Dawn broke after a long night of hiding and terrifying screams.
Adam emerged from the hole once he was sure there were no creatures nearby. His eyes fell on the footprints left by those things from the night before. These tracks weren't like the ones he'd found near the creature with the torn-up stomach, and they weren't human either.
That's when he knew. There were other dangerous things out there besides the savage humans and the hunting creatures whose territory he was in.
He made his way to the river, washing the dirt from his face and body. For a little while, he just rested on the smooth stones by the bank, lost in thought.
He had made up his mind. He would keep moving, just like yesterday, and he'd dig more pits to hide in. He got to work, making some rough cordage from tree bark and gathering sticks that would help him dig, tying them together with his handmade ropes.
He followed the river downstream with no real destination in mind. His only thought was putting as much distance as possible between himself and the danger. Where he was going wasn't something he'd even started to think about yet.
***
Several days passed, and Adam discovered something: those creatures with the black eyes only came out at night, never during the day. So, he settled into a new routine.
He would travel during daylight hours until night began to approach. Then, he'd stop to dig a pit and cut down shrubs for cover. This new routine slowed his progress considerably.
He constantly had to keep one eye on the sky; if he lost track of time, he'd miss his chance to dig and be too late. He was exhausted, his body felt heavy, and the bites from poisonous insects were slowing him down. It wasn't easy.
But one thing nagged at Adam the entire way: a persistent feeling that he was being watched during the day. Sometimes, he'd hear the sound of a snapping twig or the crunch of footsteps, but he never managed to catch a glimpse of whatever—or whoever—was following him.
***
That day was unusually hot and humid. Moving in this kind of weather was tough. Adam decided he had covered a decent amount of ground for the day and that he would rest for a bit during the daytime; he wasn't going to make any real progress in this heat anyway.
He took off his fancy clothes and laid them by the riverbank. Standing right at the water's edge, he took a few deep breaths in and out, his usual habit, then slowly stepped into the cool, refreshing water.
He wasn't swimming, just walking submerged under the surface. It wasn't exactly a leisurely dip, but he still enjoyed the feel of the river.
That was until something caught his eye—something he was seeing for the first time. He got out of the water and moved toward it.
It was a tree, but unlike all the others. It didn't have those translucent parts that the other trees had.
Its leaves were shaped like banana leaves, though not in size, because they were massive—each one was about half Adam's height. And the leaves were covered with vivid blue veins.
Adam examined it closely and found something strange—oddly shaped fruits. They were the size and shape of eggplants, with a color that was a mix of deep purple and yellow.
This was the first fruit-bearing tree Adam had come across since he'd fallen onto this planet.
A loud gurgle came from Adam's stomach.
He looked up at the fruits hanging from the tree. They weren't too high up; he could probably knock a few down with the stick he carried. And that's exactly what he did, managing to get five of them.
He took them over to the river, washed them thoroughly, and sat down in the shade cast by the taller trees.
He picked up one fruit and started studying it, then brought it to his nose and sniffed.
His eyes widened in surprise.
"It smells... like pineapple!" he muttered.
"And... the scent is really strong, too."
But... what if it's poisonous?
Adam wished there were some creature nearby he could test the fruit on, but unfortunately, there were none around.
He put the fruit down on the ground with the other four. He wasn't comfortable eating them.
He left the fruits where they were and headed towards the river, thinking he could fill his stomach with water to trick his hunger instead of eating the fruit.
But his plan didn't work. His gaze kept drifting back towards the fruits, his mouth even watering at times. He couldn't focus on anything, his thoughts constantly interrupted by imagining what the fruit might taste like.
He swallowed hard.
He looked at the river.
'Why aren't there any fish in this river? Or any creatures swimming? Isn't that strange?'
His regenerative ability renewed cells and repaired damage caused by lack of food and water, but it didn't solve the problem of hunger and thirst itself. And Adam hadn't eaten anything in days.
A few minutes passed.
Finally, he surrendered to his hunger. He picked up the fruits, washed them a second time, sat down, and laid them out in front of him.
Then he glanced at the pit he had prepared—the one he would use to hide and bury himself in if these things turned out to be poisonous.
