1

  New World

  Adam Wells slowly opened his eyes to the world. The first thing he saw was the blinding light of the sun, and his eyes immediately squeezed shut. What time was it? How long had he been sleeping? Did he forget to set his alarm again? He had an early class today. With a deep breath, he tried to open his eyes again, more slowly this time.

  He was still drowsy and his mind had not yet woken up, but the surreal sight above him instantly cleared the last remnants of sleep from his eyes. It was a tree branch, actually several tree branches. He was lying under the shade of a tree.

  Adam shot upright in a sudden panic and began to fling his head around. All around him was the thick green of the forest, it surrounded him completely. The trees were all aged and towering, taller than he had ever seen trees grow, stretching as far as his eyes could see. Sunlight pierced through their wide leaves, reaching the grass carpeted ground.

  What the fuck? What the actual fuck?

  Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet. His legs felt sore and his arms felt heavy, but that did not seem important right now. Why was he in a forest? Had he sleep walked? No, he had never sleep walked before in his life. Besides, there was no forest, let alone park, in the part of Seattle where he lived. What the fuck was happening? Where was he?

  He considered he might still be dreaming, but it felt too real. He could hear the call of birds up in the trees, smell the raw earthiness of the forest, even feel the warmth of the sun on his skin. No, it wasn’t a dream. But just for good measure, he pinched his cheek, hoping it might force him awake, but nothing happened. He was still standing in the forest.

  “Don’t panic, don’t panic,” Adam whispered to himself as though a prayer, even as his heart began to race in fear and confusion. “You can figure this out.”

  He thought back to last night, trying to recall if he had done anything crazy, but his memories were hazy. All he could really remember was walking home after his shift at the bar, texting his sister… then a different memory slammed into his mind with the force of a hammer. There was an accident. A truck had spun out of control, drifting into the curb.

  He had tried to avoid it… He didn’t.

  Oh god, no…

  Adam stumbled back in horror and tripped on a root, falling down on his ass. No, it wasn’t possible. He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be. He had his whole future planned out after getting into college, and his sister, Cleo, his only family. The girl who had practically raised him after their parents’ death, despite the fact she was just three years older.

  She would be alone now. She didn’t have anyone else.

  More than anything else, the thought of leaving her tore at his chest. He knew how much she loved him, how much she relied on him, how much they relied on each other because they were all they had. The thought was too much to bear.

  He buried his face into his palms, his chest tight with pain. Tears burned at his eyes, but before they could roll down his cheeks, a sudden thought occurred to him.

  Pain? Could the dead feel pain?

  No, something was not right here. Could the dead feel these strong emotions? Could they shed tears? It didn’t feel like he was dead. He was far too conscious, too aware.

  Granted, he didn’t know what being dead was supposed to feel like, but this felt like every other day, only that he was in a giant forest. Wouldn’t there be a difference between alive and dead? Was this even hell or heaven? He didn’t know anything.

  Adam inhaled a breath and rose to his feet once more, drying his moist eyes. There was no point in asking himself these questions. He didn’t know whether he was truly dead, lost, or stuck in limbo somewhere, but it didn’t help jumping into conclusions.

  The first thing he needed to do was try and get out of this forest. He needed to know where he was, or even whether there were other people around. He steeled his nerves with a deep breath and chose a random direction, then began walking.

  It was a difficult walk. There was no path, no trail to follow. Low branches whipped his arms and snagged his shirt, while roots clung to his feet, making him stumble and almost plant his face to the dirt several times. All around him, he could hear the sounds of life with squirrels scurrying in the thick underbrush, birds singing high up in the trees, the chirps of crickets, and the soft whisper of the breeze quietly stirring the leaves.

  With each step, he grew more certain he wasn’t dead. It didn’t feel like he was stuck in limbo either, it felt like what any other forest would feel like, warm and alive.

  Adam walked for what felt like hours without any sign of progress. Everything still looked the exact same, a giant wall of green, and he was growing tired.

  A paranoid part of his mind began to wonder whether he was trapped in a maze, a special limbo created just for him. No, he wouldn’t think about that. Fear would just make him paralyzed and stop him from moving. He had to believe he could get out of here, then he could figure this thing out. He had always been logical.

  If only he had his phone so he could see his location. God, he had never missed his device so bad… wait, he hadn’t lost it. His phone was still in his hands when…

  Quickly, he inserted his hand into his pants pocket, and he felt his phone there, cold in his fingers. He sharply pulled it out and said a small prayer to whoever was listening to him. There were also other things inside his pocket and he quickly withdrew them.

  He placed each new item he withdrew from his pockets onto a nearby log, carefully, as though there precious gemstones. But they might as well be, as each item could end up saving him. When he finally emptied his pockets, he took stock of what he had.

  His phone, key to the apartment he shared with his sister, the Swiss Army knife he always carried, a few snacks he had gotten off a vending machine to eat when he got home, and a candy wrapper he had stuffed in his pocket so he wouldn’t litter.

