First Step in the new World

A soft breeze grazed James's face, carrying the crisp scent of grass, cool earth, and something else he couldn't quite place. He felt the damp blades of grass beneath him, brushing gently against his skin, as if urging him to wake. Blinking against the sunlight, he opened his eyes to a vast, cloudless sky above, framed by towering mountains that loomed on the distant horizon.

He sat up slowly, his body stiff, his mind still grasping at the memory of falling asleep in his bed the night before. He hadn't even changed out of his clothes—a plain t-shirt, sweatpants, and no shoes. At twenty-one, he was still trying to figure out what he wanted out of life, each day more of a blur than the last. But now he was here, lying in the middle of a vast meadow bordered by high, rugged mountains on one side and a dense, shadowy forest on the other.

"What the ?/!&...?" he murmured, confusion settling over him like a fog. The last thing he remembered was the city noise filtering in through his window, his head sinking into his pillow. But in that moment, there were no city sounds—only the rustling grass and the distant call of birds echoing across the mountains.

James pushed himself to his feet, brushing off bits of grass that clung to his clothes. His bare feet sank slightly into the dew-kissed grass below, as he took in the vastness around him. The meadow stretched wide and open under the bright sun, with wildflowers scattered among the grass, adding splashes of color. Yet it was isolated, closed in by the steep cliffs of the mountains and the looming trees of the forest.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice swallowed up by the stillness. He turned in a slow circle, searching for any sign of civilization, any trace on the ground, any indication of how he got here—but there was nothing.

James turned slowly, scanning the meadow one more time, trying to ignore the prickling unease rising in his chest.

"Alright, James, no panic." he muttered, his voice rough in the silence, taking a deep breath, "you went to sleep in your own bed, in your own apartment. And now you're… here?"

He squinted at the distant mountains, then looked back at the line of trees bordering the meadow. "This isn't happening," he said, rubbing his temples. "I mean, people don't just… wake up in the middle of nowhere for no reason, right? Was I kidnapped? Was I so drunk I passed out in the middle of nowhere? What other reason could there be?"

He shifted his bare feet in the grass, feeling its coolness seeping into his skin. The more he tried to piece together a reason, any possible explanation for this, the more his mind came up empty. He was here, and that was all he knew, which was confusing.

"Well, maybe I'm dreaming," he suggested, pinching his arm, hard. The sharp sting brought no change to the landscape. "Guess not."

He sighed, hands on his hips, staring at the forest edge. "So what do I do now? Sit here and wait for answers to magically show up?"

No magic was activated. With no better options, he took a tentative step toward the forest, he wasn't going to go up those mountains. Mumbling while advancing, "At least there should be something like a cottage, or someone out there."

James slowly made his way toward the edge of the trees, glancing back one last time at the wide, open sky and the vast sense of calm it offered. Turning he's head, looking under the thick shadows of the forest, the world suddenly felt more confined. The towering trunks loomed like ancient sentinels, casting long, eerie shadows, forming an impenetrable wall. He hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

"Alright, James, it's just… a forest, what could possibly happen," he muttered as he stepped beneath the canopy. But the sense of security he'd hoped for didn't come. Instead, the air felt heavier, each rustle of leaves or crack of a branch far too loud in the dense silence.

He looked around, searching for a path or any sign of civilization, but the trees seemed to close in from all sides. The shadows deepened, and the sunlight barely broke through the thick foliage, casting flickering light patterns on the forest floor.

"Okay, great… this is totally not creepy at all, its not like I'm now lost in those woods," he mumbled, wrapping his arms around himself as if to reassure his nerves. "I mean, who wouldn't want to get lost in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees…"

After a few minutes of walking, James noticed a slight change in the ground beneath his feet. The carpet of needles which were sticking under his feet and fallen leaves seemed disturbed, as though something—or someone—had passed through here before him. He crouched down to take a closer look and saw a narrow, barely visible path beneath the debris.

"At long last, some kind of trail," he sighed, trying to convince himself it was a good sign. "Well, either it leads somewhere… or I'm just following an animal."

He stepped onto the small trail, moving cautiously between the trees, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Trying to focus on the trail, but with each step, the forest seemed to close in tighter around him, as if it were watching. A sudden crack at 3 o'clock in front, made him jump, and he stopped, his heart racing.

"Come on, James, calm down…" he muttered, trying to sound reassuring. "Just the wind in those branch. Nothing else but the wind."

