"The Keyhole remained open for 15 years. It took 15 years for 98% of the population to leave Earth, fulfilling the great "Manifest Destiny." The ones who stayed behind were those who chose to remain, the elderly, the religious zealots, and those who were forced to stay, like the "dangerous" criminals. Once the last of the migrants had passed through the Keyhole and no one on Earth was left, the portal closed. Almost as if it were sentient.
Earth, which had once been filled with culture, music, and hope, had slowly deteriorated into a wasteland. The cities had rotted away, neglected by those who once cared for them. The few who remained were the survivors, people who had fled the large cities and sought refuge in the mountains and forests, living off whatever nature would provide.
Over 400 years had passed since the Keyhole closed, and humanity had begun to rebuild some structure. Some laws had returned, but life….Life would never be what it once was 400 years ago."
The old man sat back in his favorite wooden chair, his face tired and filled with lines that screamed exhaustion. The only light in the small cabin came from the crackling fireplace, casting long, flickering shadows on the weathered walls. His eyes seemed to carry the weight of the world.
He stared into the flames for a moment before speaking, his voice rough. "I'm not sure why you insist on hearing this story so often, Caedus. You're 18 now, and I've told you this tale hundreds of times. You must know it by heart."
Caedus leaned back in his chair across from his grandfather, gazing into the fire with a focus that contrasted his relaxed demeanor. "I like it when you tell the story," he said, with a slight grin. "It makes it all feel real—like I'm there."
The old man's lips slowly turned into a tired smile.
Silence filled the room for a moment as both the old man and Caedus stared at the fire. Caedus had always been curious. Ever since his parents had died at the hands of cultists, he'd been driven by the need to know why in all aspects of life. He sought adventure and answers to mysteries. He was always curious.
"Plus, I think it's important to know how the world came to be how it is now," Caedus said after a pause, his voice thoughtful. "Don't you think so, Grandpa?"
The two shared a brief look, one that spoke volumes. The old man wasn't sure how to respond. He knew what Caedus truly sought, a purpose, something bigger than the answers offered by their existences. Caedus wanted a way into Iridia, to join the others who had left 400 years ago. During the migration, the question had been raised: What about the descendants left behind of the religious zealots and criminals? But in the end, the decision had been made to leave them despite damning the future of those who were not even born yet.
Caedus's ancestor had been sentenced to prison for manslaughter, and for that, Caedus was condemned to live a quiet, mundane life in a world ruled by cults and criminal organizations. When Jorah, Caedus's grandfather, heard of his son and daughter-in-law's deaths, he took Caedus in when he was an child and left his settlement behind, raising Caedus in the mountains as a hunter.
"I am off to bed, Caedus, don't stay up too late since we have to go hunting in the morning," Jorah said as he stood up with a long grunt breaking the silence.
"Don't worry, I won't stay up too long, only until the fire dies down. Plus, even when I am tired, I am still a better hunter than you, Grandpa." Caedus said with a mischievous grin growing across his face.
"You damn brat, I wish I had raised you to be more respectful. You can't even shoot a bow right."
Caedus laughed loudly before saying, "Goodnight, Grandpa. I promise not to stay up too late."
Jorah squinted his eyes slightly as if not believing him in the slightest before he huffed and walked toward his room. As the door creaked shut behind Jorah, Caedus went into his room to grab his book before reading it in front of the fire. What seemed like minutes, but in reality, hours had passed, and the only light from the fire was the dying embers barely glowing in the darkness.
"About time to get some shut-eye," Caedus said, standing up with a stretch. As Caedus walked to his room, the whole cabin began to shake slightly.
Caedus suddenly wasn't very tired, knowing what was happening despite never being in one. It was an earthquake. It was rare for there to be earthquakes in their region, but not unheard of. Caedus quickly rushed for the door frame, trying to be prepared for the worst, but as soon as he gripped the door frame, ready to hold on for dear life, it was over. The shaking had stopped, and nothing fell over. It was like nothing had happened.
"Must have been a small one," Caedus mumbled to himself before yawning and crawling into his bed.
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Caedus woke to the unsettling sensation of his body shaking, groaning as he rubbed his eyes. "Oh, shit. Not again," he mumbled, his voice still heavy with sleep.