  Adam grabbed his phone, the most important thing he had in his possession, next to the knife. The phone was an old model iPhone, but it served him, and as long as it did, he hadn’t thought to waste money on upgrades. He pressed the power button, anxious to get it on. If he could just call his sister, or access his location, all of this would be over.

  The phone powered on and he breathed in relief when he saw his battery was almost at full, but his relief quickly vanished when the signal bar showed nothing.

  There was no signal at all. He tried switching airplane mode on and off, hoping it was just bad reception, but no matter how much he tried, there was no change.

  “Fuck!” he yelled in frustration.

  He should have expected it wouldn’t be that easy. He should have known. Whatever was happening wouldn’t just be resolved with one phone call.

  Adam plopped down onto the log and ran a hand through his dark hair as he thought about what to do next. He had no single idea where he was, whether it was a maze or not, or whether he was even dead. He couldn’t make use of his phone, he couldn’t ask anyone for help. For all he knew, he was all alone out here.

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  Maybe not alone, there could be wild animals, a forest this big had to have all kinds of dangerous animals, wolves, mountain lions, bears, snakes, and who knew what else. He was defenseless save for his Swiss Army knife, and what good would that even do?

  His panic rose as his mind came up with every kind of danger possible, and his heart drummed faster and faster, his breath quickening and growing more erratic. His grip on his phone tightened and he shut his eyes, his foot tapping anxiously against the ground.

  “Don’t panic, don’t panic,” he muttered, doing the breathing exercise he had learned from his sister. “You can figure this out. You always figure things out.”

  Slowly, very slowly, his breathing began to level once more and then he opened his eyes, looking around slowly as if to remember his surrounding once more.

  His mind began to churn ideas. What could he do right now? With what he had? His phone was out of service, but maybe if he found high ground, he might get a network. He lifted his gaze up to the trees, sunlight was still piercing through their canopy. Good, it was still daytime. He didn’t have to worry about finding shelter right now.

  As for food and water, he still had the snacks he had bought. Three snicker bars. He would eat one tonight, then save two for tomorrow. It wouldn’t stave off his hunger, but he needed to make them last until he figured something out. For water, there had to be a stream or a river in a forest this size, he could find one when he began to looking for shelter.

  Okay, that was his plan. Find high ground first. Then shelter.

  Adam rose to his feet once more, his determination growing. He was a survivor. He had survived many hardships in his life, and the most important lesson he had learned from all of them was to keep moving, no matter how many times he stumbled.

  Keep moving. Don’t give up.

  That was how he and his sister had survived.

  That was how he would survive this.

  Adam gathered his items and stuffed them all in his pockets, save for his phone. He glanced down at the device to check the time. 3:15 p.m. Okay, that was good. He had atleast three or four hours before nightfall. Adam began walking again, trusting his gut and hoping the randomly chosen direction might lead him out of the forest or to higher ground. As he walked, he briefly contemplated climbing one of the trees, but decided against it. He didn’t know how, and even if he did, the thick canopies might still interfere with the service.

  It was best to save his energy and focus on finding higher ground.

  He trekked for a long time, over an hour. He kept track on his phone and the sunlight still streaking through the verdant canopies, thankfully it was in accordance. It relaxed the small fear he had that he might be in a different time zone. Still, the longer he walked, the more he worried he wouldn’t find high ground before nightfall, let alone shelter.

  The thought scared the shit out of him.

  He was exhausted, defenseless, and to be wandering around the forest at night in his condition was plain suicide. Maybe he needed to switch priorities, try to find shelter first, then tomorrow, after a proper rest, he would continue his search.

  But he didn’t have time to make a decision.

  Just then, he heard a loud sound, the sound of steel clashing against steel. His heart almost leapt out of his chest and he paused in his step. He waited to hear it again, his breath quiet, his eyes scanning everything before him. Then, after a moment, it came again, the clang of steel, but this time a voice followed, a male’s voice… he was yelling.

  Adam pulled himself together and ran toward the sound. He didn’t care who he was, whether he was friendly or not, but there was someone else here. Obviously, he didn’t plan to show himself immediately. He wasn’t an idiot. He intended to hide and observe, then if it was safe he would make contact. But the fact that he was running toward someone who might pose him danger showed his desperation. It was a risk he had to take.

  Adam ran as fast as he could, pushing past roots that caught at his feet, low hanging branches that whipped at his arms, and the large leaves that blocked his sight. As he drew closer, the sounds grew heavier. The clashes of steel became more frequent, and the yelling twisted into cries of pain. Amid the chaos, other sounds rumbled beneath, deep snarls and growls. It made him stop immediately and duck behind the cover of a tree.

  That was a sound no human could possibly make.

  He peeked out from the cover and what he saw almost made his eyes pop out from their sockets. It was a battle, he had stumbled into a battle, like a real, actual medieval battle with swords, armors, and shields. The sight was surreal, utterly unbelievable.

  How? Was it some kind of reenactment, like a renaissance fair? He had seen videos of them online. A part of him wanted to believe that, but the thought vanished when he saw a man in bronze armor fall to the ground as an arrow struck his eye.