But as he resumed walking, the feeling of being watched didn't fade. He kept going, knowing that standing still in this strange, oppressive place wasn't an option.

As James continued down the narrow path, he paused without making a sound, for a moment to take in his surroundings. The forest, with its towering trees and thick undergrowth, felt both majestic and menacing. He barely noticed the movement at first, but then his eyes landed on a figure—an animal, standing still just a few meters away. A deer, its coat a smooth brown, its long antlers rising high into the air like a crown.

James couldn't help but stare, mesmerized by the animal's elegance. "Wow… that's a beautiful beast," he whispered to himself, having never seeing any in his home town, so he was marveling at how, serene and elegant the creature seemed in the quiet of the woods.

But his admiration was short-lived. Suddenly, the peace shattered. A growl—low, guttural—echoed from behind the trees, followed by a series of snarls. The deer's head snapped up, its ears twitching as it began to back away from the sound. Then, from the shadows, a pack of black and brown wolves emerged making effort to trap the deer in there encirclement. Their eyes glinted hungrily, and their teeth were bared in a savage snarl.

James froze, watching in horror as the wolves pounced. The deer fought back fiercely, its antlers swinging, but the wolves were relentless. James's heart pounded in his chest, while he backed away, without leaving the battling beast out of he's sight. He had no weapon, no way to help, and the sight of the brutal struggle left him with only fear for he's life.

With adrenaline surging, James turned and bolted down the path, his feet slipping on the uneven ground. His breath came in ragged gasps as he ran, not daring to look back, but knowing that the wolves could be closing in on him if he stopped . The sounds of the battle echoed in the distance, but he didn't slow down.

He kept running until, just as he thought his legs would give out, he stumbled into a gap in the forest. His eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.

A road. A large, well-worn path stretching far into the distance. But what caught his attention wasn't the road itself—it was the wreckage that lay sprawled across it.

A wagon made of wood, once sturdy and proud, now lay shattered into pieces. Its wheels were broken, and its frame was twisted beyond recognition. Scattered around it were bodies—torn apart, their flesh mutilated and partially devoured. The scene was like something from a nightmare, a gruesome vision of carnage that made James's stomach turn.

He stepped forward hesitantly, his gaze lingering on the blood-soaked ground. The mutilated bodies belonged to men and women—some unrecognizable, others still clutching broken belongings. Their faces were frozen in terror, their bodies savagely torn apart. Most of their clothes were of old-fashioned styles, shredded and stained beyond recognition.

"This… this can't be real," James whispered to himself, his voice trembling. But the sight before him was all too real. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of the chaos, but the horror was too overwhelming.

Despite the terror gripping him, something inside James stirred. This destruction… it wasn't random. Someone or something had caused it. He couldn't call the police—there was no cellphone in his pocket, and judging by their clothes, the people here didn't seem to carry any either. Determined, he decided to take matters into his own hands and uncover what had happened. There had to be a reason behind it all. And maybe—just maybe—there was something here that could help him make sense of this madness.

Taking a deep breath, James forced himself to move closer to the wreckage, his eyes scanning the ground and the surroundings for anything useful—any clue that might put him on the right track. His heart pounded in his chest, the terrible stench making it hard to focus. The sight of the corpses—his first encounter with such horror—unnerved him deeply, but he knew he couldn't afford to run anymore. Not if he wanted to understand, even a little, what had happened here.

James cautiously approached the carnage, his heart pounding even harder in his chest. The mutilated bodies, partially devoured, were both a terrifying sight and the odor from that hellish place was making him gag. As he leaned in closer while covering is mouth and nose with is t-shirt, he noticed something that made him shiver: bite marks, deep and obvious, embedded into the flesh. It could only be the wolves, who had evidently had their fill. But something didn't add up.

Some of the wounds weren't caused by animal teeth. These were cleaner, more precise cuts, as if made by a sharp blade. A neat slash on an arm, a knife wound to the abdomen. The marks left no doubt: this wasn't just a savage animal attack.

"Bandits or Thieves..." he whispered, his thoughts racing. He'd seen enough movies and read enough books to recognize this kind of violence. No, this carnage had the signature of criminals—people who'd attacked this convoy for money, supplies, or something else.

