In an empty world, a maze of darkness hid below the surface.
It was untouched by day, and seemed alive.
No shadows moved, but stones still turned upright.
Yet the noise was unceasing underground, despite the absence of light.
Inside the labyrinth, an echo of dripping water bounced between walls.
A constant fog of warm breath rose in the air, swallowed in darkness.
The rhythmic tap of falling droplets stirred a resting child; not even the growls of his stomach or the cracks in his throat could force him upright. Death awaited him if he stayed, yet he felt no compulsion to move.
We must go.
Distant, empty, it pushed him.
His toes curled, blood seeping in between. Withered muscles contracted as he rose, legs shaking.
His hand fell on something squirming, a maggot. It had come from the body he'd fed on yesterday; now crawling with them.
Hesitation held for only a second, then hunger took over.
His fist clenched into the rotten flesh and maggots alike, tearing free what he could and forcing it down with a grimace, each bite more revolting than the last.
Hurry.
The child froze, hands still reaching for more. He let the flesh fall and pulled himself away, reluctant, still starving.
It was coming.
The corpse's scent hung in the air like a torch in the dark.
Cold shock traveled through the child's spine as the chilling stone floor bit at the soles of his feet.
Prints of blood stained every step. Pain screamed through his body, but an instinctive fear overwhelmed his mind, driving him forward.
***
Skrttt!
Not far away, a vile creature shot through the darkness. Its twisted body maneuvered with disturbing ease, its grotesque claws chipping and carving away at the ground as it moved. Its nose burned ravenously.
Its movements slowed as it neared a familiar area, its hideous claws spreading outward until, at last, it brushed against a long-dead body.
In an instant, it closed the gap, scooping the remains into its monstrous maw, its protruding fangs carving the walls.
The child's presence was long gone,
But not his trail.
Another scent lingered, this one fresher.
Faint bloody prints marked the stone.
TK-TK-TK-TK-
The creature's teeth clattered in anticipation. A vile tongue extended from its body, licking the fresh blood off the stone.
***
The child traversed the lightless maze of his world, navigating with his hands and feet stretched before him. His aimless search for food and water was still at an impasse.
His throat was unbearably parched, his tongue bore cracks, and his dry skin felt thin against the cool air.
The wander continued.
Don't stop.
When his hope began to wane and his legs began to falter, it pushed again.
Then, a faint trickle of water reached his ears.
His body reacted before his mind, rushing toward the source with renewed urgency, only to collide with an insurmountable wall.
He forced himself up. His hands scrambled along the wall in desperation, banging the stone until his skin split. There was no way forward.
Shhhhh.
The banging ceased, but the child's cries were silent.
He leaned his head against the thin wall. The splash of water beyond it seemed to mock him even more.
The surge of energy drained from his limbs. His body slumped against the wall, silent, listening to the faint flow of water.
He imagined cupping the water in his hands, lifting it to his lips, and taking a deep gulp. The thought made him bite his lip, drawing blood.
'Why do I live?'
For me.
Screeeech!
A sharp, grating scrape echoed from behind.
Dread followed after.
At once, it felt as if a cruel hand took hold of the child's heart, threatening to drag it to the depths of the void. Perhaps it already had.
He stood frozen in place, a primal fear creeping through his mind, his hair standing on end.
Despite all his efforts, his hand began to shake.
All attempts in thought went blank.
The deafening thud of the wild beast's claw against the walls gradually grew closer, its malformed body dragging across the floor. It listened…
The hunter was near.
Death lingered in the air.
The child stood frozen, muscles locked, his heartbeat felt loud enough to be heard. He hoped for the creature to lose interest and leave. But, as if fate sought his death, the blood pooling on his lips formed into a drop and fell, splattering on the hard stone floor.
The noise didn't go unnoticed.
Snapping its head toward the child, the creature's teeth clicked against each other, and its body forced the surroundings to groan as it lunged toward its next meal.
A deep vibrating rumble resounded all throughout.
Its speed was terrifying; it crossed the vast distance between them in less than a second, its grotesque jaw ready to snap at the child.
The child, losing all hope, gave in to exhaustion, his legs buckling. The ground rose to meet him.
By a hair's breadth, the creature missed him, its own momentum carrying it forward, crashing into the wall.
Stone exploded, debris flying everywhere.
A torrent of rocks rained down on the child.
Then—
Light.
As if a gate had been opened to the sun itself, an ocean of light poured into the lightless space, tearing past the impenetrable darkness, ending its long reign.
The creature, thrust into the world of light, shrieked a silent scream,
Light seized its flesh, rejecting its very existence. Its body convulsed and thrashed before dissolving under the burning light.
"Ah—!"
The child, who once forgot how to use his voice, tore free.
Among the many rocks that pelted his body, one particularly heavy brick snapped his left leg.
For a few minutes, he writhed in agony, his body now covered in new cuts and bruises all over.
After calming down, he chose to remain still, hoping to avoid the creature's attention. Only when a warmth of light shone down upon him did he move.
This warmth felt unfamiliar; it felt... comforting.
The sensation settled over him.
It pressed lightly against his eyelids.
His brows twitched.
A memory surfaced of an action long unused.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, beholding the world of light.
At first, he winced, turning away in pain, light stinging his untrained eye. His hands went up as though to defend himself. Everything was a blur.
But the pain did not restrict him.
He forced his eyes open again.
What greeted his sight wasn't the oppressive darkness he had lived with all his life.
But a new world, filled with color and warmth.
Towering mountains lined the horizon, beneath an expansive blue sky. Below, a green forest veiled by the clouds, and a crystal clear stream running down the mountainside.
The child admired the scenery in awe.
His jaw hung wide open, uncontrolled.
Without any recollection, he found himself already standing, leaning on the wall for support.
With a limp, he dragged his tired body to the outside, past the darkness, past the wall, and into the light.
The child, afraid the world might vanish, reached out his hand, trying to grasp the mountains, the sky, the light.
Look up.
He lifted his gaze. There, a radiant white sphere that burned so bright it lit the world and covered the sky. He tried to look longer, not understanding why it made his eyes tear up and why the world started to blur. Eventually, he was forced to turn away.
The light… unforgiving…
didn't discriminate…