"You brat, what do you mean 'not again'? Get dressed—it's time for the hunt," Jorah grumbled, shaking him firmly. "Stayed up late again, didn't you?"
Caedus shot up in mock indignation. "No? I don't know what you mean, Grandpa. I went to bed at a reasonable time and am not exhausted."
"Mmhmm. I will be outside waiting for you."
Caedus quickly got dressed, threw on some boots and ran into the bathroom to splash some water on his face before looking at himself in the mirror. By all accounts Caedus was a very handsome young man, he had medium-length wavy black hair with a great looking face and a pair of unique violet colored eyes. Caedus was around 6 feet tall and lean from the years of living and hunting in the forest with his grandfather.
"I almost forget what mom and dad look like till I see my own face." Caedus mumbled to himself.
As Caedus admired himself in the dirty mirror he heard his grandfather's whistle, signaling he was getting impatient waiting for him to get ready.
"Coming!" Caedus yelled, realizing his grandfather definitely wasn't in the mood to be waiting all day. He sprinted to the front door where his hunting bow, bag, quiver, and hunting knife were propped up and holding the door open.
He stepped out and felt the cool autumn breeze hit his face making his fair fluttered in the wind.
"Hmph, looking in the mirror again? What did I tell you about being obsessed with your looks?" Jorah grunted seeing Caedus grabbing his gear as he walked out the cabin letting the door shut behind him.
Caedus didn't respond except for sheepishly rubbing the back of his head in affirmation.
"Let's get moving. I let you sleep in and its almost noon already. With it being late Autumn the days are already shorter so we will be lucky to find any game."
And with that the two set off into the forest, their hunting gear slung across their backs.
Hours passed in relative silence, the stillness broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath their boots.
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*Thwunk*
An arrow lodged into the tree, startling a deer. Its ears flicked back, and in an instant it bolted through the brush opposite of where the duo was hiding.
Jorah sighed loudly while standing up. "Are you sure you are my grandson? How the hell did you miss that?"
Despite the years of living and hunting with his grandfather Caedus really was a terrible shot. He really just didn't have the talent for it. In his whole life of hunting on the mountain he had only successfully wounded game a couple of times out of the hundreds of times he had gone hunting. And he would just use his hunting knife to put it out of its misery.
He excelled in tracking game and using his knife to butcher and skin the game, but using a bow and arrow was the bane of his path to becoming a perfect hunter. He just preferred using his hands.
"Grandpa, you know I suck at this. I am not sure why you insist on my shooting first when you know I am going to miss." Caedus rolled his eyes while looking in the direction the running dear went.
Jorah shook his head. "I won't always be around to hunt for you, you have to either at least get decent at shooting a bow or move into a settlement and barter for food."
Caedus knew what Jorah was implying. He would have to live in the mountain and hunt or live under the control of one of the cults or criminal organizations that now ran the world.
Caedus nodded his head solemnly and had a serious look in his eyes. "You're right. I will try again. Luckily the deer shouldn't have gone far."
The duo began their hunt again following the tracks the deer left behind.
"It is a bit surprising we have only seen the one deer today. By now we would have seen almost a dozen." Jorah mumbled, thinking about how long they have been hunting while staring at the sun that was low in the sky indicating the sun would set soon.
"Yeah, th'earthquaklahh... might've spook'dem," Caedus slurred, his words nearly impossible to understand through the stifled yawn as he led Jorah through the forest.
"Finish your yawn before you speak brat. I raised you better. What did you say?" Jorah snapped.
"I said the earthquake from last night probably spooked them," Caedus said, making sure to enunciate all of his words.
"..... What are you talking about Caedus? There wasn't an earthquake.."
"Uhh yeah there was, it was a tiny one right before I went to bed," Caedus said confusingly.
A worried and dark expression appeared on Jorah's face. "Are you positive, Caedus? Are you sure it was an earthquake?"
"Yeah, I am pretty sure, it was small but the whole cabin shook."
"Fuck!" Jorah shouted, anxiety written all over his face. "We have to leave, NOW! We have to leave the mountain and get far away from here!" Immediately Jorah grabbed Caedus by the arm and ran South towards the bottom of the mountain opposite of the their cabin.