He picked up the first one.
Sniff... Sniff...
He swallowed again.
He smelled it, then took a small, cautious bite. He chewed it thoroughly and swallowed.
His face twisted in distaste.
"It tastes... not what I expected... It's... weird."
"It tastes like... raw zucchini."
He was disappointed.
He leaned back against the tree behind him.
Adam knew the taste of raw zucchini all too well, along with other things you wouldn't even think of; he'd been forced to eat them before back on Earth.
He didn't exactly hate it, but he was hoping for something better than the taste of raw zucchini.
He took another bite.
Chew, chew...
'Well... it's better than nothing.'
After a few more bites, a strange sensation came over Adam. He felt light, as if he were floating. The pain and exhaustion were gone.
He lifted his head and looked ahead.
The trees and their leaves were rapidly shifting through a kaleidoscope of colors. Fruits were falling from the branches in a continuous, surreal shower, only for new ones to instantly grow and fall again. Then, the trees and leaves began to stretch and contract, over and over, like the world was breathing.
Adam stood up, the second fruit still in his hand, and walked toward one of the pulsating trees. He raised his index finger and gently poked one of the stretched-out leaves.
It froze for a second, then exploded in a burst of vibrant colors, splattering across Adam's face like paint.
He wiped his face and looked at his hand, now stained with the hues of the exploded leaf. Then he laughed. A loud, hysterical laugh.
He started touching other leaves, which began popping one after another in a chain reaction of colorful explosions.
He brought the fruit to his mouth again, took a huge bite, and descended back into hysterical laughter and poking.
He started running around wildly, back and forth, further and further from the safety of his pit.
Then, his legs began to feel like jelly, and his arms went limp and heavy just like them.
He looked at his useless hands and laughed even louder, still stumbling around and bursting leaves.
Several minutes passed in this chaotic state until exhaustion began to set in. His movements became slow and labored, but the laughter continued, now taking on a tired, strained tone.
Finally, his knees buckled, and he collapsed face-first onto the ground.
The laughter stopped.
"D-damn... it... it's... poison..." he slurred.
Lying on his stomach, his head against the dirt, he watched as one of the trees seemed to shift. Something emerged from it, but his vision was too blurry to make it out clearly.
His eyelids grew unbearably heavy, fluttering open and shut a few times before finally closing for good.
---
Adam opened his eyes.
He looked around. There were columns everywhere, a brilliant white and adorned with gold, now splattered with red.
There were white terraces and ornate gold and gray decorations.
The floor was made of white and gold marble, stained with vast amounts of blood. There were no walls; only the columns held up the ceiling. And outside... it was all blue.
He was in a place incredibly high up, above the clouds، Like a mountaintop or something.
The scene was a slaughterhouse. Bodies and dismembered parts were scattered everywhere. But the eerie part wasn't the carnage itself—it was that all the corpses shared Adam's exact features.
At the far end stood a grand, ornately carved white stone throne. On it sat a shadow, a patch of absolute blackness, its features completely indistinguishable, motionless.
Adam himself was now dressed in a white robe adorned with gold accents. The garment covered his left side, leaving his right chest, arm, and shoulder bare. His long hair cascaded down his shoulders.
Strangely, Adam didn't seem shocked by the gruesome scene or the familiar faces of the dead.
Instead, his pained gaze was fixed on the shadowy figure on the throne. He lowered his head, the same tormented expression etched on his face.
He gritted his teeth, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white.
"Look who's finally decided to return."
A voice, dripping with mockery, came from the terraces.
Adam's head snapped up, his eyes searching for the source. There, sitting on the white steps, was a perfect copy of himself—but with jet-black hair, the sides of his head shaved, and the rest tied back.
He was lounging with one leg crossed over the other, looking down at Adam with a malicious, superior smirk.
Adam scowled, his jaw tightening further before he spat out the name, his voice a low, threatening whisper.
"Noah..."
The copy on the terraces, Noah, spoke again, his tone calm yet dripping with condescension.
"Welcome back... traitor."
He let the word hang in the air for a few seconds before finishing.
"Welcome back... Danny."