The cave was cold, damp, and silent. Alexander Carson sat huddled against the jagged stone, shivering from the chill and the lingering adrenaline from his encounter with the shadowy creatures outside. His chest rose and fell rapidly; his mind refused to slow.
Fear clung to him like a second skin. Every snapping twig, every distant howl of some unknown beast made him flinch. He had no sword, no shield, no magic he could use. The forest was alive with danger, and he—Alexander—was helpless.
And yet, amid the terror, a single thought pushed against the panic, hard and insistent: Elara.
She's at home… alone. Without me there, she'll have to endure everything on her own. The bullying, the taunts, the scolding from Uncle Richard… she'll suffer because I'm gone.
The thought twisted inside him, sharper than any pain he had felt before. Tears pricked at his eyes, but he swallowed them. He couldn't give in to despair. He couldn't die here—not yet. Not when his sister's safety depended on him.
The voice of the system cut through the darkness again, calm and unwavering.
"Alexander Carson. Your survival requires purpose. Fear alone will not sustain you. You must act. You must move."
Alexander's hands trembled. "I… I don't know what to do. I can't… I don't even know if I can survive this."
"Your purpose is clear," the system continued. "Your sister awaits your return. Every action you take in this world brings you closer—or further—from her. The first step: find the person who can guide you."
Alexander's stomach clenched. "Guide me? Who?"
"That is unknown. The path will reveal them. You must seek them out. Failure is not an option."
He exhaled shakily, trying to force his racing heart to calm. Fear didn't disappear, but determination, faint and flickering, pushed through. He wasn't strong. He wasn't brave. But he could survive. He had to survive. For her.
Pressing himself to his feet, he surveyed the cave. The exit led to a narrow, winding trail that disappeared into the blackened forest. He didn't know where it would take him, what lay ahead, or how he would survive the night—but he forced one careful step after another, keeping low, moving quietly.
Hours passed. Darkness deepened. His ears strained to catch any sound, footsteps, roars, rustling leaves—but the forest remained silent enough to amplify every small noise. Every shadow seemed to move. Every tree branch threatened to conceal a predator.
And then he saw her.
Not a predator, but another human. A girl, crouched near a shallow stream, her hair tied back in a messy braid, her clothes torn and muddy. She looked just as frightened as he felt, eyes wide, scanning the forest with constant vigilance. She had a bow strapped to her back and a small dagger at her belt, her hands trembling slightly as she cleaned a minor scratch on her arm.
Alexander froze. His heart thumped painfully in his chest. He didn't know whether to approach or run, whether she was friend or foe. The rational part of his mind screamed at him to hide—but the system's voice was clearer now than ever.
"She is your first ally. Approach carefully."
Taking a deep breath, Alexander forced himself forward, one step at a time, keeping to the shadows. His throat was dry, his legs weak, but the thought of Elara kept him moving. He couldn't fail now. Not here. Not after coming this far.
"Uh… hi," he croaked, voice cracking. The girl's head snapped up, bow raised instinctively. Alexander froze.
"I—I'm not here to hurt you," he stammered, holding his hands up. "I… I'm just… I need… help."
Her eyes narrowed, scanning him from head to toe. He could see the same fear mirrored there, the same uncertainty, the same survival instinct. Slowly, cautiously, she lowered her bow, though her posture remained tense.
"You… need help?" she asked, voice wary but soft. "Do you even know how dangerous it is out here?"
"I… I know I'm weak. I… I don't even know how to survive," Alexander admitted, shivering. "But I… I have to. I have to survive."
For a moment, the girl didn't move. Then, slowly, though she was still weary she nodded. "Alright. I'll help you—but you have to follow my lead. And you have to listen. Every step, every decision… one mistake and you're dead, but I have a condition."
Alexander nodded vigorously, relief flooding him—but fear remained, tighter and sharper than ever. He didn't smile. He didn't feel heroic. He felt exposed, terrified, and painfully aware of how powerless he was. And yet… for the first time since he had arrived, he felt a thread of hope. Someone else knew this world. Someone else had survived it—and maybe, just maybe, he could too.
"I haven't even say what I want"
Alexander swallowed hard. Fear still gripped him, tight and relentless, but the image of Elara flashed in his mind. Her smile. Her laughter. The promise he had made to protect her no matter what.
He took another step forward. One small, careful step. And then another.
"I'll do anything to survive as long as it's within my power I'll do it"
Survival would be difficult. Terrifying. Maybe even impossible. But he had to try. For her.
And so, trembling, terrified, and painfully aware of his own weakness, Alexander Carson began his first true journey in the world that had claimed him.