My eyes snapped open.
A harsh white glare stabbed into my skull, blinding me before I could even breathe. Wind scraped across my skin—sharp, sticky—like the world itself was trying to wake me up with its nails.
Pain hit next.
My back.My legs.My head.
Everything hurt.
My hand trembled uncontrollably, and a ringing swallowed every other sound around me.
"What's… happening to me…? Who… am I?"The words tore out of my throat before I even understood them.
The same question bounced around inside my skull, echoing against a mind that felt empty—scraped clean. A strange taste filled my mouth. Metallic. Foreign. Even my tongue felt wrong.
Nothing made sense.
I forced weight onto my shaking legs. Grass brushed against my bare feet—feet I didn't recognize. Each toe was longer than normal, nails thin and sharp like small claws. I dragged myself forward, each step digging into the soil.
Green.Everywhere.
Trees—hundreds of them—towering over me like ancient guardians. The forest breathed around me, alive and watching.
I didn't know how long I walked before a break in the trees revealed a small pond. Its water rippled as my toes touched the surface, cold and clear.
I leaned forward.
My reflection stared back.
Long ears—tapered, moon-shaped at the edges.Skin pale under the rising moon.And eyes—
"…They're red."
I touched my face. My reflection mirrored me, its hand trembling like mine. My skin felt warm despite the night's chill, as if the moonlight itself was sinking into my flesh.
"This is… me?" I whispered.
The sky dimmed further, purple shifting to black. Before I realized it, my legs gave out. I fell back onto the soft slope beside the pond. My breath slowed. My body sank into the grass.
And everything went quiet.
Sleep swallowed me whole.
A Dream of Nothing
Whispers brushed through the darkness of my mind—small, formless thoughts.
What am I?
But the only thing answering was a black void.
Then heat.Light.A glare across my face—
I snapped awake again.
The pond still churned quietly. Dew clung to my skin. Pebbles dug into my back. I pushed myself up, brushing off dirt.
"What now…?" I muttered.
I didn't know anything. Not my name. Not my purpose. Not even why I existed.
But something inside me pulled—a directionless tug, a quiet instinct.
So I walked.
I followed the pond downstream, keeping the water at my side. The air felt different here—alive, almost humming. Something about the water… felt familiar. Comforting. Like it understood me.
I walked until my footprints behind me disappeared into the mud.
"Are there more people like me…?" I whispered.
The question made my chest ache. I didn't know why.
A sudden spike of pain stabbed through my skull. I sucked in air, held it, and let it bleed out slowly through my lips. The burning settled.
I kept walking.
The Fire in the Forest
A faint gray fog drifted upward through the trees, disappearing into the night sky. Smoke.
I didn't think—I just followed it.
The forest thickened, branches weaving together overhead, trapping the moonlight. My nerves tightened. My breaths grew quick. Something was there—something that made my chest thump faster and faster.
I stepped into a small clearing.
A fire crackled in the center, rocks circling it. A figure stood beside it, back toward me.
Long red hair spilled down a black cloak.Their hips—narrow, delicate.Their posture—sharp but small.
They bent down, picking up a stick. Except… it wasn't a stick. Metal glimmered at its tip.
I swallowed hard.
I looked down at myself.
I was completely naked.
My breath caught. I looked back up—and something inside me twisted. A faint black haze wrapped around her silhouette. Danger. My instincts whispered a warning even before my thoughts formed.
I stepped forward.
Closer.Closer.
Then—
She turned.
Fast.
Her movements commanded the earth beneath her feet. Cracking an invisible tension in the air.
"What…?" I breathed.
Green eyes locked onto mine—sharp, glowing under the firelight. Her face was soft and warm, but her expression cut like a blade. Lips pressed tight. Ears shaped like crescent moons.
Perfect. Complete.
Beautiful.
My heart lurched.
She looked down.
At… that part of me.
"Hah."A small laugh escaped her.
Heat shot through my stomach, up my throat, into my face.
Instinct made me cover myself with both hands. I bent inward, curling up like a kicked animal.
Why am I doing this?Why am I even—embarrassed?
She smirked. "You're not from around here, are ya?"
My throat failed me. "A… A— I-I…"
Her eyes scanned me again. Slowly. Thoroughly. I felt each second like a needle dragging across my skin.
Then she stepped toward me.
No—No, no, no—
My legs locked. My breath hitched. Every nerve in my body screamed.
"What's your name?" she asked, now standing directly in front of me.
She was small. Her head barely reached below my shoulder. And yet… she felt big—overwhelming.
Her breath brushed my skin. Warm. Sweet.
Her eyes—glowing green—waited.
I panicked.
"M-My… name… is… W-Wa… Water," I stuttered.
The first word that felt safe. The only word that felt mine.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Then—
"Why are you acting so weird?" she snapped.
My eyes opened.
Her face was red. Arms crossed. Eyes squeezed shut like she didn't want to look at me but had no choice.
"And why are you naked? Tch—running around the woods like a pervert… and an elf, too."
Her tone cracked—annoyed yet oddly flustered.
Elf…?
I looked at her, confused.
She sighed deeply.
Then tossed fabric at my feet. It slid between my toes. Two more objects followed—hard, shaped like feet.
"These were old dungeon clothes," she muttered."S-So just… put them on already!"
I scrambled to dress myself. Everything felt strange—but safe.
"Th… thank you," I whispered.
Her face reddened even more. "It's not like I needed them."
She turned away.
"So your name is Water," she said."Tch. Weird name."
"Aveline," she added without looking back. "That's mine."
I tried to repeat it. "Ave… line… Aveline."
The more I said it, the warmer it felt inside my chest.
No…Not warm.
Familiar.
"My name is… Warren," I said quietly.
Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
"…Warren, huh. Fine."
She crossed her arms again. "Why are you out here alone?"
I lowered my gaze. "I… don't know."
I lied.
"Well… if you want," she said with a soft breath, "I can take you somewhere safe."
Safe.
The word hit me hard. My chest tightened.
"Yes," I said. "Please."
She hid a smile behind her cloak.
"Then keep up."
Rose Gate
We walked until the trees thinned. A long dirt path stretched ahead of us, leading to tall stone walls carved with a massive blooming rose.
Two armored guards stood by the gate.
My breath hitched.
"Don't speak," Aveline whispered. "Let me handle it."
My hands trembled.
"Halt!" a guard shouted, stepping toward us.
Aveline's voice turned cold. "I live here. The elf is my companion."
"A damned elf?" the guard barked."Why bring this creature here?"
Creature.
The word pierced something inside me.
"This elf is bound to me," Aveline said sharply. "Useful."
Bound…Useful…
Like I wasn't a person at all.
The guards exchanged glances.
"Hmph. Very well. Elf—know your place."
I said nothing.
The gates groaned open, splitting the carved rose in two.
And the world I stepped into next…would change everything I ever knew.