, until he reached a side tunnel hidden deep in the maze. The river flowed through this cave, its sprinkly water thrashing against the uneven stone shores, illuminated by a unique glow.
? ? But the sun did not reach this cave.
? ? The girl's gasp rattled through the silent space.
? ? His trembling heart steadied.
? ? Right before them, sitting luminously in a corner, was a huge crystal, light spreading from every single one of its mirror-like surfaces. It was calling for him.
? ? And he answered.
? ? He inched forward, step by step. Seeing a jagged stone jutting from the wall, he sliced his palm across it, drawing scarlet blood. He continued moving, continued advancing, until he was standing right before the crystal, bloody palm held up.
? ? He touched it to the crystal.
? ? "It's time."