James scanned the area, his eyes searching for clues or supplies in the chaos. He spotted a half-torn sack beside a body, with a few items left behind. A good-quality dagger make of iron, half-embedded in the ground, along with a small pouch full of copper coins where near, seemingly abandoned in the rush. Taking the torn sack with the other item from the ground, he taught he could repair it later.

Near another body, a bronze sword, slightly scratch but still in decent condition, lay discarded in the dirt. It was covered in blood—either from the victims or the attackers. James slowly picked it up, examining it. It was a light weapon, maneuverable. Not the best, but effective enough for self-defence.

"If you can actually use it, for me it's as good as a blunt weapon." he said with a sigh.

By chance, James stumbled across a pair of boots that seemed to fit him perfectly. They were sturdy, made of leather that looked like they'd seen their fair share of travel, but they were far better than walking barefoot. He pulled them on quickly, tying the laces as tightly as he could, the boots gave him a slight sense of security—a small victory, but it was something.

James couldn't help but feel puzzled as he surveyed the scene. The ground was littered with discarded belongings—clothes, tools, and other items scattered among the wreckage. It didn't make sense. Why would someone go to the trouble of killing everyone and then leave so much behind?

"Why wouldn't they take anything?" he muttered, a knot of confusion tightening in his chest. "Were they just assassins? Came here just to kill and leave?"

James ran a hand through his hair, his thoughts racing. There's got to be a reason. No one does something like this without a reason. Maybe they were after someone specific... or something that isn't here anymore.

His gaze shifted to the footprints that led off to the left side of the road, visible in the mud and crushed leaves. Heavy footprints, well-marked boots, leading into the trees. He crouched down to observe them more closely. There were no animal tracks here, no wolves. These were definitely the bandits' footprints, probably those responsible for the massacre.

He glanced to the other side of the road, where the path continued, seemingly untouched by the chaos. "I should probably go the other way," he muttered to himself, his voice low and uncertain. "I'm alone, and I'm no hero… Judging by the number of footprints, those guys were a whole group."

The thought sent a chill down his spine. If the attackers had taken that direction, it likely led to more traps—or worse, more of them. He had no way of knowing how to use those weapon, no plan, and no chance against a band of killers.

"Yeah, quieter is good," he murmured, taking a step toward the untrodden path. Maybe there's a way out of this hellhole on the other side.

But before he could leave the wrecked wagon and the lifeless bodies scattered around it, James paused, the weight of the tragedy pressing down on him. His eyes lingered on the victims, their faces frozen in terror, their lives cruelly stolen in this untamed wilderness. The sight was a grim reminder of how fragile life could be.

Gripping the sword handle a little tighter, he closed his eyes and murmured a simple, heartfelt prayer. "I'm borrowing these things to survive," he whispered afterward, his voice low and respectful. "Thank you for what you've left behind. I'm sorry I can't give you a proper burial... I don't know where those killers are, and I need to stay safe. But I promise, as soon as I find a village, I'll send help."

He stood still for a moment, one hand resting on the wagon as if to honor their memory. A wave of sadness and determination washed over him. Then, after one last respectful glance, he straightened. Without another word, he turned away, ready to continue on his path. But now, he carried another purpose other than survival: to find help for those who had lost their lives here so tragically.

With the sword tightly gripped in his hand, James moved away from the carnage, the bandit footprints still fresh in his mind. He knew he had to hurry, before someone returned to the scene. The forest was already dangerous enough, but here, humans were just as much a threat.

He moved forward cautiously, his senses heightened, every rustle of the leaves or distant crack of twigs making him freeze. The forest around him was dense and silent, the shadows beneath the trees deepening as he ventured farther in. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him—waiting. Perhaps it was the wolves, or maybe even the bandits, but whatever it was, it kept him on edge.

Every now and then, he would spot a rustling bush or hear a growl in the distance, and his heart would race. James quickly ducked behind trees, hiding in whatever cover he could find, holding his breath as he waited for the sound to pass. He knew that moving too carelessly could bring trouble, so he took it slow, one cautious step at a time.

As he continued on, his mind was filled with questions: Where was he? Why had he woken up here? And who were these bandits? The forest, though beautiful, felt suffocating, its mysteries seeming to close in on him with every step. Yet, there was no turning back now—he had to keep moving. Every sound, every shadow could be the difference between survival and danger.

With the boots now securely on his feet, the sword in his hand, and a gnawing sense of urgency in his chest, James pushed forward, hoping that whatever was ahead would offer him answers—or at least a way out of this mess.