  Adam clamped his hand over his mouth, stifling a shocked gasp as thick, red blood pooled underneath the fallen man. Quickly, his gaze shifted to find the arrow’s shooter. He swallowed another gasp as his gaze landed on it. He was right, it wasn’t a human.

  An ugly green humanoid creature, half the size of a man, with bald head, small sharp teeth and large hooked nose, raised his crude bow high and snarled loudly. Adam realized quickly that it was a celebration, but it was soon cut short as another armored man cleaved the creature with one heavy swing of his sword, green liquid spraying everywhere.

  Goblin… the green creature, it was a goblin. He had watched enough fantasy shows to recognize them at a glance. They were real, they were… there were many of them. They outnumbered the bronze armored men almost ten to one. The battle was at an end.

  Adam ducked back into his cover, his heart pounding in fear. He thought to make a run for it, but he was too frightened, his legs shaking to pieces. He couldn’t risk making a sound and drawing the creatures to his presence. He had to be silent, had to wait it out.

  Or maybe he should just risk it? Run now?

  A loud cry reached his ears and he turned, peeking out from of the tree. He saw the last armored man stagger, a rusted blade thrust deep into his back. The man dropped to his knees, and immediately several of the goblins swarmed him, hacking him to death.

  Adam clenched his mouth tight, unable to do anything else but watch the gruesome scene. After the carnage, the creatures raised their crude weapons to the sky, about fifty of them, naked except for their loincloths, snarling and hissing in victory.

  He watched as the creatures then began to loot the corpses, taking steel, from swords to shields, to helmets to gauntlets, whatever steel they could pry from the bodies.

  Adam breathed easy as some of the creatures began to head off deeper into the forest with their spoils of battle. They didn’t notice him, and those that remained behind were too focused on pillaging. He was safe. He was alright. He was…

  Suddenly, one of the goblins that had been stripping the gauntlet of a corpse stopped, sniffing the air and turning. Adam’s breath caught in his throat and he quickly ducked back behind the tree, praying as hard as he had ever prayed.

  He waited several minutes, nothing happened, only distant snarling and hissing. He took a breath and leaned out from his cover, just enough to glimpse whether the danger had passed. But in that exact moment, he met the glint of a goblin’s eye staring right at him.

  Shit…

  Adam didn’t try to be quiet. He shot to his feet and bolted away. A loud snarl erupted behind him, as though an alarm was sounded, and then the thud of footsteps followed. He didn’t dare look back. He just ran as fast as his tired legs could carry. Fallen leaves crackled under his strides, and the thick roots that flourished over the forest floor snagged at his feet, nearly keeling him over, but he managed to keep my balance.

  The snarls and footsteps grew louder behind him. The damn creatures were too fast, he didn’t know how he could get away, or where he was even going.

  “Help!” he screamed with all the force he could draw, his voice echoing through the forest and the birds all around began to chirp again as if in excitement.

  Adam was about to scream again but his voice died in throat and he let out a cry of pain instead as something struck him from behind, pushing him down to a knee. He twisted his neck back, seeing an arrow jutting out of his shoulder.

  He tried to reach a hand behind his back to pull on the arrow, but another struck him right at the center of his back, like an axe sinking into his bone. He cried out in pain as his legs lost all their remaining strength and he fell to ground, planting face first.

  Was this how he died? A second time? Hacked to pieces?

  Blood spilled from his mouth and fear hammered in his chest, but he summoned his last vestiges of strength of strength, trying to crawl away, He didn’t want to die here.

  He didn’t…

  He felt the first blade plunge into his back and screamed out, the sound raw, ripping through his throat and echoing round the entire forest. The second blade struck the base of his neck, the third buried itself in his skull, and then came more, cold flashes of steel sinking into his flesh. But he could no longer. He felt nothing anymore, only a strange coldness.

  His sister’s face flashed in his mind, he wished he could see her just one more time so he could apologize everything. There was so much he wanted to apologize for.

  His thoughts faded, and then a waiting darkness rose to claim him.

  ***

  Darkness swelled around the corpse of Adam Wells, a darkness so thick, so suffocating, it devoured all light and mana in the air and drowned the forest in its shadows. The goblins scattered in panic as the corpse they had mutilated began to float into the air, like a puppet drawn up on invisible strings. The corpse’s lifeless eyes opened, and only a deep blackness dwelled within them, inviting death to all who dared to look upon it.

  Adam Wells was no longer, this was an entity as ancient as the universe, as endless as time, as powerful as creation itself. The sky darkened as birds plummeted from the sky, rodents collapsed where they stood, and the grass and trees surrounding the entity shriveled to ash, the world itself buckled under its presence.

  The entity lifted the corpse’s hand and the world immediately fell still, time bending to its will. The goblins that had tried to flee ceased to move, their forms withering into dry husks before being erased from existence itself.

  The hand lowered and Adam Wells dropped to the ground like a puppet whose string had been cut, and after a brief moment, his breathing slowly returned.

  Adam Wells was no longer dead.

  The trees had also healed, and the birds and rodents stirred to life once more.